Rigged from the Start
Chapter 62
Living Ghosts
Scaling the "Big Rock" was a challenging task, if it even was a big rock. To me, it looked like a gargantuan iceberg sticking up like a shard from the frozen sea. Climbing it involved following an animal trail up the sheer slopes. Every step was a treacherous one. The slippery surface threatened to send me, Severa, Anna, and Lucina off the side and to an icy grave far below. The further we climbed, the colder and slicker it became.
Thankfully, we reached the top without much incident. At the peak of the Big Rock, I finally realized why Lucina was so interested in it, and why rumors swirled about this place.
The top was flat. A thick layer of powdery snow rested on top of the ice, but it did not gather in drifts or clumps. It was as if some Great Being pressed the top of the iceberg down like a pancake. Clearly not a natural formation.
But, there was nothing up here. Nothing but ice, snow, and sky. To the west, the sun started to set. In the indigo light filling the sky, I saw a rainbow of colors dancing.
"Northern lights," I breathed in awe.
Severa stood beside me, equally spellbound. Anna shrugged on the other side of me.
"Seen them once, seen them enough," The merchant grunted. "Marth, what's up here exactly? I don't see any ruins."
Lucina marched to the center of the plateau, her fingers crimping the map as she clutched it tight. She marched in a circle around the center, her breathing growing ragged as a flustered frown creased her lips. Even though I couldn't see behind her mask, I knew she had to be frustrated and confused.
"This makes no sense," She mumbled, looking up from the map and twirling around. "The rumors said it was here. Such a place would be a magnet for… for us."
While Lucina looked flustered, I felt strangely relieved. If this was nothing more than an oddly shaped iceberg, then we would not have to worry about Risen. Sure, that also meant we would not find Morgan, and I regretted that, but I was not interested in tangling with Grima's hordes again anytime soon. Besides, as far as I knew, events have changed due to my involvement. I saw Morgan die. So did Severa and Lucina. Perhaps that change meant we would never see her again.
If nothing's here, then we can focus on returning south and helping the Shepherds.
"Marth," Severa sighed, stepping towards her.
Lucina's shoulders sagged, and she let the hand holding the map fall to her side. I didn't hear what Severa said to her, as the wind howled through my winds, but I did hear Anna's grumbles.
"Figures," The Merchant huffed. "I'm not one to dive into ruins, but your friend made it sound like there was quite the treasure here." She kicked at the ground. "Nothing but ice."
She kicked the ground again, and a sharp crack sounded. Anna froze, planting both of her feet firmly on the ice. My breath hitched as the crack echoed through the air. Down below the plateau, I saw seals bark in alarm then retreat into the water.
What on earth?
Another sharp crack reverberated around me, like an eggshell splitting open. Snow shifted on the plateau, filling in crevices that formed from each corner, and ran to the center, where Lucina and Severa stood. My eyes widened as the snow rushed to the center like sand through an hourglass. The iceberg was swallowing it all.
"Severa! Lucina!" I screamed before barreling towards them.
I was mere feet away from them when the floor gave way beneath both girls. The iceberg swallowed them, their screams drowned out by the cascading snow as they entered the rock's bowels. I skidded to a stop at the edge of the pit that yawned at the center of the plateau.
My eyes frantically scanned the darkness in front of me, searching for any sign of Severa and Lucina. All I saw were shadows. The last sunlight began to fade from view, and the only light came from the aurora and the stars. Not enough to illuminate the pit.
I crouched and cupped my hands around my mouth. "Severa!" I called. "Lucina!"
Nothing. Only the faint knocks, cracks, and taps of snow and rocks hitting the walls of the pit. After a couple more seconds, I heard several splashes. Water was down there, somewhere.
I glanced over my shoulder at Anna. The merchant looked forlorn as she stared at the massive chasm in the iceberg.
"Um," She gulped. "I didn't do it."
"You didn't," I nodded, worried. "If you did, I'd say you're a lot stronger than you look."
Her boots crunched against the snow as she moved to my side and looked down. Anna's red eyes widened and her throat bobbed.
"Well," She pulled back and pursed her lips. "They're dead, so-"
"They're not dead," I snarled, causing Anna to step back. "And you better hope they're not. Because if they are, you're not getting paid."
"Oh, I'm getting paid-"
"I am a poor, homeless man!" I bellowed. "Does it look like I have a single copper to my name?"
