~ Chapter 16 ~
Keeper of the Sun
Upon reaching Sol Sanctus's summit, Morgan noticed a strong resemblance to the Sun Spire in Leo's Rest. The floor had been carefully laid from the same smoothly polished bricks, and the rooftop's rails had been cut in the same patterns. The Solcryst itself awaited at the center of the summit. A ghostly, humanoid silhouette stood beside it, its features hidden behind a mysterious, blinding radiance.
When the Sun Warden did not react to her arrival, Morgan briefly looked beyond the tower's summit to the distant horizon, where the four remaining Sun Spires continued twinkling. The distant lights were markedly lower, for Sol Sanctus was far taller than the Sun Spires. Morgan then peeked over the rail. Down below, the streets of Sol Hearth bustled anxiously as the city's many residents became aware of the commotion.
When the Sun Warden still did not move or speak, Morgan turned her attention back to the Solcryst. From a distance, it had looked quite similar to the crystals atop the Sun Spires. Now that she was standing directly beside it, Morgan could immediately see the differences between them, despite being unable to look directly into the intense light. Each finely-cut facet of the Solcryst was crisply defined, scattering the light in a pleasingly geometric manner. Two intersecting rings of smaller stones, carefully chiseled into artistic depictions of the sun's rays, slowly orbited the enormous crystal. The Solcryst and its orbiting rings twirled gradually, scintillating with the light it had stolen from the skies above.
"Beautiful, is it not?"
As the Sun Warden finally acknowledged her presence, Morgan slowly turned to face the ghostly figure – or rather, just to the side of the Sun Warden, for the obscuring light still made it impossible for her to look her adversary in the face. In spite of the Sun Warden's appearance, his voice sounded quite human and natural, possessing a strangely reassuring, mellow smoothness.
"Oh, yes," Morgan admitted freely, for she did find the Solcryst highly remarkable, both in its craftsmanship and its nigh tangible aura of power.
"How fare your companions?" the Sun Warden asked politely. "Surely they would not have abandoned a child such as yourself to brave Sol Sanctus alone."
"They'll be along eventually," Morgan said with an unconcerned shrug. "And I'm not entirely alone, either." At her words, her hood shifted slightly. Yuelle emerged from her favorite hiding place and began fluttering lightly just above Morgan's right shoulder.
"Ah! What a charming application of the arts," the Sun Warden congratulated. "I am quite glad to meet you both. You've created such a stir in Monolith, you know."
"We're in the habit of doing that," Morgan said. "You seem to be taking it better than most. I didn't think you'd be interested in talking."
"Why wouldn't I be?" the Sun Warden asked, sounding genuinely surprised. "I have nothing to hide, especially from a learned and well-traveled pair such as yourselves. You already know the truth of the Solcryst, of course."
"And you already know why we're here," Morgan countered.
"Of course I do. You came here to destroy the Solcryst," the Sun Warden said. "You understand its function better than the rest of my people, though you do not yet comprehend its purpose. When we are finished speaking, I'm certain you will stand aside and allow me to restore peace and order to Monolith."
"I see," Morgan mused. After a moment's thought, she nodded slightly. "Go on then, Icarus. We're listening."
The Sun Warden fell silent.
Morgan smiled knowingly. "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you had nothing to hide," she said teasingly.
"How did you know?" the Sun Warden asked quietly.
"The Necrotic Wraiths – the creatures your people call Nightmares – arise from magic that manipulates life and souls," Morgan replied. "When my friends and I first arrived in Sol Hearth and saw the Solcryst from afar, I could already tell that it was quite powerful… more than powerful enough to be responsible for all the wraiths we had encountered. However, simply creating light wouldn't have created the wraiths. Once I was certain that the magic behind the wraiths was coming from the Solcryst, and realized that the Solcryst wasn't even creating its own light, I knew the Solcryst had been built to serve another purpose."
"And since you knew Monolith's legends were untrue, it was easy for you to trace them back to their source," the Sun Warden said thoughtfully. "Well done, my dear child. You are far from the first to challenge my reign, but none before you ever realized who – or even what – I am."
"Well, to be fair, I'm not from Monolith, which made figuring out your riddle a bit easier," Morgan said modestly. "I'm Morgan, by the way. You can call my quiet friend Ellie. Say… would you mind turning down that light around you a little bit? It's a little weird looking to your side while we talk."
"As you wish," the Sun Warden said agreeably. The mantle of light surrounding him began to recede, and before long, the enigmatic, ensorcelled silhouette had taken on the shape of an ordinary man – the same man the winged statues scattered throughout Sol Sanctus had been modeled after, Morgan realized with a start.
Icarus, like most of his people, bore a distinct resemblance to the people of Chon'sin. His appearance was that of a perfectly unremarkable man in his early twenties. His face was cleanly shaved, and his shoulder-length, light grey hair was bound into a simple ponytail. He looked to be of average height and weight, and though he seemed young and full of vigor, there was nothing particularly intimidating or impressive about him. The only visible hint as to his true age was the subtle gleam in his eyes, an ancient sparkle of cool wisdom that carried with it a sense of resignation and weariness.
