DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Kingdom Hearts nor Fire Emblem: Shadows of Valentia characters, Square Enix, Nintendo, and Disney are the owners.
Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: It's alright, buddy. Your support is enough to motivate me to continue writing stories that many people enjoy.
CHAPTER 10 – HELL SWAMP I
RIGEL CASTLE – THRONE CHAMBER
After experiencing the huge loss not only against Alm, but Roxas, Berkut was distraught over his defeat against the keyblade wielder so he walked inside the chamber to have a word with his uncle, the emperor Rudolf himself.
"Back so soon, Berkut?" the emperor watched his nephew approaching him.
"Sire, I was merely—" Berkut tried to explain his failure but Rudolf cut him off. "Are the tales true? You challenged that muppet with a black coat for spot and lost?"
These words made Berkut nervous and quite frightened because he, himself, had already committed a lot of recklessness messing with Alm, but his defeat at Roxas's hands had left him with sour taste and made him really mad that his obsession towards the keyblade began clouding slowly his mind. "…Forgive me, Uncle." He nervous and reluctantly replied looking away from his uncle's eyes. "He proved to be more skilled than I first imagined."
"What a most distressing turn of events." Said one creepy-looking cantor, Jedah, expressing evilness in his voice, pointing out the Rigelian general's faults. "Our own Lord Berkut, broken by an edgelord boy with black coat and his band of fools following him. Did you mean to drag your knights' honor through the dung whilst playing?"
"Hold your tongue!" Berkut shut him up becoming irritated by the cantor's brutal statement. "You are a servant to our house, and you dare insult Rigel's finest? It's far more sensible for clods such you to stay cowering in your robes."
"You forget that we answer to none but Duma, father of all Rigel." Jedah reminded him that he wasn't Berkut's lapdog and he only would obey to Duma, nobody else. "Though I may be a servant, but it is certainly not to you. We shall see who cowers in the end."
Berkut was growing angry by Jedah's words and actions that he really hated, hated so much… "What are you implying?" he tried to question him.
"Emperor Rudolf, allow me to put your heart at ease." Jedah filled the emperor with apparent good news for his army... "It is true that the Deliverance is nearing the sluice gate at our border. However, it is guarded by Tatarrah, one of the Duma's Faithful's finest arcanists. And I understand it, he has come across a most interesting toy. I have the utmost faith he will make short work of those rebels."
"…Sire!" Berkut intervened trying to silence the purple-skinned man.
"What now, Berkut?" Rudolf asked him in a dried voice.
"Tatarrah may yet fail. Permit me to take my men to the border." Berkut made him a request to prove his worth to become the next emperor and convince his uncle. If the Deliverance does break past the sluice, they must reckon with me! This time, I will smash their puny rebellion once and for all, and if I can't do that… then I will resort to cut that filthy boy with black coat's throat once and for all, I swear it! You must give me one last chance!"
"…Very well." Rudolf seemingly accepted his request. "If they try to set foot on our land, they are to pay dearly. Am I understood?"
"Yes, Uncle. Sire!" Berkut replied understanding his warning tone, he had only one more shot to wipe not only Alm's army, but also eliminate Roxas so he would come to succeed his uncle and put Valentia under his insane and evil rule.
"What silliness. The rebels will be dead long before they reach the border." Jedah mocked the general, making Berkut angrier than he was as he left the chamber…
/
Berkut walked throughout the hallways expressing a lot of uncontained rage across his face, if his failure against Alm had made him upset, then his defeat against Roxas made him not only frustrated, but infuriated due to his reckless actions.
He was so obsessed with killing not only Alm and his army, but also murdering Roxas in revenge for his defeat and blind obsession to become the next emperor, he was so serious in getting them out of his way. He really was…
"Berkut, my lord." A blue-haired girl, Rinea, greeted him in a kind voice. "Have you finished your report to the emperor?"
"Yes. We march for the border." Berkut replied in a cold voice, much to the girl's disbelieve.
"Again?" Rinea questioned him for the statement. "But we only just returned home."
