Chapter 18: Siren Song

Days slipped by, blessedly uneventful. He never thought he'd long for a boring journey, but just then Chrom was ready to savor the calm weather and fair winds. Blue skies favored the Shepherd, and guided her home with ease. The crew were also happy for the peace, spending their time on the sun-warmed deck when they weren't on duty.

Along the way, the Shepherd managed to regroup with Emmeryn's escort. Before nightfall, Phila had relayed a full report to the rest of the fleet. The company of other sails made for easier breathing, and any pirate ship that had a chance of seeing them would have second thoughts about raiding.

It gave Chrom time to think. He found himself taking the wheel more often, fingers tracing absent minded patterns over the wood and metal, while the sun warmed his skin. The touch of the warmth chased some of the lighthouse memories from his head, reminding him that the dragon in his vision was still locked under the waters.

'We're safe for now. We've done enough.' He tried telling himself. 'Whatever I saw, it can't hurt us...'

"Troubles still on your mind?" Emmeryn asked Chrom, tugging him out of his thoughts. She rested against the bench, watching him with a thoughtful look. Even with her ships back, she insisted on staying aboard the Shepherd. Likely so she could keep an eye on him, going by that piercing look she gave him. "I know that frown; it seems like you're still worrying about something."

"Y-yeah. I was just wondering about what we saw in the lighthouse," Chrom admitted to Emmeryn. He remembered the sleeping dragon, seemingly pushed into a deep slumber, not allowed to wake up… But also still breathing storms, causing chaos. "That's twice now that we've dispelled the storms. Given that the waters are calm now, we MUST be achieving something."

Again, he tried to assure himself that all was well; that they'd made enough progress to keep Ylisse safe.

Emmeryn gave an agreeing hum at that. "Yes, it makes me think back as well. About the tales of ancient bindings-"

"A-A seal… On the waves. The boundary between sky and sea, placed by the gods themselves." Robin's voice came out soft, but Chrom still caught it and spun to look at her. She was walking up the steps, looking between the ship and sea.

She didn't walk alone either. Sumia kept pace with her, and brightened at Robin's words.

"Oh! So you know that story, Robin?" Sumia offered… only to slump once Robin shook her head.

"N-no. It's just that phrase came to me. I don't understand the meaning behind it." Robin scratched at her head as she spoke, eyes narrowing in thought. From how she frowned, she wasn't able to remember anything else. "...Can I hear more about it?"

"It's an old story." Emmeryn offered, gesturing to the bench. Sumia didn't need anymore prompting, and tugged Robin towards the cushions with an eager light in her eyes. Chrom snorted out a chuckle, as his hands ghosted back over the wheel. It seemed Sumia hadn't tired of that tale.

'To be fair, neither have you.' He tilted his head, so he'd be sure to hear Emmeryn's telling.

"There's a stained glass arrangement, in a church along one of the coastal roads. We used to frequent the abbey, while the fleet was being constructed in the nearby harbor. Chrom, Lissa and I often stayed there, overnight." Emmeryn told her. Robin turned to the ship's side as she listened. Chrom followed her gaze as well, picking out the beginnings of a coast. A lonely stone building stood out, reaching for the sky on one of the hills. Emmeryn took notice of what she was looking at, nodding. "Yes, one much like that. But the window itself holds a story, of two great dragons clashing together and creating the boundary between sea and sky in their struggles… and the eventual defeat of one of them."

Closing his eyes, Chrom could picture the image; a silver dragon, clashing with another black as storm clouds. The artists had picked out the sharpness of their fangs, and even though it was a single image locked in glass, he could imagine them wheeling and circling in the sky. Until the pale dragon struck the final, crippling blow.

"And how that dragon fell into the ocean, and it turned into his prison!" Sumia piped up and jolted Chrom out of his thoughts. He blinked at her, as did Robin. Sumia went red faced. "S-sorry, that's the most dramatic part of the story. That dragon has been locked under the sea ever since."