"Impressed by what you see?" Icarus asked wryly. He shook his head regally. "I apologize if this comes as a disappointment to you. The Solcryst keeps me physically young and capable, but beyond that, I care little about my appearance. You and your little friend are the first to lay eyes upon the real me in centuries, after all."
"Is that what this is all about, then? The true purpose of the Solcryst you mentioned earlier?" Morgan asked, a disappointed look upon her face.
"Of course not," Icarus said dismissively. "Only a fool would seek immortality, and only an egotist would condemn thousands to languish in the darkness for his own sake. I am neither."
"Only a fool and an egotist would consider himself a god," Morgan countered. "That is what you consider yourself, yes?"
"Indeed," Icarus smiled, unoffended. "You are still young, Morgan. You remain innocent to the grim ways of our world," he said.
"Not as innocent as you'd think," Morgan interrupted, a fierce glint in her eyes.
"Oh? Have you borne witness to the misery that you humans – lost in the throes of their selfishness and arrogance – visit upon one another?" Icarus challenged.
"Of course I have," Morgan said defiantly.
"Then have you seen for yourself the horrors of war?" Icarus demanded, and his voice became a low, angry growl. "Have you watched the last spark of life fade from the eyes of a loved one as she laid dying in your arms? Have you heard the final, terrified cries of your children – your own flesh and blood, who you had once sworn to protect at any cost?"
"Are you self-centered enough to think that you're the only one who's ever lived through such horrors?" Morgan countered.
"I am quite certain that I am not," Icarus replied, calming quickly. "And that is the crux of my very existence."
Icarus turned and walked up to the edge of the summit, placing both of his hands upon the rails as he peered down at the city below.
"Monolith was once a far grander place than this," Icarus began. "Though we remained isolated from the world by the treacherous waters surrounding us, Monolith once boasted a dozen vast cities, each with many times the population of Sol Hearth. This island country was a beautiful place, teeming with life and happiness. No one found themselves wanting for food or shelter. Artists and musicians worked passionately and tirelessly to brighten our homes, while sages followed their endless pursuit of knowledge, perpetually searching for ways to better our lives.
"Once upon a time, we had everything, Morgan. Then, humanity's madness took ahold of us, and we destroyed it all. Many were content to live their peaceful lives, but without challenge – without genuine danger – some began to find our calm existences… lacking. All of a sudden, our smithies ceased building tools with which to create, and started building weapons with which to destroy. We ceased searching for magical solutions to ease our lives, and sought new means by which to kill. The food and medicines that we once had aplenty became resources to fight over and control. In mere months, we managed to tear apart a hundred thousand lives, destroying what had taken us over two centuries of peace to build."
"And the Solcryst was your solution? Keeping your people weak and miserable, so that they can never hope to rebuild what had been destroyed?" Morgan interrupted accusingly.
"This was not the solution I had sought," Icarus admitted. "Rather, it was the responsibility I stumbled upon… a responsibility that only I could bear, and that I must continue to bear."
"Responsibility?" Morgan echoed, her face shining with incredulity.
A remorseful, pitiable laugh escaped Icarus's lips. "I set out in search of a way to repair the damage my people had wrought upon themselves," he explained. "But I failed. All I ever found was the Solcryst… a promise of peace for my people at the cost of my own. Though I need not sleep, I still dream. Not a moment passes without me wishing I could leave my people be."
Icarus walked up to the Solcryst, and pressed both of his palms to the great crystal's shimmering surface. Unlike Morgan, he did not seem to be bothered by the light, and stared straight into it even as the young tactician was forced to look away.
"But I cannot. Insight. Immortality. Nigh omnipotence," Icarus whispered. "These were the curses I had found. I was one of many to recognize humanity as its own worst enemy, but the only one with the power to truly change our fate. The Solcryst affords the people of Monolith a common enemy in the darkness and the Nightmares, creating a harsh enough world to compel my people to stand united. As such, Monolith has already known nearly a millennium of relative peace and harmony, and will know many more under my reign."
"Peace and harmony?" Morgan asked, shaking her head with disgust. "How many of your people have been killed by the Nightmares? How many died when you destroyed two of your own cities, just to keep the Seekers from finding out the truth?"
"Many people have died," Icarus said indifferently. "But that's what people do, Morgan. In the end, it is not how they died that matters. In their brief lives, my people taste of happiness and hope, and learn to accept the inevitability of death with conviction. Consider your aggrieved friend, Helios."
Morgan stiffened at the mention of her friend. "What about him?" she demanded sharply.
"He, like many, has suffered many losses throughout his life," Icarus said. "Those losses did not break him, and only spurred him on to fight further… and even embroiled as he was in that ultimately futile effort, he knew friendship and love. He was driven by dreams of the future."
Icarus turned to face Morgan once more, and his dark eyes shimmered knowingly.
"And then you showed him the truth, and he accompanied you here to Sol Sanctus," Icarus said. "Here, in the hallowed halls he once swore to protect, he was reunited with his dear friends, and found their paths irreconcilable."
"You brought Tohl and Crescent here on purpose," Morgan realized aloud. "You wanted us to have to fight our way through them."