Anna's lips thinned. I expected her to shout back at me. I did not expect her to place a hand on my shoulder.
"I'll… I'll give you a ride to the closest village. From there, you do your thing."
I stared at Anna, beyond stunned. She really believed Severa and Lucina were dead?
No, I refused to believe it. Those two had survived too much to die because of a hollow iceberg- Big Rock- whatever this thing is! They were down in the pit somewhere, and I was not going to leave them stranded in the darkness.
"Get rope."
"What?" Anna replied.
I rose to my feet and marched back to the path. "We're getting rope and going after them."
Anna uttered a sound of disbelief behind me. I heard her scramble behind me. She managed to slip around me and block my way down the mountain.
"Hold on! We're going down there?" She asked, gesturing to the pit behind me.
"We are," I nodded.
"And if they are dead?" Anna pressed, a glimmer of fear causing her to swallow hard.
I sighed. "They're not. But… if they are then we are going to make sure they get home. Dead or alive, they are not staying down there. Now, are you going to help me or not?"
Anna's jaw clenched. I could see the mental debate playing out on her face. Her eyes refused to meet mine as she contemplated whether she should bother rescuing Lucina and Severa. After a couple of seconds, she huffed and hung her head.
"I want-"
"I'll pay you extra," I grunted, shoving my way past her and starting the careful descent down the iceberg.
"You just told me you were poor and homeless!" Anna shouted after me.
"It's called a half-truth! Get used to those coming from me."
My arms burned by the time I descended the rope Anna and I grabbed from the cart. When my feet touched down on solid ground, a shuddering breath escaped my lungs. All the pressure and tension in my shoulders, arms, and hands ebbed away slowly. It took a couple of moments before I could relax my fingers after letting go of the rope.
Anna touched down beside me with a small hop. She stumbled, bending down to steady herself with her hand. Once she got her footing, she peered through the darkness with me, reached into the bag of supplies she brought with us and withdrew a fire tome.
After muttering a soft whisper, a small flame winked to life in her right hand, illuminating an enormous cavern that seemingly had no end except for one wall that was visible to us. Beside the rocky floor, a deep river rushed towards one of the shadowy places in the cavern. The sounds of a waterfall hit my ears in the direction it flowed.
The wall was actually an entrance. If I had to describe it, I would say it looked like something from ancient Greece or Rome. Tall, stone columns were embedded in the stone like a fossil. They held a stone roof aloft. At the top of the roof's trellis was a symbol that had been nearly wiped away from centuries of wear, weather, and water. Small trickles of water dripped down from stalactites above the roof, eroding away stone bit by bit.
"You got that torch?" Anna asked me.
My torch was nothing more than a large stick with some old cloth wrapped around one end, but it worked in a pinch. I nodded, grabbed it off of my back, and extended it towards Anna. Anna lit it with the flame in her palm, then extinguished her spell as the torch burst to life.
"Can't keep that magic up for long," She mumbled. When she spotted the entrance to the ruins, her eyes widened. "I'll be damned, Marth- or Lucina," She gave me a pointed look, and I mentally kicked myself. Of course, she noticed me say that name earlier. "Was right. Something was here."
"Thabes?" I asked.
"Do you think I know?" Anna remarked, taking a few steps towards the ruins. "I didn't even know this place existed. Never wanted to find out."
I nodded in understanding, then looked around. There was no sign of Severa or Lucina. That caused my gaze to wander to the river rushing away into the darkness.
"Looks like you were right, Samwise," Anna remarked, her voice echoing from the invisible cavern walls. "They didn't die from the fall."
"Yeah," I gulped, fear gripping me tightly as I stared at the water. "You don't think they fell in there, do you?"
Anna grimaced. "If they did, they're as good as dead. Cold will kill them then."
"Not if we find them first," I turned to face the ruins. "Only one way to go from here."
I swallowed any fear I had, replaced it with determination, and marched forward into the temple. Anna followed me.
Shadows danced around us as the torchlight flickered in my left hand. My right hand reached for my kukri. Out of an abundance of caution, I drew it. Anna gulped beside me, then followed my lead by drawing a dagger.
"You think there is danger in here?"
"In my experience; dark, gloomy places like this are always dangerous," I replied.
We started to descend. I could tell by the way the floor sloped underneath me. It was a slow, subtle descent, but it was there. The shadows were deep ahead of us, but they shrank around us, signaling that we had entered some sort of tunnel. The air tasted damp and stale. The bitter cold grew more biting. My breath misted in front of my face in a steady plume of vapor.