"It was my choice—I had to beg the emperor for a chance at redemption." Berkut stated the reason of heading to the border. "All because of those cocksuckers, Alm and Roxas! Because of them, I had to sit there while that fucking snake Jedah spat venom at me… I will make them pay for this disgrace a hundredfold."
Then, a tall brown-skinned woman wearing suggestive clothes showed up before him. "Why, Lord Berkut. What grieves you?" she spoke in a suggestive voice, much to his annoyance.
"Ugh, Nuibaba. Not you…" Berkut said in disdain, he didn't the woman's presence at all, nothing at all.
"These halls have been dark without your unique fire to light them, my lord." She pointed out his failures. "I shall treasure this meeting when I return to my post on Mire Boneyard. Master Jedah honors me. …Yet I hear he has not done the same for you. Perhaps because of your… embarrassing loss at the hands of those rebel scum and that kiddo with those key-like swords?"
"Your Faithful are in dire need of a lesson on how to speak to nobility." Berkut said in disdain trying to teach her how to speak properly to not avail.
"And I am certain you would be a most fearsome teacher." Nuibaba knew what he meant with teaching people in a brutal way. "Regardless, you wrong me, Lord Berkut. I merely wish to aid you."
"Heh. How could YOU help ME?" Berkut spat in arrogance rebuffing her offer. "All of you claw at the heels of your god while ignoring his first teaching. He wished for men to be strong! Not a pack of supplicating fools."
"So you do not need our power? …I see." Nuibaba replied frowning at his bratty attitude. "Then I pray you fare well in your battle at the border, or against that boy whom you wish him dead. For should you lose… well, I doubt your uncle would give you a third chance. Or is this the fourth?"
This made him clench his teeth in anger for both things, he had already a rough day leading his army to their defeat at the hands of Alm and then by Roxas. "For all your stubborn words, you have some wisdom. You have seen what the Faithful are capable of in battle. I know it. Father Duma's power is vast, and not to be look down upon. Lord Jedah even went so far as to offer the Father his own daughters. Yes, it's true—Marla and Hestia both. In turn, the Father rewarded Lord Jedah with incredible magic."
"His own daughters?" Rinea spoke showing clear disbelief towards Duma's cruel acts towards her own daughters. "How dreadful!"
"Do you see now, Lord Berkut?" Nuibaba asked him if he had understood the business with Duma's powers. "If you would taste of Duma's power, I will conduct the ceremony myself. Come to my abode…"
However, Berkut wasn't willing to accept the offer, nor as to fall down either, he wanted to destroy his swore enemies by himself, not to rely on an evil power as Duma's, no, he was so stubborn as to accept that tempting offer. "…Never." He said rebuffing her offer once again stating his reasons to play fair and square, at least to that extent. "Victory over Alm and Roxas would mean nothing if not won by my own hands."
"So prideful! …Very well." Nuibaba realized of his stubbornness on his face. "But at least allow me to give you this." She said handing him a mirror, making Berkut puzzled at that object.
"What is this?... A mirror?" he questioned her after taking a look at the said mirror.
"One filled with my sorcery." Nuibaba explained to him the details of the mirror. "Of course, I believe you when you say you have no need for such… tricks. But one day you find yourself cornered and without recourse. If that day comes, shatter the mirror. It shall answer your call."
"I don't need such baubles…" Berkut stubbornly expressed his disgust towards the pragmatic tactics, no, Berkut was not going to fall down to that foul play. His biggest problem is that he was not as strong as either Alm or Roxas, so what kind of choice did Berkut have?
"Are you certain?" Nuibaba once again tried to convince him to use the power of the mirror, making him grumble in hesitation. "Think of it as a safeguard, if that helps. Something…just in case. May the tides turn in your favor, my lord." She finished letting out a creepy laugh and a distraught Berkut behind.
DEAD MAN'S MIRE
Meanwhile, Roxas and the whole gang were going through the toxic mire, as expected, some of the members were feeling some chill down their spine, and experienced some fatigue due to the poisonous air, however, as Roxas wielded the power of the light, he was the only one unaffected by the toxic environment but he, like everyone else, was sweating through his faces and had to hurry to get his friends out of there as soon as possible.