"As I told you before, this is far from the first time that I've been challenged," Icarus replied sadly. "It is a story all too familiar to me, and one that I needed to show you. Did it break Helios to cross blades with his best friend of nearly a decade? Did it break him to kill the woman who loved him, a woman that he secretly cherished as well? Is this what you wanted for him?"
Morgan resisted the urge to scoff, and instead backed away, trying to appear timid. "Y-you're no god, torturing your people this way," she whispered. "You're a monster."
"What I've shown you today is but a glimpse of the horror that is mankind devouring itself," Icarus promised. "I condemn my people to the darkness, because I know it to be the better fate by far. I grant them lives filled with hope and promise, where even the worst of defeats can only fuel their courage and determination."
Morgan continued backing away, and soon hit one of the rails.
"Gaze upon the homes of my people," Icarus instructed. "Imagine them as they go about their daily lives. Does any of their perceived misery truly compare to your friend's suffering tonight?"
Feigning reluctance, Morgan turned and looked down at the distant city below.
"Think carefully, Morgan," Icarus urged. "In all the time you've spent here in Monolith, how many of my temples have you seen? How many of my worshippers have you met? The Solcryst exists not for my sake, but to better the lives of everyone in Monolith. Do you still wish to destroy the Solcryst, and steal away the blessings I have bestowed upon my people – blessings which they remain fully ignorant of?"
Morgan could practically hear the confident smile tugging at the self-proclaimed deity's lips. She, too, smiled, but did not move otherwise. The two of them maintained their frozen tableau for quite some time.
Then the moment Morgan had been waiting for arrived; the light of the Solcryst flickered and began to recede. Morgan spun around, beaming triumphantly when she found Icarus staring as the Solcryst in astonishment and horror.
"W-what… what have you done?" Icarus gasped.
"Not I," Morgan said innocently. "I've been here listening to you talk this entire time, haven't I?"
Icarus rounded up her swiftly and angrily, his eyes alit with a newfound, burning hatred. "Liar!" he roared, and for the first time, he seemed to be on the verge of losing control. "What have you done to the Solcryst!?"
"Absolutely nothing," Morgan winked. "Now Hel, on the other hand… I don't think you managed to break him quite as completely as you think. In fact, I'm pretty sure he and Cress just finished lighting the Sun Forge. Hey, do you think they'll remember to make me a present while they're down there? Ooh, I'd love to have a sword of my own!"
Icarus blanched. "T-the Sun Forge?" he stammered. "H-how did you…"
"How'd I know the Sun Forge would drain away the Solcryst's power?" Morgan said slyly. "I guessed, of course. My guesses have been pretty good lately. Do you remember how you tried to kill my friends and I atop the Sun Spire? That made a little bit of sense, since you couldn't have known what we were capable of… but you destroyed the other Sun Spire the same way, and that time, you acted far too quickly."
"Too quickly?" Icarus asked, baffled.
"My friends and I were in Aquila's Ascent when it happened," Morgan explained. "We were battling the Seekers just before the Sun Spire was destroyed, so the Seekers couldn't possibly have captured the Sun Spire. Simply cutting off the flow of magic from the Solcryst to the Sun Spire would have taken care of all of your problems, without forcing you to eventually rebuild the Sun Spire… unless, of course, you never designed the Solcryst to work that way."
Icarus swallowed nervously. He fell silent, his horrified expression frozen upon his face.
"The Solcryst glows more brightly during the day, because it's drawing its power from light," Morgan continued. "That's why the Sun Forge is only ever lit during the day, too, isn't it? So, now that it's running at night, and you have no way of cutting it off, how much power do you have left at your disposal? Even if it were safe for you to overload the Sun Forge the same way you did the Sun Spires – which I doubt, since it requires so much more power and rests at the base of Sol Sanctus – does the Solcryst have enough power left, I wonder?"
Morgan smiled unassumingly, trying her best to hide her unease as her hand inched closer Alondite's hilt. She knew she was on the verge of victory, but she could still sense the Solcryst's great power, and knew that even a single mistake could cost her dearly.
The sound of Morgan's sword being unsheathed snapped Icarus straight out of his dazed stupor. As quickly as she could manage, Morgan swiped her sword forward, sending a shockwave at the Solcryst, but she was already too late. Icarus threw himself between Morgan and the Solcryst, and though Alondite's magic tore through his robes, drawing blood, he remained standing.
Shrugging off the powerful blow, Icarus thrust one hand in Morgan's direction, and a flurry of seething, silvery flames burst forth, driving the young tactician aside.
By the time Morgan recovered, Icarus had turned his back on her, and was facing the Solcryst once more. The great crystal pulsed with light. The four Sun Spires answered the Solcryst's call, and the pricks of light in the distance momentarily grew brighter.
Then the horizon went dark. Icarus swiveled around, glowering at Morgan. "Well done, Morgan," he hissed, a dangerous note creeping into his voice. "You have managed to force my hand. You – a mere child – have doomed the four remaining Reaches."
Trying her hardest not to think of those still living out in the Reaches, Morgan did not rise to the taunt. Clenching her teeth determinedly, she slashed Alondite through the air again, sending forth another wave of energy to strike the Solcryst.
The Solcryst flashed again when struck, and produced a soft tinkling noise, akin to glass beads scattered across a hard surface. It then resumed its gradual, graceful twirl, apparently unharmed by Morgan's attack.