"It's the most dramatic moment, and it also might be the most pertinent." Emmeryn admitted. "It's said that's why the balance has existed, between the sea and sky. And given how we sail, we're caught between those realms."

She extended a hand to the sky, and Chrom fought back a chill. He could still imagine a storm sweeping down on them, shattering the calm.

"And given what we've seen at the lighthouse… Perhaps something is fraying that balance."

'Something from the past.' Chrom thought… but decided to keep that to himself. They were drawing close to Ylisse, and Robin was being accepted by the Shepherds. He didn't want to darken either of those things.

'Besides, it was only a dream you had. Even if it's true, that dragon isn't going anywhere.' All he had to do was keep moving, and searching for those lighthouses. He glanced at Robin, in the middle of a whispered conversation; her eyes going wide as Sumia spun more stories and legends, likely about Naga and Grima.

She touched her fingers to chain links of her compass, and with a jolt Chrom realized she was still wearing the ring around her neck, her fingers taking care to keep the links from getting tangled.

'We really DO need to get back to Ylisse, so I can convince her to stow that thing away.' He turned his eyes back to the prow, hoping they'd see the capital soon. And also hoping no one would see the bit of pink on his face.

-o-o-o-

Several long nights of sailing gave way to Ylisse, and a familiar castle perched atop the cliffs… but for all that, Chrom wasn't sure if they'd really come home. Even when the hallways finally closed over his head, and the castle walls obscured the sea, he found himself doubting he was really back.

A uneasy feeling clung to him. His thoughts couldn't seem to settle, and his body felt restless.

"Strange..." He ran a hand along the castle walls, making sure they were real to the touch. Even the contact had a hard time convincing him that he was home. He knew that his eyes kept drifting back, to the stairwell and where the Shepherd was harbored.

"She needs extensive repairs, Chrom." Emmeryn broke him out of his reverie. "I'm afraid you must rest up before setting out again."

Emmeryn stepped through the doors, the setting sun making her crown blaze gold. He wondered at how comfortably it seemed to sit on her head, returned there after so many days and weeks at sea.

"What's the news, in the meantime?" He asked.

"The Feroxi ships are on the way; they'll aid in guarding our borders and harbors where they can. And while they've expressed an eagerness in fighting ghost ships... I hope that all we'll have to deal with are pirates. If that."

Emmeryn made a warding gesture before continuing.

"Reports have come in that the storms seem to have lessened; they're having a harder time forming, for now." His mind drifted to the lighthouses. The power humming in them, and the strange glimpses they offered. "...Though that hasn't prevented refugees from coming in droves. They're unsettled by everything that's happened."

Emmeryn sighed, oblivious to his thoughts. He didn't want to burden her with them, since so much was already on her shoulders.

"I... forgive me your Grace, but might I make a suggestion?" Robin moved around the columns, Lissa walking with her. The two shadowed Emmeryn's footsteps. "I-it was something I was thinking about, though I'm not certain if I-"

Lissa rocked on the balls of her feet, letting the motion bump her elbows against Robin's side. "Hey, no second guessing yourself, Robin. Out with it!"

"Ah- yes. I was thinking about those who are capable of sailing... Would it be possible to train them? We could create some sort of fishing fleet for the capital. Then the refugees wouldn't be idle, there'd be income, and people wouldn't starve. I'm not sure how possible that would be, but-?"

Emmeryn brightened at that.

"That… May work. Phila and I have been considering the problem for sometime, but haven't reached an answer until now. And perhaps phrased as a request, it might work. What do you think, Chrom?"

Chrom jolted, staring back at them. With how he blinked and stared, Chrom knew it was written across his face that he hadn't been fully listening. Instead his eyes had drifted back out to the ocean, and glazed over as he watched.

"O-of course. It… sounds good enough…" His voice lacked energy, betraying just how tired and distracted he was.

Emmeryn frowned at his words, while Lissa outright scowled at him.

