~ Chapter 4 ~

Helios

Almost as soon as she stepped through the rift, Morgan saw that the world around them had changed from when they had left. The world seemed darker and grimmer than before, almost like the wilderness where they had first arrived. The crop fields around the city were barely visible through the gloom, and were now completely deserted.

Morgan paused briefly, waiting until Severa and Owain followed her through the rift, then dismissed the rift before turning to the nearby city's lighthouse. It looked much the same as before, thoroughly illuminating the city itself, but little else. Morgan then peered off into the distance, searching for the other spheres of light she had spotted earlier. Though the shadowed horizon was still punctuated by the other mysterious light sources, the largest of them had diminished significantly, and the wide expanse between the city and the distant lights had faded into the darkness.

"Is it just me, or did this place get even darker somehow?" Severa grumbled, mirroring her younger sister's thoughts.

"That giant light in the distance shrank," Morgan said thoughtfully, without sharing in Severa's negativity. "These fields were all lit up just yesterday… or earlier today, or whenever it was when we were last here. Now it's just the lighthouse in the city, and it's not shining brightly enough to reach past the walls."

Unlike Severa and Morgan, Owain seemed more intent on the region past the city, the stretch of land between the nearby city and the distant lights. Several misshapen objects that resembled trees or clumps of foliage were scattered across the open plains, a stark contrast to the barren, moss covered wasteland where they had first emerged. "This place looks more alive than the wilderness where we arrived," he observed.

At his words, Morgan curiously looked towards the plains, and seemed put off when she could not make out the distinct shapes in the dark. "We should have taken a better look when it was still light out," she said regretfully, but her expression lightened almost immediately after as a strange thought occurred to her.

"What is it?" Severa prompted impatiently, noticing the subtle shift.

"When it was still light out," Morgan repeated herself in a wondering tone. "This world may not have a sun, but its people could still have days and nights."

Severa understood immediately. "When we first found this city, it was late morning back upon your island. When we left Water's Edge just now, it was already hours past sunset," she mused. "It fits, I suppose, but… how? Those other lights have to be miles away from us. Not only can they cast a light so far, but they can be turned on and off?"

"It's pretty impressive," Morgan agreed. "It has to be some sort of magic. No fire can burn so brightly for so long. I guess whoever created these lights had to find some way to turn them off at night so that people could still sleep."

"That can't be it," Owain interrupted. "This city's lighthouse is still keeping the city brightly lit, and it doesn't look like anyone lives beyond the walls."

"That's kind of weird," Severa said, scanning the nearby farms again. "There's no farmhouses out here. Why would the farmers want to live away from their fields? That seems terribly inconvenient."

"I think they're afraid of something. Maybe those strange monsters we fought earlier," Morgan guessed, indicating the city's formidable walls. She then shrugged. "Guess there's only one way to find out for sure." She started off towards the city gate, pausing only to remove and stash her lantern ring, knowing from experience that such magical trinkets could easily alarm people unaccustomed to them.

Morgan wasn't overly surprised to find half a dozen guards waiting at the city's entrance. Four of the guards wore thick white robes, similar in design to Owain's yukata but adorned with simple golden markings. The remaining two guards were clad in polished plate armor of some whitish metal, decorated with the same golden markings as the robes their comrades wore. Neither of the armored guards wore helmets, leaving their faces clearly visible.

Morgan put on her brightest and friendliest smile as she, Severa, and Owain approached the guards, but her intended greeting caught in her throat when the guards noticed them.

Four of the six guards – including one of the armored guards – wore expressions of mixed horror and outrage. The second armored guard began looking back and forth, licking his lips nervously as if he were terribly afraid of something. The last of the guards, a slender dark-haired man who appeared to be a few years younger than Severa, merely seemed amused. Incidentally, though he wore no armor, he was the only one of the guards who was visibly armed. A pair of sleek, curved swords dangled from his silken sash, forged from gleaming white metal and radiating a soft, soothing light.