"The Solcryst can easily defeat your meager efforts," Icarus said fiercely. "Its power now comes at the expense of the Sun Spires and of thousands of lives, but the same fate would befall the Reaches if the Solcryst were to be destroyed."
"Dawn is less than an hour away. The Reaches will hold their own until then," Morgan retorted, speaking more to reassure herself than to argue with Icarus. Before storming Sol Sanctus, she had wondered how precise their timing would be, and whether the Reaches would be able to survive a few hours of a natural night without their Sun Spires. Now, she was more concerned with whether she could destroy the Solcryst in time.
Knowing that striking at the Solcryst again was futile, Morgan directed her next attack at Icarus instead.
"You dare!?" Icarus roared, reflexively drawing the Sun Spire's power into himself. A pair of lucent, angelic wings sprouted from his back, spreading wide, and the Solcryst's guardian began shining once more, though not nearly as brightly as he had when Morgan first ascended to Sol Sanctus's summit.
The Solcryst lost its protective sheen at the same time, and Morgan struck at it again, only for Icarus to intercept the blow. Just as Alondite's magic had failed to damage the Solcryst before, it could not overcome Icarus's protective aura.
A fountain of light erupted from Icarus's right hand. The scattered light quickly came into focus, shaping itself into a blade with the same curved shape as the swords carried by the Sun Guard. "Never again shall you see the light of day!" he thundered.
Morgan raised Alondite defensively, but Icarus did not move to attack. Instead, he gestured with his sword. Shadows oozed from its blade, billowing outward ominously like a cloud of smoke. Before long, Sol Sanctus's summit had been fully enveloped by the magical darkness.
Morgan quickly suppressed the urge to panic. "You can do this, Morgan," she whispered to herself, focusing on the only thing she could see: the shining blade of Icarus's sword. The young tactician parried her opponent's first forward swing, then instinctively began backing away, trying to take her opponent's measure.
Icarus's sword chased after her, a lone beacon of light twirling and dancing through the otherwise impenetrable darkness. Morgan began thinking furiously. She knew she was physically outclassed, for her opponent was larger and stronger than she was, with longer reach to boot. To make matters worse, though Icarus's attacks weren't all perfectly accurate, he was clearly very skilled with the sword, judging from his graceful and measured attack routines.
A curious thought crossed Morgan's mind, then. She took an exaggerated step away, stamping down as loudly as possible, before darting back the other way, moving lightly to make as little noise as possible. Icarus's attack went wide, missing his target by several feet and confirming Morgan's suspicions: Icarus had blinded himself, too.
Morgan began backing away again, making no effort to disguise her location as she began circling along the perimeter of the summit. Though she could no longer see the rails, she thought back to her training, and did her best to picture her surroundings in her mind's eye. She continued retreating as she carefully undid her pouch from her sash. Mentally crossing her fingers, she tossed the pouch behind her, diving forward a split second later.
There was a soft thump as Morgan's pouch hit the ground, approximating the sound of one of her footsteps. Then there was a louder thump, followed by a surprised grunt, as Icarus crashed directly into the rail while giving chase. A second later, Morgan came out of her roll, and a satisfying crack split the air as Alondite's blade tore into the Solcryst.
Icarus howled, as if in pain. The magical darkness faded almost instantaneously, and when Morgan saw the deep gouge she had left up the Solcryst, she tried to strike again.
Icarus countered quickly, transferring his protective aura back to the Solcryst, brightening it and deflecting Morgan's attack. Morgan spun and fired a wave of energy at Icarus, but she was too slow; Icarus promptly drew the luminescent aura back to himself, then charged again, forcing Morgan aside.
With little hope of retrieving her pouch, Morgan quickly considered her remaining options. Icarus was too fast for her to strike at either him or the Solcryst individually. She had to strike at them both, somehow, but for that, she needed…
"Ellie!" Morgan cried, untying her sap from her sash and flipping it high into the air.
Right on cue, Yuelle launched herself from Morgan's shoulder, catching the sap and gliding past Icarus. Icarus turned to intercept her, but Morgan seized the chance to strike – not at the Solcryst, but at Icarus himself.
"No!" Icarus growled defiantly, as the devious young tactician's intent became clear. He was too late to dodge out of the way, though, and had no choice but to keep the protective barrier over himself, absorbing Alondite's magical projectile even as Yuelle slammed Morgan's sap against one of the Solcryst's many facets.
Another large crack appeared in the Solcryst. Icarus flinched as if he had been struck, then spun and shot a gout of silver flames towards Yuelle, who had no choice but to abandon the sap. Icarus promptly disregarded the jeweled butterfly, incinerating the fallen sap as he moved to remain between Morgan and the Solcryst.
Left with only her sword and tome, Morgan sheathed Alondite. She readied her tome, then turned to flee almost immediately, correctly anticipating that Icarus would charge her again. She then pivoted suddenly, rolling beneath Icarus's outstretched blade.
Concentrating on her tome, Morgan willed forth a magical inferno of her own, allowing her spell to spiral out of control in hopes of making it harder to deflect. Icarus predictably leapt protectively in front of the Solcryst once more, but the flames continued billowing outwards, threatening to spill all around the Solcryst's guardian.