"You seem quite exhausted from everything… And perhaps in need of new orders. I'd like you to get a good night's rest, and find your feet again." Emmeryn kept her voice gentle. "Is that acceptable?"

"Ah... yes, Emm." Chrom murmured, feeling a little chastised. Maybe Emm was right, and what he really needed was rest.

Bowing his head, he took his leave for the evening, trying to focus on getting to his rooms. The castle blurred by him as he walked, leaving his sisters behind. But even as he picked his way up the stairs and shut the door behind him, he could feel something odd still pulling at his heart. Something that sounded unnervingly like the crash of waves.

-o-o-o-

The palace was quiet at dusk, and moon rise found it almost deserted. The only company in the halls was the night's glow. Silvery light streamed through the windows, casting the stone in a faint blue tint. All the torches and candles burned low, slowly fading with the last hours of the day. The tiny points of orange light flickered as Chrom passed by.

The halls stayed empty as he walked, filled with only the sound of his own footsteps.

Chrom did his best to keep quiet, his steps barely an echo as he snuck down the stairs. Already the crash of waves began to mask his own noise, the sound thundering off the cliffs. Chrom squinted through the open arches and out towards the sea. The tides were a blanket of night-black ripples, barely visible save for the flickering bands on moonlight glimmering on the surface, silver on navy.

Those sparse glimpses encouraged him to hurry. Tiptoeing turned into a hurried scramble down the last steps. The sound of boots on stone were swallowed by the sand, once his feet reached the shore. He breathed in deep, tasting the salt air.

The tide pool waited for him, the currents swirling and sending the pond into a glow. The light matched the stars overhead, pulsing almost like a heartbeat. In the blue glow, Chrom brought his hands up to the clasp of his cloak, shedding the fabric with a simple roll of his shoulders and another step forward.

He veered away from the pool's edge. Beautiful as the shimmering waters were, something about it was just as confining as his rooms. Instead, his eyes fixed on the gap in the castle walls, and the call of the waves. Chrom tilted his head back, letting the breeze wash over his face and relishing the sharp taste of salt.

With his cape gone, his skin breathed a little easier. As he stepped past the pool, the roar of the waves grew louder. He climbed over the rocks strewn around the walls, and took in the view. Beyond was another stretch of sand, caged by the waves and growing ever smaller as the tides rose up.

A satisfied sigh eased its way out between his lips. He swore the tides gave an answering whisper. And there was something... More. Something beyond the crash and foam.

The sound was a voice, beckoning him forward. He slid down the rocks, and onto the wet packed sand. His boots left footprints with a damp squelch, as he strode towards the waves. He raised his head, trying to hear more of the voice; it demanded all of his attention now, everything but the sea and the sound fading out.

Chrom tilted his head, trying to catch the words, but not quite grasping them. It was like trying to hold onto a wave.

'If… Perhaps if I moved just a little bit closer…'

Waves washed around his feet, but the sudden touch of cold didn't slow him. The deeper he waded, the more the water shifted in temperature around him. It turned into a warm, welcoming embrace. His weight shifted as the waves lifted him up, leaving Chrom to float as he moved deeper. Water splashed around his chest and soaked his shirt, the waves ready to draw him all the way in-

"CHROM!" Robin's voice crashed into his ears, followed by her hands clutching his shoulders. She yanked Chrom backwards with a splash slicing through the haze that had settled over him. Each pull took him further out of the water, and his thoughts lurched back towards sense.

'What did you almost do to yourself?'

"Wh-what?" He sputtered, only able to voice the first part of the thought. Robin pulled him into the shallows as he stammered, their steps halfway between walking and swimming.

"I think that's what I'm supposed to be asking you!" She shot back. "I couldn't sleep, so I was walking to clear my thoughts. And then I saw you and-"

Robin pitched forward, unable to support the weight of them both. The water snatched away the last of their balance, tugging at their knees as they collapsed into the surf. The hem of her robe wrapped around them, drifting in the surf.

