Chapter Twenty-Six
"What the heck do you want, fiend?" I placed a thumb on a page in the lightning spellbook.
The grotesque version of myself unhooded. The skin reflected an unnatural purple hue. Fingernails were peeling off. What was once a head of full, thick hair was no more. Bald spots were visible, which lead me to think about the time I had my head shaved in middle school. This version of myself was clearly not me.
The monster laughed, "Oh my, such harsh words. As a matter of fact, I came to check up on you to see if you wanted a shoulder to cry on…I heard about your 'episode'". He came up, grabbing me and leaned in, "I heard every insult you said to your friendssss." He whispered and backed off, awaiting a response.
"Get away from me, monster! You shouldn't even exist!" I pointed at him in disgust.
Chrom spoke up, cautious as ever, "Just who are you?"
The evil twin responded coldly, "I told you. I'm Phil. The Phil that murdered you and became the fell dragon, Grima. When this 'Marth' of yours decided to come back in time, I came with her."
"You dastard! You aren't even me; you can't be!" The veins in my neck popped out as I screamed.
The doppelganger sighed then babbled, "I can be so daft sometimes... It's really quite simple. I am you. Our only difference is the decisions we've made. Those vivid dreams you have—those are my memories. We share those memories because we share the same heart...Grima's heart. But your heart was still too weak to contain Grima's power. The shock of my attempt wiped your memory clean. I knew if Lucina managed to rewrite history, Grima would never be resurrected. And I, in turn, would cease to exist. So, I had to step in, now and again, to keep my future secured. Like when Validar was killed in his attempt to assassinate Emmeryn. But that is the past. We have our future to think of. All that remains is for you to become Grima, as I did. Then you and I will become as one, and we can reclaim my power."
"Never. I won't become you. And you aren't me."
It waved a finger, "Always has been. You were supposed to choose godhood over your pathetic band of servants. But if you'll not claim the sacrifice laid at the Dragon's Table, I will claim it in your place! Validar already completed the process, even without the Fire Emblem. I granted him powers to conduct the ritual of resurrection long ago and he finished the process while you and your buddies were playing with my servants!" The monster lifted his arms up high. "And now! The time has come…for your doom!"
A dark aura appeared the creature and the transformation began. First, a tail sprouted. It grew bigger as clothes were tearing at the seams. Four more red eyes appeared. The jaws protruded outward and sharp fangs formed. Then, a flash of blinding light surrounded the tower. The earth shook. The sky was darkened even more. The presence of great power and vileness filed the atmosphere. Looking up, we saw the horror. No one dared to move. The thing roared as its body shadowed the land of unmeasurable length.
"I am the wings of despair. I am the breath of ruin. I am the fell dragon, Grima!"
I glanced at the faces of my comrades. The hopelessness on their faces made me whence in grief. I didn't want to see them that way ever again. With all my might, I will fight like hell to prevent the grime outcome promised by that cursed beast.
"That's Grima!" Lucina spoke first. "That's the demon who destroyed my world. And now he is among us."
Fredrick was at his most wary. "The terrible size of it, gods! For once the legends spoke true. We can't face him, not in a straight battle—he'd kill us all!"
Murmurs among the group spread. How could you blame the terrified men and women with death in front of them? But I won't allow that on my watch.
"Chrom, I think you know what we need to do." I gestured to the Fire Emblem he held.
"The Awakening ritual. We must perform our own." The lord stared at the shield. We gathered the remaining gemstone, which made the ceremony possible.
"We have to go at once." I spoke frankly.
Fredrick elaborated, "It's said the first exalt paid tribute to Naga at Mount Prism. There is an altar at the peak of the mountain. If milord would perform the Awakening, it must be done there."
Chrom wiped the sweat off his forehead. After regaining himself, he led the Shepherds away. "A small hope is better than no hope at all. Hurry, everyone! To Mount Prism!"
The road to Mount Prism was bittersweet. The ominous skies produced some lightning and thunder to dampen the mood. Weeks of eating the same basic food and gloomy weather took a toll on the psyche. But with the Fire Emblem with all the gemstones, there was hope. Chrom tried his best for positivity, but even the lord had limits. I kept near him during the journey most of the time while mixing in small talk with the remaining Shepherds. Finding downtime after sword training, I wiped off the sweat and put away the weapon.
"Good practice, Chrom."