With a gesture, Icarus willed the light surrounding him to stretch outwards, forming a gleaming, oblong disc. Morgan's fiery spell surged forth a second later, splashing harmlessly against the magical barrier.
Morgan could not hide her dismay when her flames dissipated without touching either Icarus or the Solcryst.
Then Icarus's face contorted with shock.
Without any further warning, Severa, Owain, and Helios surged past Morgan. The trio descended upon Icarus, chopping wildly with their weapons. Though Icarus remained impervious to their attacks, he instinctively recoiled, and his countering swipes proved ineffectual.
"The Solcryst! Quickly, go for the Solcryst!" Morgan ordered, suspecting that they were almost out of time.
Severa and Owain tried to obey, breaking off in opposite directions in hopes of making their way past Icarus, but Icarus countered by calling forth an entire wall of sizzling silver flames, stretching across the length of Sol Sanctus's summit.
In the meantime, Helios continued to press his seemingly invulnerable foe, fully embracing his role. Without Severa and Owain fighting at his side, he knew he was leaving himself dangerously exposed, and knew that he was inviting Icarus to strike.
And strike Icarus did. Without fear for his own safety, the Solcryst's guardian went for a furious diagonal chop.
Helios knew he wasn't about to parry the attack and threw himself backward. He knew, too, that he was not about to fully escape the attack, but if Icarus dared to finish the move…
At the very last second, Icarus saw through the ploy. Crescent had been lingering by the stairway unnoticed, waiting for Helios to withdraw. At that exact moment, Crescent rushed out into the open, launching herself into a precise backflip and lining up her bow with the Solcryst. Her arrow soared cleanly over the magical firewall, straight at the heart of the great crystal.
"No!" Icarus cried out again, this time in desperation. He dismissed both his protective aura and the wall of flames, channeling all of his might back into the Solcryst. The Solcryst began shining once more, burning away Crescent's arrow just before it could hit its mark.
Throughout the confusion, Icarus had not noticed Morgan retrieving her pouch.
"Checkmate!" Morgan proclaimed, rolling a small blue gemstone past her companions, right between Icarus's feet. Chilling winds rolled outwards, freezing Icarus where he stood.
Icarus instinctively drew the Solcryst's power back into himself, defrosting himself, but he was already too late. Helios weaved past him and drove both of his blades into the Solcryst, just as Severa and Owain struck at it with their glaive and sword, respectively. Crescent had fired again, too, and even Yuelle had tried to help, throwing herself against the Solcryst as forcefully as she could manage.
Powerless, and struck from almost every direction at once, the Solcryst promptly exploded into millions of lightless crystalline shards.
Icarus's mouth stretched wide, as if to scream out in denial, but no sound came forth. His aura of light began to fade, and when it was gone, the summit of Sol Sanctus was momentarily blanketed in absolute darkness. Then, countless tiny flecks of light began appearing all across the sky, bathing Monolith in a faint silvery glow.
As if he could feel the starlight's soothing caress, Icarus's expression changed, becoming one of serene acceptance. He collapsed without another sound, and given his youthful and unblemished form, it looked as if he had simply fallen asleep beneath the starry sky.
Morgan stared at Icarus's prone and unmoving form, doing her best to suppress the disappointment welling up inside of her. "We won," she reminded herself firmly. Which was true, even if it had not been the clean victory she had been fighting for.
A myriad of thoughts crossed Morgan's mind then, the most prominent of them the faces of every Sun Guard who Morgan and her companions had slain. Faces that she knew she would forget, only to see again in her dreams. Faces that represented only a fraction of those who had died during the fighting within Sol Sanctus, or battling the Nightmares out in the Reaches. Even with the Solcryst gone and the stars twinkling peacefully above, Morgan did not feel particularly victorious.
But the young and not-so-innocent tactician knew better than to give in to her doubts. There was no sense in dwelling on that which could not be changed. Monolith could only move forward, now.
After taking a deep breath, Morgan looked up, painting a triumphant smile across her lips as she surveyed her companions, all of who were staring at the fallen Sun Warden.
"That's the Sun Warden?" Helios asked, frowning. "He looks… familiar."
"He should," Morgan said, nodding slightly. "We must have passed a hundred statues of him while making our way up through Sol Sanctus. This is – well, was – Icarus, the Sun Warden."
Morgan's words hung thick in the air as Severa, Owain, and Crescent all stared at her disbelievingly.
"Icarus?" Bayn gasped, and Morgan turned to find the older Sun Guard standing at the staircase, propped up between Trance and Ferus.
"Your warp powder took quite a toll on Bayn," Helios explained wryly. He alone did not seem to care much about the Sun Warden's identity. Morgan looked to him curiously, wincing when she saw that she was not alone in hiding her despondent thoughts. She knew the haunted look in Helios's eyes all too well.
Helios looked away, and Morgan resisted the urge to sigh. "We won," she reminded herself again.
"Here, lass," Bayn said. He limped forward and returned Morgan's pearl ring, though his gaze continued alternating between Icarus and the shimmering night sky.
"Thanks," Morgan said quietly, accepting the ring and placing it on her finger. Without consciously thinking of it, she waved her hand, activating her ring yet again.