"Shouldn't it be getting warmer?" Anna wondered. "Y'know, since we're not exposed to the elements down here?"
"I'm asking myself the same thing," I whispered.
Eventually, the tunnel we were in began to widen out. Then, it opened up into an enormous cavern. The cavern, to my shock, was already lit by a strange, luminous haze that clung to the ground. I could hear water moving nearby, which told me that the river led to this cavern. Crumbling pillars and walls covered the floors that were in view, and more stalactites dripped water from a ceiling I could not see.
I did not see anything threatening in this place, but I could not shake a deep sense of foreboding clutching my mind. It settled in my gut, making me pause in the cavern entry and scan the area carefully.
This feeling that lingered in the air: the bitter cold, the foreboding, the fear that threatened to swallow me whole; all of it reeked of Grima's taint. Every flight instinct in me was flaring to life, but I had to suppress it. I had to find Severa and Lucina. But we had to do so quietly.
"Severa!" Anna yelled, making me jump. "Mar- Lucina! Are you here!?"
"Goddammit, keep it down!" I hissed.
"What? It's empty down here."
No sooner had she said that, a frozen blast of wind slammed into us, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. My throat tightened and my hands started to shake. I gave Anna a fear-filled look.
Shrieks reverberated from the tunnel behind us. More shrill screams came from in the distance around us. The water near the cavern entrance rippled and waved as something swam through the dark murky depths. I spun back around, hoping that our exit had not already been cut off.
Ruby eyes winked to life in the dark tunnel. We were trapped.
"Run!" I screamed.
Anna did not need to be told twice. We bolted further into the cavern as the shrieks around us grew louder and shriller. More ruby eyes winked to life in the darkness around us. Some of them even glowed in the water, giving the once black depths a sinister, crimson glow.
All that spurred me to run faster. I kept pace with Anna as we sprinted around pillars and broken walls, venturing further into the ruins. But we were still only on one path. One solid, smooth road of stone in a hidden, hazy sea. On that road, we ran into the first group of Risen.
Anna surged in front of me, jamming her dagger deep into the bowels of the closest Risen. Her eyes widened to saucers when it did not die from what should have been a fatal blow. With a loud snarl, she stabbed it two more times before finally turning the monster to ash. As she did that, I hacked the rotten arm off of one that got too close to her, then buried my kukri into its neck, killing it.
"What are these things!?" Anna cried.
"Risen."
"What?" Anna asked, wide-eyed and terrified.
"Dead things that are alive and that we have to make dead again," I slashed my kukri through a Risen, disemboweling it, then slammed my kukri against its rotten skull, shearing off a chunk of flesh. "Don't stop moving!"
We carved our way through that small group of Risen, leaving only one or two standing when we bolted forward again. Scattered Risen tried to impede our path. We sidestepped them or cut them down before they could. Anna eventually sheathed one of her daggers so she could start flinging throwing knives at the Risen around us.
Their numbers were growing. Up ahead, I could see larger groups of five or six starting to choke the path. I also saw a crossroads up ahead. At the center of the crossroads was a tall, square monument with a flat top. Right as we drew near that monument was when I heard a voice call out to us.
"Anna, Samwise, up here!" Lucina shouted.
I whipped my head up to the top of the monument. Lucina stood tall on top of it, Falchion in her right hand and her mask discarded. Blue flames licked at the divine blade's edges.
I spotted several handholds and footholds on the sides of the monument, chipped into the stone by water and time. They were slick, but they would have to do. Anna surged up them first, scaling the monument as easily as a squirrel climbing a tree. I scrambled after her, my feet slipping several times. When I neared the top, both Lucina and Anna grabbed me and hauled me all the way on top.
I uttered a ragged gasp once I reached the top. Then I looked up, and a strange mixture of relief and worry filled me.
Severa sat on the ground, propped up on her elbows. Her right leg was stretched out like normal, but her left leg was bent and twisted in a manner that made my stomach roll. Her face was pale, and sweat covered her brow despite the frozen air around us. Her scarlet eyes widened when she saw me. Then, her lips quivered.
"S-Sam, you, you-"
I wrapped her in a tight hug. "Of course I came," Shrieks and snarls echoed around the monument. Both Anna and Lucina circled the edges, swiping down at any Risen that tried to scale it. "Now we just need to get out."
Tears bubbled in Severa's eyes. Her head trembled and she nodded at her leg.