After a few seconds, the bolder of the two armored guards finally found his voice. "What are you playing at!?" he barked angrily. He rushed towards a nearby weapon rack, retrieving a polearm with a finely polished wooden shaft and a long, slightly arched blade that glimmered in the same fashion as his armor and his comrade's swords. Three more identical polearms still rested upon the rack, as well as a long, asymmetrical bow.

Most of the other guards suddenly began scrambling for their weapons, too, but the robed swordsman interceded quickly, resting a calming hand upon the first guard's shoulder. "Oh, relax, Willard. It's just a couple of dumb kids trying out their costumes," he said calmly. "The Harvest Festival is just around the corner, after all."

"A couple of dumb kids?" the first guard sneered. "They're breaking curfew. You were a dumb kid yourself, and even you've never done anything quite as dumb as that."

"Or I was never caught," the robed swordsman replied flippantly, eliciting a series of scowls from the other guards.

Willard rolled his eyes. "Helios, Sun Guard, Fourth Class," he drawled mockingly. He then spat on the ground before stomping angrily. "What a joke. Now quit making us all look like miscreants and go fetch the captain."

"Over a couple of delinquents being out ten minutes after curfew?" the robed swordsman asked, arching one eyebrow. "Well, it's your funeral." He turned and strode away, and once he was out of sight, the remaining guards rounded angrily upon the three visitors once more.

Morgan frowned when she saw the guards' fierce expressions, wondering briefly if she and her companions were about to have another fight on their hands.

"What are you morons doing out there still?" the guard the swordsman had called Willard demanded. "Get in here before the Nightmares show up, and don't you even think about going anywhere before the captain shows up!"

"Yes, sir!" Morgan agreed hastily, and she moved past the guards to stand within the walls. Though she did her best to look relaxed, her right hand slipped closer to Alondite's hilt.

Severa proved far less subtle, and she tightly gripped the lance strapped to her back as she, too, drew closer to the guards. "What's this about a curfew?" she scowled.

All five of the guards turned and stared at her incredulously.

"Are you joking?" the second armored guard – the one who had been looking timidly about earlier – asked.

"She's just drunk," Willard said in disgust. "A bit early for that if you ask me, but what more did you expect from a bunch of degenerates like these?"

"That's it," Severa growled, and she would have unstrapped her lance then if not for her sister quickly clasping her hand to restrain her.

"I'm sorry," Morgan said apologetically. "We didn't mean to cause any trouble."

"Trouble? Hah!" Willard scoffed. "The only trouble here is that which you and your friends are in when the captain shows up."

"Then you plan to hold these three until dawn?"

Willard's grimaced when he noticed the dark-haired swordsman's return. "Helios? What are you doing back here already? And where's the captain?" he asked.

"How long did you think it would take me to stop by Headquarters? It's less than two blocks from here," the robed swordsman replied dryly, pointing backwards over his shoulder. "As for the captain, he's down at the bathhouse again. Don't tell me you're surprised; he's been visiting the mixed bathes nightly of late, upholding the honor and responsibilities of his station, I suppose."

The armored guard's face went purple. "Just what are you implying?" he barked angrily.

"You heard me the first time Willard," the robed swordsman chuckled. "Or maybe not. Maybe you're the one who could use a bath. Give those ears of yours a good rinsing."

"He could certainly use a bath," another of the robed guards said, pinching his nose and laughing. A couple of the others joined in, which only seemed to incense Willard further.

"Anyhow, I'll take care of these… ah… delinquents," the robed swordsman promised, turning to Morgan, Severa, and Owain. His expression grew grave. "You three, come with me, and I highly recommend against making any more trouble for yourselves."

"Owain Dark fears no…" Owain began to proclaim, but Morgan elbowed him quickly to shut him up.

"No trouble," Morgan promised hastily, falling in line behind the swordsman.