"Icarus was the Sun Warden?" Severa asked hollowly, finding her voice at last.
Morgan nodded again. "That's where the Nightmares were coming from," she said. "The Solcryst has been magically extending his life for centuries."
"Centuries," Ferus repeated faintly.
"Long enough for him to rewrite all of Monolith's history, at least," Morgan went on. "Now that he's gone, I don't think anyone will be able to tell you exactly how long it's been."
"Or what brought him to this madness," Owain said. "To imprison himself in this place, hidden from the rest of his world… his immortality was but a fool's dream, purchased by countless lives including his own."
"He wasn't after immortality," Morgan said, remembering how she had, for a moment, thought the same thing. "A long time ago, there was a war here in Monolith. Possibly several wars. Icarus lost his family, and began experimenting with magic in hopes of bringing them back. Instead, he managed to create the Solcryst. He lost hope of ever seeing his family again, but couldn't quite let go, either. Instead, he made himself into Monolith's secret god. Using the Solcryst, he destroyed Monolith, leaving only this city. He rewrote his own legend and began stymying Monolith's future, determined to keep war from ever breaking out again."
"How do you know all of that?" Severa asked skeptically.
"He told me," Morgan answered simply. "We talked for a bit while I was waiting for you all to finish lighting the Sun Forge. He was a bit longwinded and cryptic about it all, but I think I've finally managed to piece the truth together. It makes sense now, at least."
"But you're not half as excited as you should be," Severa accused, misreading her younger sister's nonchalance. "You knew about Icarus already, didn't you? Even before we set foot in Sol Sanctus tonight, you knew we'd be challenging a… a god! You knew, and not only did you not warn us, you even sent us away just before confronting him!"
"I did," Morgan admitted. "I knew I'd have to find some way to drain the Solcryst's power, so there was always a chance that we'd have to split up. Would you have agreed to my plan if you knew who or what the Sun Warden was?"
"Well…" Severa began hesitantly.
"And besides, since I didn't know the whole story myself yet, I wasn't sure if the Seekers would believe me," Morgan added, glancing apologetically towards Bayn, Trance, and Ferus.
"We believed you when you told us you were from another world, didn't we?" Ferus asked. "And again when you told us that destroying the Solcryst would bring light back to our skies."
"True. I'm sorry, then," Morgan apologized.
"Don't be, lass," Bayn said soothingly. "Ferus is only messing with you. You did well… more than well. You were brilliant. You led us to a victory that a mere week ago, none of us would've believed possible."
"Victory," Trance echoed. "This feels so… surreal. All of these years, it was the tale of Icarus that kept us going, driving us to set our sights higher and higher, pushing our limits in search of answers that many believed did not exist. We've followed his trail so far, only to find that he was our enemy all along. Is this where his trail leads, then?"
"If it is, it's time to start making our own way," Bayn said. "We always meant to learn from Icarus's faults as well as his triumphs. Now that the truth is known to us, we may begin learning from the real Icarus, too."
"There's still a lot of work to be done," Morgan warned, though she wasn't overly concerned with Monolith's future. Bayn's optimism felt keenly familiar to her, for she had seen the same attitude from nearly all of the refugees living in Water's Edge. It was a promising sign, but one that was bittersweet nonetheless.
"We still need to decide how best to explain this to the rest of our people," Ferus agreed.
"And you'll need to protect those still living in the Reaches, at least until the rest of the Nightmares have been dealt with," Morgan reminded.
"Worry not. We'll find our way," Bayn assured her, though that somber reminder seemed to weigh on him quite heavily.
"The worst is already behind us," Trance agreed. "A month ago, no one in Monolith would have even dreamed of seeing light in the sky. Now, thanks to you, everyone in Monolith will get to see the sunrise with their very own eyes."
"Not everyone," Morgan muttered darkly, too softly for anyone to hear her clearly. At least, that's what she had hoped, but at her words, Severa gave her a sharp look.
"What was that, lass?" Bayn asked.
"Nothing," Morgan said quickly.
"Lay aside your doubts and regrets," Owain advised, and though he looked towards Bayn as he spoke, Morgan could tell the words were meant for her. "Now that Icarus and the Solcryst are gone, you are free to rebuild Monolith however you wish it to be."
"Indeed," Bayn said, nodding. He looked to Morgan. "What about you, lass? You fought for this as hard as any of us. What is it that you'd like to see from Monolith?"
"I'm not sure," Morgan said thoughtfully. "Surprise me, alright? I'll try and visit someday."
"Someday? You're leaving us already?" Ferus asked, an uncharacteristically disappointed look upon his face.
"I'm afraid so," Morgan said reluctantly. "I'm sorry. I'd offer to stay and help, but I don't know anything about building cities. Besides, there's some place I need to be… I think." Morgan's expression grew uncertain, and she felt herself growing weak at the prospect of finally seeing her parents again.
Severa saw through her younger sister easily enough. She smiled, preferring these doubts over the heavier, unanswerable doubts that Morgan had been struggling with before. "It'll be fine, Morgan," she insisted. "It's time for us to go home. Way past time, really."
"I know," Morgan agreed tentatively. She looked to her rift, which was nearly formed. Then she glanced again at Bayn. "Umm… Captain Bayn? Could you and the Seekers do me one last favor?"