"This place gives me chills…" said Celica feeling fatigue. "Small wonder it's got a charming name like Dead Man's Mire.
"I can handle dead men. It's this humidity that's killin' me!" Saber complained feeling a lot of sweat falling down his face.
"Let's clear this area and move up quickly." Roxas recommended them to not take too long on move past the poisonous swamp.
"Too right, Roxas." Boey agreed with him along with everyone else.
"No arguments here." Celica nodded with her head accepting his request.
But suddenly, a creepy voice went through Celica's mind. "Anthiese…" Not only that voice went through her mind, it also went through Roxas's too, alerting him in the process.
"What?" he spoke alerting himself after listening to that creepy voice. "Did you hear that, Celica?"
"Yeah. Did you listen to it too?" she affirmed him in the same manner, looking herself uneasy and slightly frightened. "Something, or someone is calling me…"
"What is it, you guys?" Saber frowned at and questioned them.
"I thought we heard someone calling my name." Celica replied in confusion trying to explain him.
"You sure? I didn't hear anything." Saber denied hearing that voice, he did truly not listen to anything.
"I also heard it, it's like that voice did go not only through my mind, but also Celica's." Roxas assured him remembering the creepy voice, leaving Saber even more confused.
"Perhaps this place is simply preying on my imagination." Celica recognized the gravity of the place.
The party proceeded to get through the poisonous swamp while dealing with many heartless and healing each other to withstand the toxic air and leave as soon as possible.
"That's the last of them!" said Mae after killing the last heartless. "This whole place is wearing me down…"
"Hold on, we're almost there, we'll make it." Celica asked her to keep going.
They managed to get through the half of the toxic swamp until the stumbled into a creepy-looking man with the same traits as a Duma Faithful, who came out from nowhere to confront them. "Yessss, come to me. I'm gonna lay you to sleep at the bottom of this beautiful swamp."
"You think this will frighten us?" Roxas challenged him to a fight putting out his keyblades.
"Come to me if you dare… my name is Garcia… remember this man's name who is going to put you to sleep!" he accepted the challenge in a threatening voice.
[INFORMATION: Defeat Garcia!] [KINGDOM HEARTS II BGM: The 13th Struggle]
Roxas surged against Garcia who summoned a dark spell which consisted on explosive slime on him but Roxas managed to dodge with reversal, much to Garcia's surprise before being hit by Roxas's fast-paced slashes across his body.
Garcia retaliated by punching him in the face and tried to put the slime on the spot, but Roxas casted the Reflega spell protecting himself from the impact and also straying Garcia in the process.
Roxas surged against him and performed a number of strong slashes on Garcia and sent him flying a few meters to crush on a big rock.
Enraged, Garcia let out a loud, and furious scream that made the whole swamp shake and frightened the party except for Roxas, who was covering himself with his keyblades expecting his enemy to make his move.
"I WILL NOT… I WILL NOT GET AWAY WITH THIS!" Garcia yelled surging against Roxas preparing himself to crush his face with his fists.
"He's lost it!" Boey expressed fright and feared for Roxas's life and Garcia's insane and evil traits.
"YOU WILL KILLED BY MEEE!"
"You fool!"
*MOVEMENT GOES SLOW-MOTION AS GARCIA AND ROXAS ARE ABOUT TO CLASH*
[Reaction Command Triggers: The End] *Presses triangle button*
Roxas successfully landed a hit on Garcia sending him flying above and airstepped onto Garcia to land a hard-hitting Ars Arcanium air combo before landing a fatal Zantetsuken technique to make him fall down to the ground and be in deathbed.
"No! I was meant for… so much…" Garcia snarled at Roxas in a weak voice before passing away.
[MUSIC STOPS]
Roxas finally defeated Garcia with his own hands, but alas, he looked very tired due to its very demanding combat scale that he resorted to use the Curaga spell to heal himself and restore his stamina and be in full energy again.
"Roxas! Are you alright?" Mathilda ran to see if he was fine and safe.
"I'm O.K, Mathilda." He replied affirming her question and ease her worrisome.