"Good luck with that," She croaked, trying her best to maintain her tough mask. A shuddering gasp left her lips and a wince twisted her features as she shifted in her seat. "Can't even fight my way out of here now."
"Leave that to us," I replied.
"Sam, take an edge!" Lucina barked.
I shot to my feet, rushed to the nearest spot Lucina and Anna weren't defending and kicked a Risen off of it. As that Risen screamed to the floor, I drew my kukri again and hacked at any Risen nearing the top.
An arrow sang through the air, smacking against the stone near my feet. I jumped back, a sharp yelp tearing from my lips.
"Archers!"
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Anna cried. "I expect-"
"I'll pay you whatever you want if we get out of this alive!" Lucina barked. "Focus on living first!"
"I'll demand the entire royal treasure then," Anna shouted back, her voice thick with sarcasm.
"That can be arranged!"
A few more arrows skipped against the stone, making all of us hop back from the edges. Another couple of arrows sailed by us, coming too close for my comfort. One shot came so close to my head that I heard it whistle past my ear.
Two Risen managed to crawl up to the top of the monument, and one charged right for Severa. Right as I turned to stop it, its companion cut me off. I managed to cut it down, but not before the first Risen reached Severa.
But Severa was not as helpless as any of us thought. With a roar, she ripped her sword free from its sheath and hacked the Risen's legs out from beneath it. When that Risen fell, Severa pounced on it despite her broken leg. She slammed the pommel of her sword against its skull once, twice, three times. With a sickening crunch, the Risen's skull caved in, then it turned to ash.
"Any ideas out of this?" I hollered to Lucina and Anna.
"Your guess is as good as mine!" Anna shouted.
"Just keep fighting!" Lucina yelled.
"If we keep fighting here we are going to die!" Anna exclaimed.
"Do you have a better idea?" Lucina asked.
"No!"
More Risen were clawing their way up the monument. Too many for us to fend off. The enemy was closing in and we had nowhere to go; nowhere to run or hide. All we could do was fight until we could fight no more, and pray to Naga that we could find a way out.
Out of the corner of my eye, as I kicked another Risen off of the monument, I saw fire flash. At first, I feared it was a Risen mage. The fireball roared over my head, making me duck, then it slammed into a throng Risen. A massive explosion engulfed the Risen, turning them to ash and scorching the stones they stood on.
Three more fireballs roared around the monument, engulfing the attacking Risen and sending them to a fiery grave. Once the flames died down, I spotted a shadowy figure standing on a cleft in the cavern wall. They conjured another white-hot fireball, illuminating the shadows around them.
My heart lurched to my throat when I saw a purple and gold coat. That brief glimpse ended when the figure launched the fireball into a new group of charging Risen. Then the figure spoke.
"Keep moving forward!" They shouted.
"You heard her!" Anna barked, not hesitating to scramble down the monument.
"Ann- damn it!" Lucina hissed, "Sam, can you help Severa?"
"Keep the Risen off me and I can," I replied.
Lucina did not reply. She was already clearing the way for us to get down the monument. When she reached the bottom, she yelled for me to lower Severa down. As quickly as I could, I scooped Severa up and passed her down to Lucina.
Severa uttered a pained scream when her leg accidentally touched the ground. Still, she kept her grip on her sword and slashed a Risen that got too close. Lucina finished it off when I reached the ground. At that point, I let Severa get onto my back. I took a few wobbly steps, got my feet under me, then sprinted after Lucina and Anna.
Lucina slowed down so I could catch up. When I did, Lucina stayed by our side, slashing and bashing any Risen away from us. Anna cleared the path further ahead with help from our "mysterious" savior shooting fire and lightning from their spot above us.
When we reached the end of the pathway, I saw a wall looming in front of us, faintly lit up by the luminous mist rolling across the ground. A swarm of Risen blocked the only way out. Lucina charged ahead of us, Falchion gripped in both hands, ready to hack through the horde. Anna skidded to stop and started flicking the last of her knives into the enemy. Several more fireballs slammed into the crowd, blasting them to ash.
But a pathway did not open up. More Risen clambered out of the water onto the path, cutting off any path of escape. I backed away from the Risen swarming around us, eventually causing Severa to bump into Lucina's back.
"Sam, put me down and fight," Severa said in my ear, panicked breaths rushing in and out of her lungs. "Use my sword if you have to."
"You're staying up there," I replied. "If I put you down, you won't make it."