"Name it," Bayn agreed immediately.
"Later, when it comes time to explain this all to everyone else in Monolith… could you leave me out of your stories?" Morgan requested.
All three of the Seekers stared at her in surprise.
"Monolith is your home, not mine," Morgan explained. "This struggle against Icarus, and the Solcryst, and the Nightmares… it belongs to you and your people. So does your future. I think it'll be easier for everyone if Monolith forgets about my part in everything that's happened."
Severa, who had experienced the same dilemma several times prior, caught on at once. "Morgan's right," she agreed quickly. "It's probably best if you don't mention the three of us. That way, you'll have one less thing to explain to your people. We don't really need questions following us home, either." She placed a comforting hand on Morgan's shoulder, and though she didn't say it, she was both surprised and glad that the younger girl had chosen the more sensible route in spite of her personal doubts and insecurities.
"If you say so," Bayn agreed, though he still sounded uncertain. "We'll leave you out of the stories if you wish… but I, for one, will certainly remember the three of you, and I doubt anyone else who knows the truth will ever forget what you've done for us."
To Severa's surprise, Morgan seemed more uncomfortable than ever. "Thanks," the young tactician said, and though she was clearly touched by the sincerity and warmth in Bayn's tone, she seemed to be mentally squirming, as if she couldn't wait to be away from Monolith for good.
"Oh, and if you do find time to visit, don't be surprised if you return to find yourself a legend anyways," Ferus snickered. "You're forgetting all of the other Seekers you've already met. Oh, we'll tell them to be quiet and all, but drink tends to loosen lips, and…"
"…and there'll be a lot of drinking in the celebrations to come," Morgan finished. She shrugged. "Oh well. Thanks anyways."
"We'll do what we can," Bayn promised. "Farewell, Morgan."
"Goodbye, and good luck!" Morgan said, mustering as much cheer as she could manage. She turned her attention back to her rift, and her mind began wandering once more.
As the others were talking, Helios had slipped away, quickly putting their conversation out of mind. Without consciously thinking about it, he stepped gently around the remains of the Solcryst and up to the rails of Sol Sanctus's summit. He leaned against the rail, peering up into the sky, but hardly noticed the stars this time, lost in his thoughts as he was.
"What happened to Tohl wasn't your fault."
Helios flinched, for he hadn't even noticed Crescent approaching him. He turned to find the dark-haired woman standing startlingly close by, her dark amber eyes staring straight into his own, glistening beneath the mesmerizing starlight.
Before he could stop himself, Helios instinctively shrank away. As he pulled away, a shadow briefly flickered across Crescent's gentle face.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… I just… I didn't notice…" Helios stammered.
"It's alright," Crescent said softly. She offered Helios a warm, understanding smile, hoping to put him at ease.
Understanding? Try as he might, Helios couldn't even explain to himself why he had recoiled the way he did. He had never been shy or nervous around Crescent before.
"What happened to Tohl wasn't your fault, Hel," Crescent repeated herself, more insistently this time.
"What are you talking about?" Helios asked, feeling entirely lost.
"You were thinking about him again, weren't you?" Crescent asked.
"Was I?" Helios murmured. In truth, he couldn't quite remember what he had been thinking about before Crescent made her presence known.
"Well, what were you thinking about then?" Crescent prompted him curiously.
Not knowing what to say, Helios only shrugged. He turned and leaned against the rails, watching in silence as Morgan began conjuring the rift to Water's Edge. A second later, Crescent did the same, sliding closer to Helios in the process. This time, Helios didn't pull away.
"Ever since our fight – if you can call us flailing our weapons while trying to avoid hitting each other a fight – you've been acting strangely," Crescent said softly. "You fight as well as you always have, but once the fighting's over, you seem… timid."
"Timid," Helios echoed tiredly.
"It's like you've been second-guessing everything you say or do, especially around me," Crescent said. "What is it, Hel? What's wrong?"
Helios's first instinct was to protest, and to insist that everything was fine. Crescent's words had struck a chord in him, however. If there was anyone whose judgment he valued above his own, it was the woman standing beside him now. Why, then, was he so quick to dismiss her now?
Again, Helios saw Tohl's lifeless form, propped against the wall in one of Sol Sanctus's many hallways.
"I killed him," Helios whispered.
There was a knowing spark in Crescent's eyes, but she said nothing. Instead, she gently took one of Helios's hands into her own.
"I tried to tell him the truth. I wanted to show him everything," Helios murmured. "Then he seemed to change. I thought he had become someone else entirely. He said such terrible things. We fought. Then it was over. I wanted to save him, but he kept on fighting me, right up until…" His throat went dry, and he found himself unable to finish his sentence.
Crescent moved to stand directly in front of him, her hand still firmly clasped around his. She then leaned forward, pressing herself gently against her dear friend's chest. "Listen to me, Hel," she said quietly, in a pleading tone. "What happened to Hel wasn't your fault."
"Of course it was my fault," Helios said bitterly. "I ran him through, and my swords were left stained with his blood."
"Only because he left you no choice," Crescent insisted. "Hel, if you were as sloppy while fighting him as you were when you fought against me, do you think you'd be alive now? Would Tohl have cast his weapon aside the way I did?"