Once away from the other guards, Morgan began examining the robed swordsman more closely. The man's measured and graceful stride hinted towards him being a skilled fighter in his own right. He was taller than Morgan had initially thought – likely due to his lean and tightly-packed frame – and stood at just over six feet in height. His eyes had a distinctly exotic, almost almond-like shape, vaguely reminding Morgan of the people of Chon'sin, but he spoke without the distinguished accent common to those hailing from that particular Valmese country. The swordsman's face was clean shaven, contrasting with his disorderly, medium-length hair. "Umm… your name's Helios, right?" Morgan asked.

"That's right," the robed swordsman replied nonchalantly. He glanced over his shoulder as if to ensure none of his companions were following him, then dropped his more serious façade. "That Willard's a pain, isn't he?" he chuckled.

"I… yeah, I guess," Morgan agreed, taken aback. "Where are you taking us?"

"I should be taking you down to Headquarters for questioning, but that's the last place I want to be right now, truth be told," Helios replied lightly. "So unless you really want to be interrogated, let's just walk around for a bit. Then we can skip to the part where I let you go."

"Just like that? The other guards seemed pretty upset," Severa frowned.

"Breaking curfew is quite serious," Helios conceded. "But really, what's the Sun Guard to do about it? It's for your own safety, after all. The most we can do is give you a stern lecture, and if you're still trying to get yourselves killed after that, well… there's not a whole lot more we can do about it. Besides, you three don't look like troublemakers to me. You probably just got separated from your caravan, or last track of time while foraging, right?"

"Something like that," Morgan answered evasively. "Is it really that dangerous out there?"

That comment stopped Helios in his tracks. "You're kidding, right?" he asked Morgan, frowning. "Your toy weapons are nice and all, but Nightmares don't scare that easily." Even as he spoke, he took a closer look at the sword Morgan carried, and his expression hardened. "That sword's awfully sharp for a costume prop," he said accusingly. "Who are you three, and what were you doing out of the city after curfew?"

"Weren't we going to skip the interrogation?" Morgan asked lightly, sounding unconcerned.

Helios glanced again at Severa and Owain, too, paying particular note to their weapons. His suspicious was gradually replaced by one of mild interest. "We were, but you piqued my curiosity. Your sword looks awfully detailed, and nothing like anything I've ever seen before," he said with a shrug. "Same goes for that glaive of yours." He said the latter with a nod towards Severa's lance. "Plus… well, let's just say I've done my own share of rule bending, and even I'd think twice about staying out too late."

"You have?" Morgan asked, unable to contain her surprise. "But you're a guard, aren't you? Sun Guard?"

Helios stared for a long while before speaking again. "Only Willard's dumb enough to think everyone in the Sun Guard a saint," he said slowly. He shook his head. "All right. At this point, I have to know. What exactly are you three up to? Tell it to me straight, and I promise I'll turn a blind eye if it's nothing serious."

Severa looked to Owain, hoping that her husband's penchant for storytelling could provide them with a believable excuse. Thankfully, he caught on immediately.

"Alas, our tale is long and tedious," Owain said, feigning disappointment. "Though I assure you, our intentions are nothing but pure."

"It's not that long or tedious," Morgan interrupted quickly.

"Unless your friend tells it?" Helios guessed wryly. "Go on, then, and keep it short, please."

"We're visitors from another world, here for some sightseeing," Morgan said brightly.

In his sudden fit of laughter, Helios didn't notice the incredulous looks Severa and Owain wore. "Another world, eh? Priceless," he chortled. "If you were a few years older, I'd buy you a drink for that one. Say, what's your name, anyways?"

"I'm Morgan," Morgan volunteered. She then looked to her two companions, and when it became clear that neither were about to say anything, she added, "This is my sister, Severa, and her husband, Owain."

"Nice to meet you all," Helios said, acknowledging them with a nod. "Now, seriously, am I going to get into trouble for letting you three go? You don't look like Nihilists, but if you manage to get yourselves into any more trouble, Willard's bellyaching will become downright intolerable."

"Nihilists?" Owain asked, before he could stop himself. He clapped a hand over his mouth, but the damage had already been done.

Helios gave Owain another hard stare. Then the pieces finally clicked into place, and he turned back to Morgan, a look of dawning realization upon his face.