"Curse these heartless and bones… I can't stand fightin' with mud squishin' in my boots!" Saber expressed his disgust towards their enemies and the place they were getting through. "We need to get out of this place yesterday. Waddya say, guys?"
"Yes, let's…" Celica was about to respond when she came to hear that creepy voice again. "Anthiese… This way… Come to me… If you wish to save Mila…and the boy…"
"What?!" Celica gasped in horror looking visibly pale, much to Roxas's concern.
"Are you ok? You look scared of something." Roxas asked her.
"I dunno… that man's voice is disturbing me. Just who IS this man?" Celica responded him showing genuine angst written on her face before running away in fear.
"Celica! Where are you going?! Wait!" Roxas followed her.
"Celica? Roxas? Where the hell are you going?!" Saber called them out for running away. "Just keep her safe…"
Saber knew something was wrong with Celica, but knowing that Roxas was watching over her back was good enough for him to keep his cool.
/
Roxas followed Celica through the depths of the swamp as she was following that mysterious voice's trail.
"We need to get back with the others!" Roxas tried to persuade her to stop and go back.
"No! I have to figure this out by myself, you should get back, this doesn't concern you, Roxas!" Celica rebuffed his suggestion refusing to stop her intend.
"I can't follow that order, Celica." Roxas refused her command. "I won't leave you alone on this, besides, as a bodyguard I am to you, I can't bring myself to let you die like this, you have a lot of people who cares deeply about you, Alm cares about you, I do care about you. So I suggest we should figure that man's voice out together. What do you say?"
"EEerrr… you're right, Roxas. I understand you wanna keep me safe and I understand, but I want to save Alm and Mila." Celica comprehended Roxas's words expressing his desire to save those people whom she cares so much.
"And we will… We will save Alm and Mila on our own way." Roxas smiled showing confidence to her.
"Keh heh heh…" an evil laugh made the two react and turn around to see Jedah in front of them. "Welcome, Anthiese, crown princess of Sofia. Bearer of the Brand, and marked one by fate. Oh… I should have known that this boy in black coat was accompanying you, but never mind."
"Who are you?" Celica demanded to know his name.
"My name is Jedah." He introduced himself to the two. "First disciple to the great and glorious Duma."
"You…" Roxas summoned his keyblades after realizing of his identity. "You're the one who kidnapped Mila!"
"Oh, indeed I am!" Jedah affirmed his statement. "However, if you guys wish for her release, I propose a bargain?"
"What do you want?" Roxas interrogated him feeling an alarming rate of darkness within that man.
"Mila is well and good, but what I truly desire… is that girl." Jedah replied pointing at Celica, showing his darkest desires. "If she offers up her soul to Lord Duma, I will cede Mila. She will be free to return to Sofia."
"What kind of a bargain is that?!" Celica questioned him out of shock, Jedah was truly wanting to destroy her soul, and Roxas knew that. "Why is my soul of any value to you?"
"Have you never thought it strange, Princess Anthiese?" Jedah began explaining a little story of Valentia. "Rigel and Sofia are twin nations founded on the backs of divine dragons. And yet, dire changes currently befall them both. Duma seeks power vast enough to destroy all balance in the world. Meanwhile, Mila's intemperate bounty drives the Sofians to depravity."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Roxas wasn't willing to believe such bullshit, but this… seemed to be true.
"Mila provides for her children!" Celica claimed that she would not do such depraved thing as he said.
"Her soul, as Duma's, is host to the madness shared by all dragonkind." Jedah gave one disturbing information about them. "Duma will grow stronger until that power bring his ruin—and Rigel's alongside it. It is not different from how Sofia now rots in Mila's absence."
"Her absence by your hand!" Celica grew upset about his actions. "And what is this madness you speak of?"
"Do you truly think that Mila and Duma are fated to kill each other? You really are outta your mind!" Roxas also expressed his dismay towards this gruesome statement.
"I do. Which is exactly why that girl's soul is required." Jedah assured their words of truly wanting to steal Celica's soul. "It is rare and precious—born Sofian royal blood and marked by the Brand. Such a soul could set Duma's path to rights and ensure his survival. And with Mila restored to her place, both our peoples might be saved. As for the boy, Alm—if you do this, he could lay down his arms."