"Chrom, what happened?" She finally managed. Her voice was oddly tight, almost like there was a sob lurking underneath her words and trying to escape. "Are you trying to drown yourself?"

"I... I thought I heard something." He admitted. "Out there, in the ocean. Something that was almost..."

Gods, he'd sound mad if he said it.

'Or maybe you're already mad. Walking into the ocean, feeling drawn to it when you belong on dry land… Maybe all those tales about being Tide Touched are true. That you belong to the ocean, and it keeps calling. Like-'

"Like the ocean was almost… Almost calling you?" Robin whispered, and Chrom's focus jolted to her. "I... I thought that I heard something as well. That's why I was walking the beach in the first place..."

She stared at her hands, shivering from the sudden chill. The drop in temperature pushed Chrom to his feet, even as his legs shook. He pulled Robin with him, letting her hang off his shoulder. He nodded to the shelter of the cove and tide pool. Hopefully that would give some shelter from the sudden chill creeping over his skin.

'Maybe with her around, you won't hear the tides calling out to you, either.'

Even as he thought that, the waves swept back in retaliation. The sea stole the strength from them, sending them back into the foam.

-o-o-o-

The crash of waves took her balance and she tumbled to the sand. Robin waited for the impact, but it never came. A faint song drew her attention, and instead of falling, she floated.

"Robin…" A voice seemed to call across the waves to her. "Robin-"

The coast flickered out. A familiar haze settled over her head, stealing her mind and yanking it to some distant place.

"Robin. Mind your tongue."

"Where is she?" A younger version of her voice asked, defiant. Silence greeted her. The great hall was more tomb than royal audience chamber. It was empty, still, and sombre. The figure on the throne barely moved, ignoring her.

"Where's my mother!?" Her voice cracked.

"She abandoned us." His reply was clipped. Cold.

"Th-that's not true. She was… She was supposed to take-"

"Take YOU? Be glad she didn't. I don't know how she slipped away, but she wasn't wise enough to steal the essential parts to our plan." The words snapped out, and she flinched like they'd been a slap. "That woman… She took leave of her senses when she found this trinket."

A familiar golden compass glimmered in his fingers.

"But be assured… We're made of sterner things than her. Our blood, our lineage, is stronger than hers."

The beginnings of dread coiled in her gut and stilled her limbs. Any thought she had of fleeing after her mother faded. The figure rose from the throne, and twisted toward her in blinding speed. Nails pressed against her cheek, and wrenched her chin up.

"Look me in the eye, Robin. I need you to understand… You aren't weak like her. You'll restore the rule, the primacy of the ocean. Naga's spawn have intruded on our domain with their ships… So we'll take back our realm, and flood their own kingdoms for good measure."

'He's mad.' She tried to shrink from him, as he railed about the transgressions against their kingdom, and the vengeance they'd bring.

"Do you see now, Robin-?"

Her name echoed strangely, repeating in her head-

"H-hey! Stay with me Robin!" Chrom's voice blared into her ears.

-o-o-o-

The waves crashed over them, soaking them through. Robin barely stirred from the spray, her eyes out of focus. Panic jolted through Chrom's heart as he watched her, banishing the pain from any scuffs he'd taken.

It was like her mind was a flickering candle, at risk of going out. Her breathing had gone shallow. In the back of his head, he wondered if that was how he'd looked, when the waves tried to draw him out; hazy eyes and a distant, unfocused expression.

"C-come on…" He shook at her, but with no response.

'Is she still breathing?' In a panic he brought his hand to her neck, checking for a pulse. His thumb grazed her cheek, while his fingers shivered against her throat. His thumb fell to the side, and rested against her lips for a moment-

And at the contact, her breath sputtered out, and his hand went slack from relief.