"We're in trouble, aren't we?" Morgan guessed.

Helios shook his head in disbelief. "Another world," he whispered, awed.

Morgan shrugged sheepishly. "Any chance we can keep that between us for now?" she asked hopefully. "Maybe instead of you interrogating us, we could find some place quiet to hole up and talk."

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Morgan," Severa interrupted warningly.

"Oh, it is," Helios said quickly. "Unless this is all some sort of elaborate prank, it's probably best if you don't tell too many people where you're from."

"Why not?" Morgan blurted.

Helios's expression darkened. "Because you've come to the wrong world if you're looking for sights to see," he replied. "Whatever world you came from almost certainly has prettier sights in store for you than anything you can hope to find here, and if the people here catch wind of where you're from, many of them will want to go with you when you eventually leave."

"Oh good. We've started a mass migration," Severa said, rolling her eyes.

"And there's probably more than a few who wouldn't approve of that," Helios added darkly. "Now come on. Let's get off the streets. There's a park near the Sun Spire that's always deserted at this hour." Having said his piece, he started off without waiting to see if the other three were following.

After a moment's hesitation, Morgan set off in pursuit, only to be quickly halted by her sister.

"We only met this guy a few minutes ago, and we barely know him. Are you sure we should be following him?" Severa asked nervously.

"Nope," Morgan replied cheerily, before pulling away and running to catch up to Helios.

After traversing several blocks of paved brick roads and passing by several squat and rather drab buildings, Helios finally came to a stop beside a large meadow. The city's lighthouse stood only a short distance away, and its light glistened off the verdant leaves of the surprisingly normal trees ringing the meadow.

"Is that lighthouse the Sun Spire you mentioned?" Morgan guessed, nodding towards the rather impressive structure. There appeared to be a large crystal of some sort at the top of the lighthouse, gleaming much like the gemstones upon her lantern rings.

"Lighthouse?" Helios asked with a frown. "Is that what you call the Sun Spires of your world?"

"Umm… maybe?" Morgan shrugged. "Lighthouses are usually built along coastlines so that ships can tell when they're nearing the shore even when it's dark or foggy."

"When it's dark…" Helios repeated wonderingly. "Well, if your world ever isn't dark, that's a stark improvement in itself."

"Oh, right," Morgan said sheepishly, realizing then that coastlines, ships, and even fog could all be as foreign to Helios as the strange lighthouse was to her.

Helios looked around quickly, then gestured towards the meadow. "This way," he said, before marching out towards the center of the field.

Severa quickened her pace to catch up to the Sun Guard. "Did you see the old man watching us from across the street?" she warned, looking back towards the hunched figure.

"Sure did," Helios said disinterestedly. "Don't worry. He's just out for a stroll. He comes by the meadow, but never dawdles for long."

"Do you come here often?" Owain asked.

"Somewhat," Helios replied. "I don't really get along with the others in my patrol. Whenever I find that I can't stand them anymore, I slip away to do some training on my own. Most of them never object."

"Training, huh?" Morgan said thoughtfully. "Is that how you earned your rank? Fourth Class, right?"

"My rank?" Helios laughed derisively. "Fourth Class is the bottom of the barrel, as far as the Sun Guard goes. It's where all the new recruits begin, and where most of them end, too. Those who make Third Class become patrol leaders out here in the Reaches, or, if they're lucky, get transferred over to Sol Hearth."

"Sol Hearth?" Morgan and Owain asked together.

Helios paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "You three have no idea how strange this is, do you?" he said. "Everyone knows of Sol Hearth, or so I thought. It's the capital of Monolith, named for the Solcryst."

"You do remember when we told you that we're new around here, right?" Severa snapped impatiently. "We've never heard of Monolith, or of this soul crystal thing."

Helios cringed. "Oh, I know," he said. "It just feels incredibly odd having to explain this to someone."

Just then, they reached the center of the field. Helios casually laid down upon the soft grass, and with a start, Morgan noticed for the first time that the grass beneath their feet was just like the grass in Ylisse or Valm.