"That's different. You kept believing in me, even when I was trying so hard to keep the truth from you," Helios argued.
"Just like you would've kept believing in me, had our positions been switched," Crescent said patiently. "Just like you would have listened to Tohl, had it been him trying to tell you the truth"
"Would I have?" Helios asked doubtfully.
"Yes, you would have," Crescent insisted. "I know how much Tohl mattered to you, Hel. You were always more patient and forgiving with him than you were with the rest of the Sun Guard. You were always ready to listen, and you respected whatever he had to say, even when you disagreed with him."
"He was my friend," Helios countered.
Crescent pushed herself back to arm's length, a sympathetic expression on her face. "You were his friend, but he was never yours," she corrected softly. "One time, our patrols were training together, and some of the others began talking about life in the Reaches. Tohl started telling us all about Aquila's Ascent… about his old patrol leaders, about the battles he had fought, and the people he'd known. What do you think he said about you?"
Helios swallowed uncomfortably. When he spoke again, he spoke tentatively, as if he were afraid of the answer. "What did he say?"
"Nothing," Crescent answered simply. "He never mentioned you at all. I've seen you two talking before, Hel. Tohl was a lively and friendly person, willing to strike up a conversation with just about anyone, but to him, you were never anything more than just another familiar face. You never meant even half as much to him as he meant to you."
Helios looked away, stricken.
"But you knew this already, didn't you?" Crescent pressed. "I know you, Hel. You've known Tohl for years… you must have seen the truth about him yourself."
Again, Helios could not bring himself to meet Crescent's gaze. Thinking back to the times he and Tohl had shared, Helios knew that deep down, there had always been a shadow of doubt where his friend and former partner was concerned.
"I didn't want to see it," Helios finally admitted.
"I… I know," Crescent apologized. "That's why I never said anything about it before. You had few enough friends as it was. I didn't want to take him away from you, too."
Suddenly, Helios felt incredibly stupid. He had remained willfully blind for so long, going as far as to blame himself for Tohl's decision. To blame himself, and to push away a friend who had never deserved to be hurt the way he had hurt her.
Helios looked up and forced himself to meet Crescent's gaze. In his shame, he found himself searching desperately for some hint of righteous anger – or even just disappointment – in the friend he had so unjustly wronged. Instead, all he found in Crescent's eyes was sympathy, tinged with the slightest sparkle of hope.
Helios took a deep breath. "You're right, Cress," he apologized. "You're right about everything. I should have known Tohl better. It was stupid of me to blame myself for what happened to him, and even stupider of me to have doubted you afterwards. I'm sorry."
"Oh? Does that mean you're done doubting me now?" Crescent asked, smiling teasingly. "That's a relief; I think we're almost out of time."
"Out of time?" Helios echoed, unsure of her meaning.
Crescent gestured towards the rift Morgan had conjured, which continued to swirl and crackle over the shattered remains of the Solcryst. "Your new friends are leaving soon," she reminded. "Aren't you going with them?"
"I've been considering it," Helios said, frowning. "Now I'm not so sure."
"Well, you'd better make up your mind soon," Crescent said. "For what it's worth, I think you should go. You've never really felt at home in Aquila's Ascent – or here in Sol Hearth, for that matter. There's nothing keeping you here, unless you want to watch what's left of the Sun Guard squabble with these Nihilists who aren't really nihilists about where and how we'll rebuild."
"That's not what's keeping me here," Helios said quietly.
"Oh? Is it a friend of yours, then? A girl, perhaps?" Crescent asked coyly.
"Very funny, Cress," Helios said, rolling his eyes.
"Maybe you should ask her to go with you," Crescent suggested, a longing look in her eyes. "If she's so important to you that you'd stay just to be with her, maybe she'd be willing to go with you instead. Especially if she, too, doesn't have any friends or family keeping her here."
Helios smiled and shook his head in surrender, but he was interrupted before he could say anything more.
"Hel, the rift's just about ready," Morgan sang happily, appearing suddenly at his side.
"Morgan!" Severa scolded, a scandalized look upon her face.
Morgan looked from Helios to Crescent, then back to Helios. "Oh, am I interrupting something?" the young tactician asked apologetically. Her look of wide-eyed innocence seemed just a bit too much to be believed.
"Just a little bit," Helios chuckled, silently thankful for the diversion.
"Sorry," Morgan apologized hastily. "Well, just let me know when you've made up your mind, okay?" She glanced at Crescent. "Cress, you're welcome to come with us, too, if you'd like."
Crescent nodded and smiled. "Thanks."
With that, Morgan bounded off again, scampering off to wait by her sister who continued to stare daggers at her.
Smiling faintly, Crescent watched the younger girl go. "Well?" she prompted, when she and Helios were alone once more.
Helios took a deep breath. "I would like to go along with Morgan and the others," he admitted. "But not without you. Will you come with me, Cress? And can you forgive me for everything I've put you through tonight?"
Crescent reached out and took Helios's hand. "As long as you'll promise never to try and push me away again," she said.
"I promise," Helios agreed, and with that, the two of them moved to join their friends, ready to face their new future together.