Chapter 22 His puppet

Morgan was confused and fearful.

What did he mean that she had done well? Was this all a trap? Had her father hidden a second army that was ready to surround them?

Looking around she did not find anything amiss. Despite the barrier obscured much of the view, Morgan could weakly make out that the battle was going well with the Ylissean army having already broken through the first line and fighting their way towards the barrier. If her father had a hidden army somewhere, it would have been wise of him to unleash them now.

Still her father retained his confident smile and made no motion of assisting his hard-pressed forces outside. For once his gaze was solely focused on her.

Whatever tricks he had been hiding, Morgan did not intend to give him the liberty to use it. She quickly dashed towards her opponent, Severa followed a few steps behind her.

They did not get far. As if one would swat a fly, Robin with a casual wave cast a powerful wind spell, while Morgan could feel that the shield absorbed most of it, the sheer force of the spell was enough to stagger her and cast Severa several feet into the air. With an audible crash, the redhead landed on her back and laid still.

''Severa!''

A small groan was heard as a response showing that the redhead was still alive and awake at least.

''I would worry more about myself if I were you girl. I should kill you for your insolence, but I shall hold my hand for now for the service you have done me.''

Morgan quickly took a more defensive stance with the shield in front. She needed to buy time for Severa to recover. Attacking her father from the front would be foolish, they needed to split up and take him in a pincer manoeuvre. It didn't seem that Validar had the strength to assist his liege father, as he remained on his knees looking dazed. The king of Plegia was for all intents and purposes alone against two trained opponents.

''Service? What service? Your army is falling father, your country surrounded, and you have nowhere to hide. The Plegian nation falls today!''

Once again, her father laughed.

''All I'm surrounded with is dead men and their foolishness. You have done well leading them all here, their souls shall make for a bountiful offering. Falling? Plegia is at the precedent of being reborn! All thanks to you. My little puppet of bone and flesh.''

Her father made no sense. Offerings? Did he meant offerings to awaken the fell dragon? If so, then he was deluded. None of the men she had brought into the desert intended to offer themselves to any God or alter. If anything, they were here to bring it all down.

Severa was slowly rising behind her, yet her father did not seem to mind.

She needed more time.

''What do you mean?''

''That all of this from the day I planted you in your mother's womb to this pathetic excuse you call a war, has been according to my design. It was I who created these conditions that made that fool of an Exalt confident enough to attack me in my own domain. It was I who willingly ''lost'' the gemstone Sable to Ylisse, knowing that he would then try to collect the others now that he had the chance to complete it.''

Morgan was shocked.

''You desired the restoration of the Fire Emblem?''

''Indeed.''

''But…it's completion would mean the strengthening of the seal. Does Plegia not desire the awakening of Grima?''

It might have been her imagination, but her father's facial features seemed to begin to twist and morph in an unnatural way. A smile appeared but it looked out of place, it was too wide, and the skin began to have a sickly glow to it.

''Ohh…but I have awakened girl. The seal was broken during the Sundering, and while my body remains dormant and trapped, my conscience…my soul was free to roam this plane as long as I have a mortal vessel to possess. Closing the door now won't make much of a difference.''

A large suffocating shadow seems to grow from his figure, and Morgan could feel her entire body began to shiver. She recalled the Tiki's words concerning her father and began to wonder if something else was truly standing before her. Never has she felt such an aura of malevolence.

''But why do you desire its completion? Who are you?''

''The Fire Emblem in its complete form is not just an instrument of binding the ancients. If one knows the correct rites, it can also function as a catalyst. A key to both locking and opening the door if you will. All that required now is a large offering that you so thoughtfully have provided…''

Again, the king of Plegia began to laugh. It was a warped and cruel laugh that as it progressed began to change as if there were multiple individuals laughing at the same time. In the end Morgan could barely hear her father's original voice.

''Foolish girl…You ask who am I? I'm your father and your God. I am the wings of despair. I am the breath of ruin. I am the fell dragon, Grima! And you…my daughter…my herald! Have just set the final stage for my ascension.''

Morgan could only watch in horror at what happened next.

As a snake shedding its skin, parts of the King's skin began to peel and fall off, revealing a grey almost reptilian hide beneath. A third eye seemed to grow beneath his left and whatever resemblance he once had to the old tactician of Ylisse began to melt off. Leaving a creature that still had half the appearance of a man and the other half of something like a demon from the underworld.

''You have no idea how frustrating it has been. To be confined into weak mortal flesh. Years of selective breeding to create a vessel that is suitable for my needs. And a millennium of failures because of the incompetence of my followers. At best they could only steal the gems from the shield, so that I may take a more active role in guiding them. Yet still they failed to do the most basics of tasks.''

Grima looked down on Validar, his one hand still on his forehead.

''All of them USELESS!''

With one swift motion, Grima tore Validar's head off. A geyser of blood sprang out and Validar's headless corpse collapsed unceremoniously down. Grima cast one look at his son's head before crushing it with his one hand.