"Yeah, you too. You are improving." The exalt huffed.
"Something wrong, buddy?" I noticed him hunched over, which was rare of him to do after training. "C'mon, you can tell me."
He paused to think then answered, "Fine…so, I've been thinking…we never discussed why you are here."
"What do you mean, Chrom?"
"What's your purpose in joining the Shepherds? Why did you want to join our group?"
I opened my mouth to answer but took a minute to give a coherent response. "Well, I didn't know how I arrive in this world, so I was nervous. I wouldn't last long surviving alone while sticking out like a sore thumb. I had a decent idea how the story, your story, would unfold. So, I decided to stick with you and the rest so I could live. And if I lived long enough, I could see myself as a hero."
"You wanted to play 'hero', is that all?" Chrom looked unamused.
"Well…I did at one point. I got cocky and thought I had it all figured out. But then outcomes changed. I learned I had no control of future-past events. I tried to make predictions, and I was wrong in some." I covered my face in shame. He came over to comfort me.
"Hey, were you the one that stated we aren't part of some destiny, yes? Then you can't predict the future; mistakes will happen. The past belongs in the past. We can learn from it, but it's unhealthy to not live for now. And we have a bright future to look forward to…but you still are holding something back, I can tell."
"Like what? I've been honest with you."
"I know you have, Phil. But there's still something off."
I sighed. "Ok. I guess I should get it off my chest…there's the thing with…" I couldn't finish the sentence, but Chrom already had an idea.
"Does this concern Cordelia?" He frowned.
"Yes" I spoke frankly.
Chrom turned around rubbed his temples then faced me again. "Phil, you had an opportunity to court her and possibly be in a relationship. While I am grateful you didn't, I am curious to know why you didn't."
"You mean why I blew my chance with her?" I grunted in agitation then composed myself. "Look, I always wanted nothing more than to be with her. She was another reason why I wanted to join the Shepherds."
"Now we are getting somewhere," Chrom stated smiling.
"Yes. Let me start over and say everything…in full honestly. I wanted to stay alive…and to live a happy life while in this land. I thought maybe if I hanged around, I would find both. I knew I would eventually run into Cordelia. My original plan was to court her and I had thoughts of…" I stopped there. I choked up and my eyes were showing signs of wetness.
"You wanted to marry her, didn't you?"
"Yes, Chrom, I did. I wanted to…and I almost proposed. But I second-guessed myself while having thoughts. Dark thoughts. I believe it was Grima."
Chrom's eyes widen. "Go on. What did it say?"
I shivered, "I heard a sinister voice hiss and whisper. It called me a traitor and tried to push me to propose to her. I was shaken and decided against him. Then I thought of you. I wanted you and her to be happy together."
"You didn't think of your own family from your world? How would your wife respond if she found out you left her for someone else? Why would you do such a thing? You know better and you're better than this!" Chrom was getting more tense and I was crying more.
"There are no Outrealm gates! I couldn't go back home! If I could, I would!" I wiped my tears and coughed. "You're right though, my wife would be very upset and would leave me without an explanation on my part…and I don't blame her. She doesn't deserve me…I feel…I feel terrible! I couldn't sleep that night…the day you proposed to her. I felt guilty, jealous, sad, and disappointed in myself. Jeez, I can't do anything right!" I was a sobbing mess with water all over my face. Then my cheeks met an open palm. A red sore developed. I touched the spot and yelled.
"Get a hold of yourself! You've done a lot of great things! I still believe in you. I know you can still be a faithful man and loyal to your friends…that is the Shepherds are still your friends, right?"
I spat out blood. "Thanks, Chrom…and yes, you and the Shepherds are still my friends. I'll stop being selfish; I've been that way for far too long now."
"Good." He stretched out a hand, in which I took. "Now pull yourself together. We need you. I need you. We have a great battle at hand and I need you at full strength, and I don't mean physically. You need a sharp mind. Everything will be turn out well, I promise. Now come, let's join the group."
Having conservations with the Shepherds along the journey helped break down negative barriers. I felt compelled to apologize to each individual for my selfishness and acting on impulses. Not everyone was quick to forgive, but time was healing the wounds. Even Panne ceased calling me a 'man-spawn' and gave smiles occasionally. The poker nights came to a halt, but I never felt closer to the card gang. Was it the tension of each day passing, closer to the most important battle in human history? Whatever forged the bonds of friendship tighter, I gladly accepted. I came to realize that no one meant more to me than all the Shepherds. I wasn't perfect by any measure, but then again, who is?