Roxas knew something was up with Jedah, something in his deep consciousness told the keyblade wielder that Jedah was not telling the truth, he only wanted to rip off her soul as to make Duma powerful and put the whole Valentia in flames fulfilling his darkest desires.
"Well? What you say? I think it is a most generous offer, myself…" Jedah tried to persuade Celica to sacrifice herself to Duma.
"…Perhaps you're right. In fact, it may be TOO generous." Celica showed hesitation to answer his offer. "How can we possibly believe a thing that you've told us?"
"I have spoken only truth, Princess. But you needn't give your answer now." Jedah didn't have the need to pressure the princess. "I will await your reply atop Duma Tower." He finalized before disappearing out of their sights letting out a creepy and evil laugh, leaving them intrigued.
"What should we do, Roxas?" Celica was visibly disturbed about Jedah's evil desires for Valentia. "He said that he would hand off Mila if I sacrificed my soul to save her and Alm… but somehow I am hesitating if I should accept his offer."
[KINGDOM HEARTS: 358/2 DAYS BGM: Dearly Beloved]
"Celica, listen… I don't want you to throw your life away, not like this, what if he's trying to trick you to have your soul stolen?" Roxas warned her about Jedah's treacherous traits, it was right to have somebody with her as not to fall on Jedah's trap.
Celica was surprised by his protective actions, unlike the others, including Boey and Mae, Roxas was the only one that aided her, making sure that she wouldn't make poor choices.
"Why are you doing this?" Celica asked her curiously.
"Because… I have a friend who is more than willing to help people who needs it most, besides… there are more reasons that pushed me to do what I'm doing right now." Roxas explained his reasons to do what he was doing.
"What reasons?" Celica needed him to fill her with details of his actions.
"You see… I know you are not gonna believe what I'm about to say but… I used to be part of the organization XIII, back then I was just a naïve boy who just lived to follow Xenmas's orders and the others', the biggest reason I left the organization is because I wanted to find out about my past and my identity." Roxas began explaining his past. "The truth is… I am a nobody that used to not have a heart like I do now. No one in the organization would tell me about my past so I resorted to deflect the organization to look for answers, but this came at a cost of Xion's life when I had to defeat her, she wanted me to do this so my friend could wake up.
"I'm so sorry… And did you succeed?" Celica asked him if he managed to find out the truth.
"It's alright, Xion came back to life and is currently living with Axel, and I found out that I am Sora's nobody, the keyblade wielder who risked it all to wipe out Xemnas and most of the members of the Organization XIII." Roxas revealed his identity to her aside of telling a portion of Sora's quest against Master Xehanort. "Sora is like you, he does everything to help people who needs it most. This is why… I ask you to make smart choices and not to be reckless. We will save Alm and Mila, and we will destroy Duma. That's for sure."
"Sora? That's a beautiful name, I must recognize that you indeed went through hardships and stood up for yourself, and your friends too." Celica admired his will to withstand hard situations and manage to survive. "I admit that there are a lot of things I want to learn from you. You're really inspiring. Come on… let's get back with the others."
"Right." Roxas ended their conversation as headed back to where their friends were.
Celica somewhat managed to not think about Jedah's dangerous offer much thanks to Roxas's assistance as he told his past as a member of the Organization XIII and the way Sora destroyed most of its members including Master Xehanort.
This is the thing which came to inspire Celica to learn a lot from Roxas, she wanted to save Valentia, she wanted to save Alm, her friends.
Celica wanted… to stand up for herself… and her people like a warrior princess.
[MUSIC STOPS]
END OF CHAPTER 10.
A/N:
Aand that's it for now. Roxas just revealed his backstory to Celica and the whole reason to stand by her side when they encountered Jedah, had Roxas not followed her, she would visibly way more disturbed as in the game and tore apart between accepting his offer or refusing it.
But with Roxas at her side, Celica came to inspire herself in learning to stand up for herself and her friends, and she's likely to make smart choices unlike in the original game because of this.
And there's a bigger surprise awaiting later in the Duma Tower portion so stay tuned.
See you. And Merry later Xmas and happy new year!