"We're all making. No arguing with that!" Lucina snapped.
A sardonic laugh came from Anna. "Yeah, we're making it alright. Making it to an early grave. Never thought I'd die inside of an iceberg."
"It's a big rock," Lucina replied through gritted teeth.
A pulse of magic ripped through the air. Purple fire rained down from the ceiling, engulfing the Risen surrounding us. All of the Risen uttered moans and groans as they crumbled to ash.
The mage that saved our lives jumped down from a lower ledge, landing on their feet with surprising grace. More fire flared to life on their right hand as their left clutched a beat-up, old spellbook. Fire spells roared from her hand like a flamethrower, engulfing any Risen still trying to climb their way out of the water.
"This way!" She barked.
A light gasp came from Severa, but we did not stay still long enough for her to say anything.
All of us raced after the mage, sprinting through a short, narrow tunnel that slowly ascended. As we ran, Risen snarled and shrieked behind us, clawing at the stone as they scrambled to catch up to us. Every few steps, the mage fired spells over us and into the growing mass of undead, slowing them down.
She stopped when we neared the end of the tunnel. Instead of shooting a fire spell behind us, she charged a dark spell in one hand and blasted it against a sheer, rock wall. A titanic boom erupted through the tunnel. Stone shards exploded around me. The walls shook and the ceiling trembled from the blast.
The Risen's vengeful shrieks turned to cries of alarm. Severa uttered a nervous sound.
"The tunnel's collapsing!"
"Don't stop running!" Lucina ordered.
Another blast slammed against the wall, causing it to cave in and reveal a tunnel sealed off long ago. Fresh air rushed through this tunnel, making my heart soar with hope.
We managed to sprint through the tunnel and out onto the Feroxi ice fields. Once outside of the iceberg, the mage spun around, gathered a gargantuan ball of lightning in her hand, and launched it at the tunnel exit. A couple of Risen were fried on impact. The entire iceberg trembled from the impact. Then, the tunnel caved in, sealing the Risen inside a tomb of ice and stone.
We didn't stop running until we reached the cart, still perched in its spot overlooking the vast ice fields and the frozen ocean. Kushi was waiting for us there, a fire already burning by a camping spot. When he saw us and saw Severa on my back, he jumped from his seat by the fire and scrambled into the cart, emerging with blankets and vulneraries.
Anna and Lucina reached the cart first. While Anna sagged to a seat by the fire, exhausted, Lucina snatched one of the vulneraries from Kushi.
"Sam, set Severa down by the fire," Lucina ordered. "Kushi make sure we weren't followed."
Kushi gave Lucina a puzzled look. "Well, uh, you were followed by-"
"The mage is with us," Lucina said, silencing him. "Make sure no Risen gave chase."
"Risen?"
"Dead things," I chimed in as I eased Severa to the ground. She leaned against my shoulder, hopping on one leg, before falling to a seat next to Lucina. "You remember them, right?"
Kushi paled. "Oh… yeah," He gulped. "Don't see any."
"Hopefully it stays that way," I breathed.
I knelt down next to Severa. Lucina drew a knife and cut Severa's pants open around her broken leg. Severa hissed when the cold blade touched the raw wound. I paled when I saw the extent of the damage.
Her shin bone stuck out of the skin. Dried, frozen blood caked the area around the break. A gag crawled its way up my throat, causing me to utter a hoarse cough. Severa, seeing my reaction, gave the area a look and paled.
"Oh," She gulped. "That's about how it feels, yeah."
Lucina ripped her belt from her waist and held it to Severa's mouth. "Bite down. Sam, hold her arms. You!" She pointed at the mage that was still looking at the iceberg. "A little help would be nice."
Severa's eyes widened as I grasped her arms. "W-wait Lucina, can we hold on a moment. There might be a healing staff-"
Lucina snapped the bone back in place. A blood-curdling scream erupted from Severa, followed by ragged, exhausted gasps. More sweat beaded on her brow.
"I told you to bite down," Lucina told Severa.
"I… told you… to fucking wait!" Severa gasped. Her head fell back so she stared up at the sky, chest rising and falling as heavy breaths shot in and out of her lungs. "At least wait on the vul-"
Lucina popped the cork and splashed the blue vulnerary all over the bleeding wound. Severa squeezed her eyes shut, a sharp hiss rushing from her lips. She grabbed my forearm and squeezed tight, making me wince.