"I'm probably not the best person to explain this, but I'll do my best," Helios said. "The world you three came from… it has a sun, doesn't it?"

"You've heard of the sun?" Severa asked sharply. "How?"

"I suppose that's as good a place to start as any," Helios sighed. "The stories claim that centuries ago, the heavens were constantly alight. The sun – a great fiery orb of golden light – would slowly crawl across the sky each day. When it finally sank beyond the western horizon, thousands of smaller lights would appear in the sky, peering down upon us and promising that the sun would dawn again. Life was simpler back then. There were no Nightmares driving us to cower around the Sun Spires… there were no Sun Spires, for that matter."

"Then this world hasn't always been this dark?" Morgan asked. She laid down beside Helios, and like the Sun Guard, she began staring upward into the empty, lightless sky. "What happened?"

"Mankind happened, if the legends are to be believed," Helios answered wryly. "Life was easy and carefree, so we turned to other pursuits to occupy our time. Some discovered art and music. Others preferred to laze about, enjoying the fruits of their mild labors. And then there were those who turned to magic, hoping to bend the very rules that define reality. Icarus was one such man."

"Icarus," Owain mused, giving the name careful consideration. "A fine name, worthy of legend."

"In the worst way possible," Helios said. "Back then, many people believed in gods… beings beyond our sight and comprehension, with powers greater than anything we could hope to achieve ourselves. Icarus didn't just believe in gods… he wanted to become one. He pushed the boundaries of magic farther than they were ever meant to go, until finally, the sun, the warm light in which we basked each day, came alive."

"Wait… the sun came alive?" Severa asked doubtfully.

"Or so the stories say," Helios said. "The sun revealed itself as a god, and for whatever reason, it decided to challenge Icarus. In the end, though Icarus never managed to become a god himself, in his moment of triumph, he had managed to slay one. He destroyed the sun and extinguished the heavens, and in doing so, gave rise to the Nightmares, creatures of the night who seemingly exist only to destroy."

A thoughtful look came over Morgan. "Helios, these Nightmares… they wouldn't happen to look like giant, disfigured people made of shadows, would they?" she guessed, remembering the strange creatures she, Severa, and Owain had battled.

"Some do," Helios replied. "But they come in many different shapes and sizes."

"What happened to Icarus, then? And what does this have to do with the soul thing that you mentioned?" Owain asked.

"Solcryst," Helios corrected. "Icarus was among the first to succumb to the Nightmares. Some call it a cruel twist of fate, while others label it as karmic justice. I suppose it hardly matters which it was. Without the sun, our crops would not grow, we could not fish or hunt, and the Nightmares hounded us constantly. It seemed as if our country, Monolith, was doomed to share Icarus's fate. Finally, just when we were on the brink of extinction, some of the surviving scholars came across the research Icarus had left behind. They discovered one of Icarus's creations, the Solcryst, a massive crystal capable of mimicking the light of the sun. The survivors took refuge under the light of the Solcryst and built the city of Sol Hearth."

"So this Solcryst must have been that larger light we saw earlier," Morgan realized.

"Likely," Helios agreed. "Like the fabled sun, the Solcryst has cycles of its own. During our days, the light of the Solcryst pushes out past the Reaches, the six cities that have since been established at the outer edge of the Solcryst's range. By night, the light recedes until it illuminates only Sol Hearth itself."

"What about your lighthouse, then? This… Sun Spire," Morgan asked, sitting up and turning to look at the nearby tower. "Did your scholars figure out how to duplicate the Solcryst?"

"If only," Helios said wishfully. "When Sol Hearth became too crowded, the same scholars who had discovered the Solcryst tried to duplicate it, but failed. Instead, they could only create these Sun Spires." He gestured towards the nearby tower. "The crystals topping the Sun Spires resemble the Solcryst, but their power is far more limited. They keep the Reaches themselves lit, but that's about it. Still, it's enough to keep the Nightmares at bay, to an extent."

"To an extent?" Severa questioned.