"...Chrom?" She shook her head back and forth. "S-sorry. I blacked out for a moment there, and…"

She took in the dents they'd made in the sand, going red when she realized her hands rested against his chest. "Ah, gods... I swear that I STILL don't know land as well as the tides. It's almost like I belong-"

She cut herself off, clapping her hands around her mouth. Her eyes were wide, terrified of what she'd said. Chrom's own feet kicked at the sand, seeming like kin. Out of place; like this wasn't his home any longer.

'Stop it.' He scolded himself. 'She doesn't need to hear that right now, and it's not helping you either.'

"W-we both got submerged, or near enough." He tried pointing out. "I think it stands to reason, that we'd both be a little clumsy on our feet."

She seemed to accept that, leaning a little on Chrom. He knew they had to stand up, to get back to the cover at the very least. But his legs still felt boneless, and he needed to gather his strength. As he tried to breath deep and find his balance, Chrom ran his fingers through his hair; his bangs had gone sodden from everything.

Robin followed the motion, and her eyes rested on his hair.

"Is this something to do with being Tide Touched?" She asked.

"I... I'm worried that it is." Chrom admitted. That voice telling him not to worry Robin went silent, the longer she looked at him. "I've... those lighthouses we've visited, I've been having visions. I don't know what else to call them."

He recounted as much as he could remember, no matter how odd it sounded to his ears. All through it, Robin listened raptly.

"And... There's more. My father... he was the same as me. Tide Touched. Always more comfortable on a ship than in a castle. But..." his hands balled into fists, squeezing the water from the fabric of his gloves. "...But he wasn't content with exploring, with seeing what was beyond the horizon. He wanted to TAKE whatever he found, bring it under Ylisse."

"That's why... Gangrel, the entirety of Wreckage, and the Brethren exist in the first place. Because he took so much from them, leaving them with only piracy. THAT'S the legacy he left us. Until he sailed out one day, and didn't return. That's when the storms really started to plague us, too."

He hated what was coming next, but it still worked its way onto his tongue.

"What happens if I'm the same?"

A hand pressed to his cheek, the fingers cold from exposure... and yet the touch itself was gentle, brushing against his face and bringing his eyes up.

"Did your father have a habit of rescuing people from the sea?"

"N-no. At least, not that I'm aware of."

"I think that's a good indicator already, then…" Robin gave him a shrewd look. "But that's not all that's worrying you, is it?"

'She's getting too good at reading me.' And his lips seemed to have a habit of going loose, whenever she made eye contact with him.

"Well, to be honest... it felt like a new part of my life began when the sea sent you. And now I'm terrified that it might take you back. Or maybe… take me for payment." Her hand fell away from his. A part of him wanted to grab it again, but he forced himself to go still and say his next words.

"And I fear that makes me selfish-"

"It doesn't!" Robin's words rushed in. "Or if it does, then I'm selfish too. I feel the same; though maybe that's because I don't remember what else happened to me. But I hope that the bonds between us are greater than any claim of the sea… That's what I desperately want to believe."

She brought her hand up to her neck as she spoke. With a start Chrom realized that she still had the necklace on, the ring resting over her skin and clinking against the compass. Her hand hesitated over clasping it, but still traced along the chain links.

'That's twice now she's helped me in the waters.' And he was starting to lose track of how many other times she'd helped him out of scrapes. It was getting to the point that it was hard to imagine her NOT being at his side.

She shifted against him, and it felt like she was lingering, resting on his shoulder. Maybe it was just because that was the best way to share warmth, Chrom tried telling himself. Her breathing had evened out, almost matched up to his.

"Chrom, I think that I-" She stopped short.

Out on the sea, the reflection of the moon distorted, turning into a roil that churned and bubbled. The waters dipped in, like someone had yanked the plug out from underneath, and the ocean was rushing in to fill the gap. A spray erupted from the center, almost lashing against the air. Patches of the tides glowed, illuminated from within by spell light. Through the waves, he could make out dark shapes illuminated in silhouette. And with them, a haunting melody.

Something was coming out of the sea.