"Easy there," I muttered.
"You're not the one being healed by someone with no healing experience!" Severa growled.
"Healing experience?" Our rescuer chirped with a voice that made me freeze. Severa and Lucina also froze, both of them holding their breath. All three of our heads shuddered towards the mage, who had turned around to face us. "I think I have some healing experience? Maybe? It's hard to remember."
Lucina shot to her feet, Falchion jumping to her hand once again. She pointed the divine blade at our rescuer. Her blue eyes narrowed, and the sword trembled in her grasp.
"Who are you?"
The mage tilted their head beneath their hood.
Lucina gestured at the mage's hood with Falchion. "Remove your hood."
"Wait, I haven't already?" The mage snorted. "Well, no wonder you're suspicious of me. I'd be suspicious of me too. This coat, while I love it, can give me a bit of a ghoulish appearance, now that I think about it."
Severa started to shake next to me. Her grip on my arm did not loosen, and her wide eyes were glued to the mage. Her throat bobbed when the mage reached for their hood with small, gloved hands.
The hood fell, revealing a face I had a feeling I would be seeing soon, and one I knew Lucina and Severa thought they would never see again.
Lucina's mouth fell open. Falchion lowered, and she took a step back. "M-Morgan?"
Severa tried to scramble to her feet, only for me to keep her down. That earned me a murderous look, but I did not let her up. She was hurt and needed to stay seated. In the end, Severa settled with rotating in her seat so she could face the mage. When she saw her, all the color drained from Severa's face.
"Morgan?" The mage replied, tilting her head to the side in confusion. She pulled some of her black locks from her forehead as her brow furrowed. "Huh… that sounds familiar? Is that my name? Oh, please tell me that's my name! It sounds right, but it could also be wrong. Hm…" She put a hand to her chin. "This warrants a lot of thinking. Maybe I don't want it to be my name."
"No," Severa breathed, her lips trembling as tears welled in her eyes. "You-you can't be- you're alive?"
Morgan looked down at her buttoned-up coat. She hummed, patted down her stomach and chest, then shrugged.
"I think so? That's a bit of an odd question to ask, don't you think?"
Lucina lowered Falchion. She drew in a shuddering breath, raked her free hand through her hair, then exhaled.
"How are you alive?" She asked.
Morgan blinked. "From what I can tell, it is a result of me doing this," She sucked in a sharp breath. "Then this," She exhaled
"Not like that, you idiot!" Severa snapped, tears brimming in her eyes. "We saw you die! We saw you fall with the Risen off the mountain pass!"
Morgan tilted her head again, frowned, and hummed. "I don't remember any of that."
"You seem to not remember a lot of things," I muttered.
"Good observation," Morgan pointed at me. "He's paying attention. I mean other than now knowing my name, I also know that I have a dad somewhere? Oh, and obviously a mom too because it takes two, right? I think? Then there's another- Wait!" Morgan's eyes widened, "I have a sister." Her gaze fell on Severa and her mouth fell open. "I do have a memory."
Before anyone could stop her, Morgan rushed to Severa and threw her arms around Severa's neck. Severa stiffened as Morgan hugged her tight. All the masks Severa wore were torn away. Tears rolled down her cheeks and harsh sniffles wracked her. Her arms trembled as she returned Morgan's embrace.
"I remember my big sister always looking out for me," Morgan muttered.
Severa broke. Small sobs made her shoulder shudder. She clutched Morgan tight, refusing to let go. Lucina lingered nearby for a moment. She sheathed Falchion, smiled, patted Severa's shoulder, before joining the others by the fire. Anna and Kushi gave the two sisters curious looks from the fire but said nothing.
As for me, I stood up and took a breath.
"Well, this is… good," I began. "Yes, good. Um," I rubbed my mouth, glanced at the fire, then turned my attention to the cart. "I'll get some food."
I moved to the cart. Severa needed privacy with Morgan right now. She definitely did not need me hovering nearby. Besides, I was worried that my lack of shock when Morgan revealed herself was noted. As usual, when worry hit me, I figured food would help silence it for at least a little while.
Besides, making dinner also gave me time to get my story in order. Severa and Lucina might have some questions. I needed to be prepared to answer them.
Anna did not let me cook. She didn't even let me touch her pots and pans, let alone hover them over the fire. As soon as I brought a couple of jars of soup and a pot towards the campfire, she jumped up, wrenched them from me, and got to cooking. Not long after that, all of us enjoyed a healthy helping of carrot and pea soup. It wasn't the most filling dish, but it warmed me up after dealing with the intense cold within the iceberg.