"You've seen the walls and the Sun Guard standing over the gate, haven't you?" Helios remarked, sounding both amused and saddened. "The Sun Guard is Monolith's military. Even with the Sun Spire lighting our city and weakening the Nightmares that dare approach us, the beasts assail our walls at least twice a week. Every month or two, they come at us in even greater numbers, hoping to force their way through. It never works, thankfully, but it does keep us busy." He laughed, but there was a defeated – or at least resigned – tone to his laughter.

Owain shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around the story. "This all sounds very… improbable," he said, searching for the right word. "A man slaying a god and smothering the sun, survivors cowering behind his legacy, and an entire country living on the brink of ruin, battling monsters almost daily… it just seems unreal."

"It does, doesn't it?" Helios absently agreed. "And it might not all be real. This was all centuries ago, after all. Maybe the sun faded on its own, and Icarus had nothing to do with it. Maybe there never was an Icarus. Who knows?"

For a few minutes, the meadow remained perfectly silent.

Then Helios spoke again. "Tell me more about your world," he invited.

"Well, it does have a sun," Morgan replied lightly. "And we don't have to worry about monsters like your Nightmares, but we have our own share of problems. Sometimes, I wish monsters were our only troubles, but more often than not, it's other people."

"Let me guess. Greed, pride, selfishness, and stupidity," Helios said.

Morgan nodded.

"It's a tale all too familiar to us here in Monolith, too," Helios sighed. "Guess that's just the way things are, sun or no sun. Oh well. I guess I can't complain too loudly; I've had my own share of stupid moments."

"Haven't we all?" Severa said, staring pointedly at Morgan.

Morgan petulantly stuck her tongue out at her sister. "Say, Helios…" Morgan began again.

"Just call me Hel," Helios interrupted. "It's what my friends call me. All two of them, anyways."

"Hel it is," Morgan agreed. "Earlier, you said some people would want to leave this world. That makes sense, I guess… but you also said some other people wouldn't approve of it. Why is that?"

"Maybe I'm just being overly cynical," Helios admitted. "But life here in Monolith is fairly routine, all things considered. Everyone has their place now, even if some of those places are nicer than others. If people start leaving, it may just shake everything up."

"Change is inevitable, and fear of change even more so," Owain agreed.

"Well, we'll be careful not to let too many people know where we're from," Morgan promised. "Sol Hearth sounds like a pretty neat place, though, and I'd like to see the Solcryst up close, too. It sounds pretty amazing."

"I can get you to Sol Hearth easily enough," Helios offered. "I try to visit as often as I can, anyways. Captain Minos and I don't really get along, so I volunteer to escort caravans whenever I can, and he never objects."

"Really? That would be great," Morgan said gratefully. "Thanks, Hel."

"Think nothing of it," Helios said. "Though I should warn you, few are allowed into Sol Sanctus, the tower in which the Solcryst is housed. You can get a pretty good look at the Solcryst from anywhere inside Sol Hearth, but that's about the best you can hope for."

"Good enough," Morgan decided.

Helios began to nod, but he suddenly froze. A split second later, he leapt to his feet, his hands shooting straight to the hilts of his swords.

"What is it?" Severa asked, alarmed. She, too, reached for her lance.

"They shouldn't be here," Helios mumbled. He slowly drew one of his swords, and the long, elegantly curved blade shimmered white under the Sun Spire's light. Helios brandished the weapon towards the nearby road, indicating several cloaked figures who seemed to be in a great hurry.

"Who are they?" Morgan asked. She climbed quickly her feet, but unlike her sister, made no move for her own weapon.

"Nihilists," Helios guessed grimly. "Few have any reason to skulk around here at this time of the night, and they don't look drunk. Besides, it looks as if they've seen some combat training."

"How can you tell?" Morgan asked, frowning, for she could not discern much about the approaching figures due to their hoods and cloaks.

"And what are Nihilists?" Owain wondered.

"I'm sorry. I'll have to deal with this," Helios apologized. "I'll try to explain everything after." He then drew his second sword, identical to the first, and set off in a hurry.