After losing track of time and avoiding the Risen undead beings, we arrived at Mount Prism. The grass plains couldn't have been greener. The sky was clear and free from the hues of unnatural darkness. The sun setting orange was welcoming. I looked around in my bag for a camera. Embarrassment overcame, forgetting the gadget wasn't invented yet. The sound of a waterfall was soothing to the ears. We found the source and greedily got our fill of liquid. We set up base and fortified for the night. The preparations for the Awakening were planned for the morning. Dividing up the group, the men and women took turns to clean up under the waterfall. Fredrick and Cordelia rotated watch to make sure no naughty business occurred. The queen had to reprimand Vaike, scolding him and threatening to report to Sully if he attempted to spy on the women once more. Vaike gulped and went on his way. After washing up, I returned to my tent, eager for good rest. A blue light flashed three times in the room, but I ignored it.
Waking up to a chill, I couldn't remember a thing. I threw on clothes and stepped outside. Half of the Shepherds were already up. Lissa stood with her niece, holding her tight. The pleasant sight brought a smile to my face and decided to give them their space.
"Wow, this place is beautiful!" exclaimed the blonde woman.
Lucina squeezed her aunt. "The divine dragon's power flows through every blade of grass here."
I wouldn't doubt it, except something didn't feel right. The wind paused blowing the field. The silence grew with no sign of wildlife. Could Naga be preparing the Awakening ritual this early, in this exact spot? Chrom rose and felt the uneasiness of the situation.
A sharp screech entered my brain and I covered my head. "Ahh! We must prepare for battle! Grima has sent servants here. I can sense it. They'll be on us soon!" Lissa ran to the tents and sounded the alarm of war bells. One by one, all members came out in full battle gear and weapons at hand. It was true, Risen spawn marched toward our path. The numbers were not overwhelming, but they would arrive in a matter of minutes.
Lucina gasped, "How could Risen infiltrate this sacred place?" She reached for her Falchion.
"Their power must be linked to Grima's," Chrom answered. "We must destroy them!"
"You heard our leader! Everyone, get into standard formation!" I yelled.
The battle plans of a tight phalanx soon came to vanity. The movements and pacing of these Risen were unnatural and unique. Refusing to panic, I called out another formation.
"Box in! Healers in the center!" I glanced at a miffed Gaius and went over to reassure him. "Hey, friend, I promise she won't see direct action. But we need her recently-acquired healing abilities…is that ok?"
He sighed then shrugged, giving the go-ahead. Sumia hopped with joy, first time seeing action in months despite her stomach fully swollen.
Forming a square around Lissa, Libra, and Sumia gave them ample time for their healing magic. This came in handy with the dangerous Risen being unpredictable.
Even healing spells and wands disintegrate, leaving the Shepherds vulnerable. Lissa's staffs were cracking and Libra looked exhausted from concentration. The battle couldn't last much longer.
"Break off formation!" I yelled.
Chrom turned around, "But why? Have you gone mad?"
"Call me crazy if you wish, but these Risen are difficult to pick off. We have to go on the offense. Pair off everyone, get healers out of striking range, and let's get to work!"
"You heard Phil, pair off and charge!" Chrom echoed the order.
Winging the plan succeed better than expected. The Risen only knew how to attack, but not to counter with their backs against the wall. The Exalt and Queen took the lead with others following the massacre. The holy field was desecrated with purple blood and ash; the splendor vanishing away. In time, the hope of restoring the glory of this area will come, but the focus was eliminating the enemy.
The last Risen, the chief, fell by Lucina's Falchion copy. It grunted as it faded into oblivion. Lucina sighed and dropped her sword. Her father came over to grab her.
"Easy now, daughter. It is over…and I'm ready for the next step."
Lucina held back tears. All emotions hitting at once, and the worrisome grew on her face, "Father…I…understand. This needs to be done. I just expect the worse…"
"And hope for the best," Chrom said as he wiped Lucina's cheeks. "I promise I'll be ok."
Lucina sniffed several times, "Ok, I believe you. And that Naga will accept you as worthy to accept the Awakening. We need this. Everyone needs this…ok, I think I'm ready."
"Alright, let's go find the alter."