After eating, Anna and Kushi turned in for the evening. Anna hopped into her cart to sleep and Kushi set up tents for everyone before claiming one for himself. Me, Lucina, Severa, and Morgan remained around the fire for a little while longer together, with Morgan explaining what little she could remember.
Morgan's memory really was gone. Beyond the scribblings in her spellbook, and faint fragments she could recall of her family- the faintest of which being about her mother- she remembered nothing. She did not know how she ended up inside of the ruins within the iceberg, or how she managed to survive there despite a lack of food. For that matter, she had no idea how she managed to avoid attracting the attention of the Risen until we arrived in the ruins. All of it was a blank for her, and Severa and Lucina stopped asking questions when they realized the answers would all be the same.
But I asked a question that Morgan did know the answer to. I knew she knew the answer to it.
"Do you remember your father?"
"Of course I do!" Morgan chirped, a smile on her lips. She set her bowl to the side and folded her hands in her lap. "His name is Robin, I remember that. He was also a very intelligent tactician. He and I would play tactical games every single night. That helped me develop my love for tactics as well."
"You already knew all of that, Sam," Severa said, giving me a puzzled look. "Why ask that?"
I pursed my lips then shrugged. "Maybe it would help jog her memory?"
"Anything's possible," Morgan nodded. "Just yesterday I tried dunking my head in the water to see if that would wake my brain up. It uh… didn't work." She finished with a sheepish laugh.
"You do realize that water was freezing right?" Severa deadpanned.
"And fire magic warmed me back up," Morgan smiled in reply. "No harm done in the end."
Lucina chuckled while Severa gave Morgan a dumbfounded look. Severa leaned towards Lucina and whispered something to her. Whatever she whispered caused Lucina to snort and cover her mouth.
"Yes. It's like the war never happened for her," Lucina agreed.
"War? What war?" Morgan asked.
"Don't worry about it," I replied with a wave of my hand. I ate the last bite of my soup then set my bowl to the side for the night. When I did that, Lucina stretched her arms and yawned. "If you're going to bed, could you take the dishes back to the cart?" I asked.
Lucina nodded. "Sure," She rose to her feet, gathered the empty bowls, then turned to Morgan. "It's great to have you back Morgan. Make sure you rest too."
"Now that you mention it," Morgan covered her mouth as she yawned. "I am kinda sleepy. What tent can I-"
"My tent has room," Severa grunted. She gestured at the tent closest to the fire. "Go crawl in there. Leave me some room for when I decide to go to bed."
Morgan smiled. "Will do."
She rose with an energetic hop, waved to me and Severa, before disappearing into the tent. Once both her and Lucina were gone, I let out a long sigh and rubbed my eyes.
"God, what a day."
Severa snorted. "You think it was a long day for you? I broke my leg and my sister came back to life."
"Yeah," I nodded wearily. Then, I gestured at her leg. "How's it feeling?"
Severa shrugged. "Morgan may know some healing stuff, but she's definitely not at Brady's skill level. I'll probably be good to walk again in a couple of days," She flicked one of her twintails back over her shoulder. "If it wasn't for you and Anna, Lucina and I probably wouldn't have gotten out of that place."
I shook my head. "Morgan would have gotten you out of there."
Severa snorted. "You caused the ruckus that got her attention. Besides, Lucina wouldn't have been able to fight through the Risen and carry me at the same time."
"Trust me," I replied. "You would have been fine."
Severa gave me a puzzled look. "How do you know that?" A pit formed in my gut. Severa's brow furrowed, her confusion growing when I didn't answer right away. "For that matter… how do you know Morgan would've gotten us out of there anyway."
I grimaced. "It's just- she was in there, you know."
"Yeah, she was in there," Severa gave me a stern look. "And now that you mention it, you didn't seem all that surprised."
I swallowed hard. "Sev-"
"Did you know something, Sam?" Severa pressed, her eyes narrowing. "Did you learn something in Plegia?" My silence only made her press harder. "Did you know Morgan was alive?"
"I-"
I caught myself before saying anything. Despite buying time to work out what to say to Severa, when push came to shove, I was tongue-tied. All my silence did was show my guilt. Severa's eyes widened and she drew back, disbelief etched on her face.
"You… you knew."