The barrier around them pulsed with a strong red glow and it became next to impossible to look outside. Validar's death had solidified it and for good or ill would now remain in place, trapping everyone inside.

Grima continued to talk as if nothing had happened.

''Despite my power I'm still confined by the limits of the flesh. Alone I cannot hope to conquer the world, nor do I possess the army to bring the world to heel. The people of Plegia are too meagre in numbers to even act as kindle for my ascension. All of it worthless! Worthless! WORTHLESS!''

Agitated Grima threw the remains of Validar's head away. A fourth eye began to grow below the third. Despite his rapidly deteriorating human appearance, his voice began to revert to that of the former tactician.

''Until you…You who shares the blood of the Exalted line. You who could freely walk around that accursed land of Naga and when other obstacles had been cleared could inherit the heirlooms of the Exalted line, and finally bring them to me.''

Morgan could hear that Severa had recovered, but her mind was too distracted to process what the avatar of the fell dragon had told her and their implications.

''Obstacles…Obstacles…You mean to tell me that my entire life…''

''Has progressed according to my will. I let that woman raise you so that she would develop an attachment to you. I wiped your memories so that you would be more malleable to my teachings. I saw to it that you didn't develop any relationships that could strengthen your loyalties to Plegia. I created you to be the perfect heir for Ylisse. Educated in matters of war and statehood and having an intrinsic knowledge of Plegia's inner workings.''

A chuckle was heard from Grima. He continued with a clear mocking tone.

''Oh…A poor soul that is just an unfortunate product of rape. A victim…A granddaughter that the fool of an Exalt could not help but pity and accept. And once I have taken care of his daughters, what choice did he have but to choose you as his heir?''

''What did you mean by taking care of his daughters?''

''Oh? It's obvious, isn't it? I saw to it that his youngest was murdered shortly after you where born. And his eldest I had marked so that she lived and died according to my will. I crippled her so that she would be unable to take the role of Exalt, and once I heard that you had journeyed to Mount Prism, I finally cut her lifeline. She had served her purpose wonderfully. Bringing you to this world, pleading for your place in Ylisse, and finally hasten this invasion by eliminating any doubts the Exalt might had harboured.''

Morgan could only feel pure rage growing within her, as everything was revealed to her. She did not even register how Severa tried to calm her down, as her world narrowed down to just Grima and her burning desire to chop that demon to pieces.

But she needed to ask one last question.

''After all this…what makes you think that I would just hand over the Fire Emblem? What should stop me from just gutting you up instead?''

Grima was unimpressed with her threat.

''Because you're my daughter. You share my blood, and my blood contains my power and influence. You would do as I command!''

Morgan was not swayed by her father's demands.

''You're deluded to think that I would ever do anything for you.''

Severa suddenly chipped in.

''Morgan…Something is wrong…''

Morgan did not answer her sister's concerns. Whatever it was, it needed to wait. The architect of their misfortune was right in front of them. They only needed to kill him and everything in Plegia would fall apart. She prepared to signal to the redhead to attack their father to the left while she would move to the right.

But Grima moved first.

''You'll surrender the Fire Emblem NOW!''

An unimaginable pain erupted in Morgan's head and she feel to her knees. Her vision turned red, and she felt compelled to do his bidding. Yet something inside resisted his influence, it started as a faintly warm glow around her chest before moving upwards, mitigating the pain. It gave her enough strength to shout her defiance.

''NO…I…REFUSE!''

A shockwave emerged and Grima took a few steps away from the bluenette as the force knocked him back.

''I…I'm a child of Naga. You have no hold on me.''

She rose up and took her mother's signature stand, as she prepared to end it.

''Prepare yourself fell dragon. For I shall end you once and for all!''

Again, Grima looked at her unconcerned, his expression was one of more annoyance then fearful of the potential end that his daughter promised.

''Pity…Severa!''

Morgan had barely time to turn around before the redhead was closing in on her, blade drawn and on it's way towards her neck. In panic Morgan held Falchion up to block the incoming blow but that was a mistake: Severa had always been the stronger of the two. The first blow sent the bluenette staggering, the second knocked Falchion off her hand and the third cut her from the neck to the abdomen. Morgan fell with a clash and found herself unable to move. She was bleeding heavily and could barely breath. The pain was all consuming and Morgan felt how she was quickly losing consciousness.

She tried to catch a glimpse of Severa but was unable to move her head.

How could this happen? Why did Severa do it? So many questions yet so little time. Her thoughts began to become incoherent, and she found herself thinking of her mother and poor grandfather who would now lose another member of his family.

Mama. Grandfather…Forgive me….

As the world faded around her, she could barely hear Grima's last words.

''Always have a backup plan…''

And there was the reveal of Grima's plan! Probably the chapter that I most looked forward to finish. Don't worry it's not the end, maybe around 1-2 chapters more before this story reach it's conclusion, but I'm going to take a break from writing as December is soon here, and I have other responsibilities to take care of.

Might post again somewhere in the new year.

Thank you all for reading and an especially big thank you for all who take their time commenting ^^