DH: Hello? Anyone here? No… FINALLY! NO INTERUPTIONS!
Alex: Not quite.
DH: GODSDAMMIT! Wait, Alex? Aceplayer22's Alex? I specifically warned you not to show up here.
Alex: Well, I heard your precious bodyguard Jem wasn't here, so what can you do to stop me?
DH: This. Oh Holy Light, ensnare my foe with your chains of glory, IMPRISON!
Alex: My eyes! Wait, I can't move! What the Hell?
DH: Not Hell, Heaven. You honestly thought I would hang around Vincent and not be ready to defend myself if needed? And people say I make unwarranted assumptions.
Alex: So what now?
DH: I'll let Jem punish you when he gets back. Believe me, I would be MUCH worse.
Note, this chapter is not in a single format. The beginning is a montage of a year of training. Later it becomes standard format.
"A god cannot die. Therefore it can have no fear of death. So who is braver, a god or a mortal?" Aaron Allston
Chapter 2:
New Age
Morgan's POV
That's what, getting floored 10 times in 7 minutes? The play-by-play isn't helping. Lucina has agreed to help me train with the blade by sparring with wooden swords, but her experience is telling.
"Morgan, you need to focus."
"One more time." Shifting my strategy, I make the first strike. She turns away from my blow and brings the hilt of her sword down on my back, hard. I end up on the floor again. If we weren't the same person, I would be making a joke about getting your ass handed to you by a girl. Like you would do better.
"Lucy, thanks for helping, can we pick this up tomorrow?"
"Sure."
…
"Still training?"
"If I can't sleep, I may as well perfect my technique. Walhart, would you help me?"
"I'll see what I can do."
…
Ready? Ready. I clear my mind of thought. Right arm. Without my input, or rather, with his input, my arm rises in the air.
It works! My arm immediately falls back to my side. Whoops. Needs more practice.
…
"Lucina are you here? Hey Luc-oh Morgan… you're here too." With that, Inigo leaves the sparring tent. Well, that was awkwa-is Lucina BLUSHING?
"Lucy, hello?"
"Right, training." As we clash, my mind goes into overdrive. Eventually our blades lock.
"So, Inigo." Lucy stiffens up, and I manage to use her surprise to overpower her.
"Now if only I could do that without cheap tricks."
…
"Morgan, what the hell are you doing?"
"Inigo, take care of Lucina, because if you ever hurt my sister, I will hunt you down." With that, I release my grasp on his collar.
…
"Mother, what do you mean we're being watched?"
"It is just a theory, but I keep on feeling a familiar aura around camp for the last few months."
"If it's familiar, wouldn't it be a friend?"
"The last person to be familiar to me tried to assassinate Em, and I believe he sent the Risen who almost killed your father. I doubt this one will be any different. Just promise me you will keep an eye out."
…
"Morgan, you have improved rather well."
"One last round."
"Let's go."
Lucina and I begin a deadly dance. The nonstop hours of practice has brought me to a near equal to Lucina in skill, but she doesn't have the endless endurance I now have. After several minutes, I see her starting to tire. Now! Switch! I quickly relinquish control and watch as my other half quickly takes over. He starts to strike, but our combat styles are as different as Lucina's and mine. Lucina was unprepared for "my" shift in style and gets swiftly disarmed.
"Morgan, I am impressed. You truly have bested me."
"It wasn't a fair fight, I abused my stamina."
"That doesn't matter, you won. Congratulations."
…
"Morgan, I have something for you." Mother brings me to her tent. I'm just glad she is having one of her good days, Mother's resistance to her Fell nature is remarkable.
"What do you have?"
"When I first woke up, when your father found me, I was carrying a strange sword with me. I never used it because there was a dark aura settled over it, and it unnerved me. I don't have much skill with a sword anyways, so I never understood why I had it. Since I hear you bested Lucy in swordplay, I figured I would give it to you and have you decide what to do with it."
She pulls out a sword, and its sheathe. I can immediately sense the dark aura within it. Throw this sword away. NOW! What are you talking about?" I remember this sword. This sword belongs to Grima! He cut apart entire armies with it. They said that anyone so much as scratched by the blade would perish. Why does Mother have it? I don't know, but if Mother does have it, maybe it wasn't Grima's to begin with.
I take a closer look at the blade. Its blade was half the length of the Falchion, remarkably thin, and the third closest to the hilt was serrated. The blade was a blood-red and covered in black characters. Grimleal Scripture. Upon picking it up, I noticed the handle was also serrated, cutting into the hand of its wielder. It was light-weight, and I could tell it was built for quick, almost strategic strikes, slipping through the enemy's armor.
"Does this blade have a name?"
"When I first saw it, I heard a voice, calling it Retribution." Retribution?
"I will use it."
Just then, a scout ran in, declaring a large host of Risen nearby. Mother goes to gather the Shepherds, while I go to get a closer look at the enemy.
Only 150 Risen this time, and they feel rather weak, except for two. It was one strong one that killed you. Because I couldn't dodge in the middle of the melee I was in. Wait a second.
I felt a third strong aura. This time behind me. I draw Retribution and turn, only to find a man in front of me. Pure white hair, parted over his face, golden eye, with the other hidden behind his hair, and the signs of age. Who is this man?
He seemed as surprised as me. "That sword... can it be?" He runs off.
Weird. Agreed.
The Shepherds finally arrive, and I relay the information on the enemy dispositions to Mother, not mentioning the strange man.
Mother quickly organizes the forces, and Lucina and I move toward the strong foes I sensed. We saw two Risen, an axman and a swordsman. I take the lead only for my head to ache. I sense the back of my neck start to burn. Fool, who is your enemy?My enemy, right. I turn, ready to face my enemy. WHY ARE YOU TARGETING LUCINA?! Like that my mind clears, and realize I was ready to strike down my own sister. Damn, mental manipulation? Be happy I didn't fall for it. I ready myself, and launch at the swordsman. However, every blow I gave was easily deflected, and I could barely meet his. This skill… another Deadlord? Seriously,what are Deadlords? Grima's elite soldiers. We are not a match for this thing. Lucy is struggling as well.
Suddenly, the strange man appeared, adding his blade to the fight against the Deadlord. Not able to keep up with two foes, his defenses slipped, and I manage to bring Retribution across his neck, dispersing him into ash. I quickly turn to help Lucina, and together we manage to take out the axmen as well. By the time I turned to our helper, he was gone. The rest of the Risen quickly fell.
While we celebrated our victory, I noticed Walhart, Virion, Say'ri, and Yen'fay all looked worried. What is going on?
?'s POV
That can't be him. He died years ago. No more waiting, time to get answers…
Alec: I thought you said you were going to introduce him.
DH: I did, I never said anything about revealing his name.
Jem: (entering) Vincent, next time you decide to assassinate a man by setting his house on fire, which should be never, MAKE SURE HE IS ACTUALLY IN THE HOUSE!
Vincent: Where is your flair, heh flare, for the dramatic? That was beautiful. Alec? What are you doing here?
DH: He tried causing some mischief.
Jem: finally showing your fangs?
DH: Yep.
Vincent: Alec, don't you know to never F*ck with the white mage?
DH: Seriously, does Cormag just give you these references to annoy me?
Vincent: You honestly think I would answer that?
Alec: Seriously, anyone going to let me out?
DH: Jem, he is all yours, just don't do anything permanent.
Jem: Lovely.
DH: for the sake of my teen rating, I probably need to stop here. So, later.