"Severa, I can-"
"How did you know?" Severa asked, her voice biting.
My throat felt tight and my stomach twisted. I could feel my heart hammering in my chest as fear made it race. It took all of my self-control to keep my hands from shaking.
I knew this moment was coming. I knew, at some point, I would have to reveal what I knew to Severa. Frankly, I was amazed this moment didn't come sooner. A part of me wished it would have never come.
But, now that the moment was here, I couldn't lie. Not anymore. Pandora's box had cracked, and nothing could reseal it now. So, I took a deep breath and looked Severa in the eye.
"This is a story."
"I don't want a damn story, Sam. I want the truth." Severa growled.
"No, that's the truth," I repeated, keeping my voice level as I took another deep breath. "This is all a story. Well, it's a story where I'm from. A legend, a myth, whatever you want to call it. This, up until I arrived outside of Southtown, was not real for me. You, Lucina, Morgan, Anna… you were all just characters in a fun story that I enjoyed," Severa said nothing. Her gaze burned holes through me as I spoke. "That's how I knew Morgan was alive. Rather, that she might be alive. That's why I wasn't surprised, I should say. Um- I-"
"What fucking story?" Severa growled. "What are you even talking about?"
"You're characters!" I admitted, finally losing my calm tone as fear shot through me. "You're all just characters. People I read and watched in a story I've seen many times before. In that story, the Shepherds, led by Prince Chrom, fight Plegia, Valm, and Grima in desperate wars to prevent the end of the world. You, Morgan, all of the others are part of that story. And Morgan showed up in the Ruins of Time, or Thabes Tower, as you all know it."
Severa's stare was unyielding. She said nothing. She simply waited for me to dig the hole deeper.
"I um," I scratched the back of my neck and exhaled a shuddering breath. "I never said anything to any of you because… because I knew how insane this all sounds. I was scared to say something. And, with how much things have changed from what I know in the story, I-"
"Did you know how everyone died?" Severa asked, making me blanch.
"N-no, I did not-"
"Did you know how Gaius died?" Severa asked, her teeth clenched tight as she spoke. "What about Tiki? Sir Frederick and Sir Donnel? Anna? Mor-" She bit her tongue, eyes darting to the tent Morgan slept in. "Did you know all of that, and you let it all happen?"
"No!" I exclaimed. "The story never elaborated on what happened in the future. It only ever focused on what happened with Chrom and his Shepherds, as well as what happened after all their kids time traveled. I had no idea any of that would happen in the future, Severa. I-"
"Did you know about everything going on in Plegia then?" Severa's eyes widened as more fury welled up inside of her. "If you knew this story, did you know how dangerous Plegia was? You," She scoffed. "You kept us in Plegia despite this knowledge?"
"The story didn't exactly do a good job at worldbuilding."
"What does that even mean!?" Severa exclaimed. "What does… gawds," Her voice fell right as she was on the verge of shouting. She buried her head in her hands for a moment and massaged her eyes. "Samwise."
I swallowed hard. "Yeah?"
"I'm just a story character?"
A pang hit my chest. What do I even say to that? Apparently, nothing; and it wasn't the right answer still.
Severa's lips thinned. I expected her to be furious. What I did not expect was her to be on the verge of tears. The betrayal I saw on her face was enough to make me feel nauseous.
"Severa-"
She shook her head, grabbed the stick Anna gave her to help her walk, and gingerly rose to her feet.
"Don't talk anymore, Sam," She muttered.
She hobbled to her tent but paused at the entry. Her head turned to the cart. I followed her gaze and paled when I saw Lucina standing there, arms folded over her chest, eyes narrowed on me.
"Lucy," Severa croaked. "Sam's got some shit to say to you. Don't… don't let him off the damn hook."
Severa disappeared into her tent, leaving me to fend for myself against Lucina. At this point, I wasn't afraid anymore. I only felt immense regret. Even when Lucina marched up to me and glowered at me, I couldn't bring myself to be worried about the situation. I found myself only worrying about Severa.
Lucina sat down across the fire from me, closed her eyes, and folded her hands. After taking a calming breath, she opened her eyes and gave me a piercing look.
"From the beginning, Samwise," She commanded.
I pursed my lips, bowed my head, and nodded. It was time to come clean about everything except for Grima's identity. I could not hurt Severa like that. Not now. When I was finished with this, I knew the direction we all would be going: right back to Plegia.
Part 1 of 3 of a Triple update! On to the next chapter!
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