Chapter 20: Salt in the Wounds
Lucina's world was pain. It was the low, feverish sort that seeped into her thoughts and numbed her to everything else. She didn't know how long they'd been on this forced swim; the bruises in her scales made minutes, hours, and days blur together.
With the binds on her arms and covering her head, she didn't know if it was day or night. Or where they were. It was getting harder to have a single, clear thought-
A screech pierced the waves, and dug past the blindfold muffling Lucina's head. From the way her captors continued, they didn't seem to hear it. They kept their hands on her shoulders and arms, hauling her along.
Lucina thrashed, struggling against the scream as it took hold in her head. Her wrists were still bound; she couldn't cover her ears or block out the sound. A hand snapped around her head and yanked at her hair.
"Settle down!" Her captor snapped at her. His voice lasted only for a moment, before the piercing note swallowed up his words.
"Luci-" Morgan's voice was choked and pained, and she knew he heard that same scream. "Luci, what is that!?"
"…What's going on? And don't brow beat the prisoners!" That was Mustafa's voice. Her hair was suddenly released from the tight hold. "You'll answer to me if you-" The rest of his growl vanished, and the hands on her faded out as well.
Only the screech seemed to matter now; how it rose and fell, undulating, almost like a series of notes. It warped the space around her, making the water rush in her ears. It was like a massive current had picked them up and shook them until clarity bled out from their brains. She couldn't feel the binds, or the pain in her tail.
Maybe she'd slipped into a dream, with how her mind was fading out. Lucina blinked her eyes, trying to focus… And realized that the blindfold had fallen away from her face.
Instead of cloth, she glimpsed a castle, rising above the sea on a cliff face. Waves crashed against building and stone, trying to tear both down in their fury. Scaled shapes broke through the waves in a frenzied blur. Lucina's heart lurched in her chest, as she recognized the shapes.
Mer. A whole swarm of them.
"Oh gods," Morgan whispered next to her. "I've seen those things before! Feral Mer and they-" He cut off with a pained noise. Morgan raised one of his hands to his head, clutching it in pain. Lucine realized with a jolt that he was no longer shackled, and somehow neither was she.
Morgan picked up on that too, staring down at his freed arms in shock.
'There's no time to wonder about that.' The crash of waves was like thunder, and made her heart race; she'd gone from a painful haze to a rush of urgency.
"Morgan, focus!" Lucina tried to keep her attention on the current situation. "What were you talking about?"
"Those Mer… They've got a wild light in their eyes. I-I think I've fought something like them before, and almost died." He was almost a match for the desperate energy of those Mer, his eyes wide and scared. His tail coiled with restless energy, and his body braced for a desperate fight.
The Mer hadn't seen them yet, their rage focused on calling up waves and attacking the castle. They pressed the tides to their call, heedless of any arrows or javelins sent their way.
'That's what you need to focus on, right now. That's where the worst trouble is.'
"…We're going to need to fight them again."
"I-I sort of figured as much." Morgan flinched. "But don't worry, I'll watch your back."
-o-o-o-
Something called Emmeryn out of her sleep, and into the starlit castle halls. She walked, only half awake, down the old hallways she'd grown up in. Her feet knew where to go, and had memorized all the odd corners and dips in the floor. As she walked, her hands absentmindedly played with something cold, rolling the object in her fingers.
It gleamed in the faint moonlight, the shine catching her eyes; it took the form of a familiar silver gem, round as a pearl. Emmeryn gave it a confused, sleepy blink. The object belonged in the ceremonial chambers, or the throne room. Yet now, Argent gleamed in her palm.
'I… When did I pick this up-?'
A scream jolted her into the waking world. Her feet yanked from a soft shuffle into a full tilt run, taking her to balconies as she stared out at the harbor. The shout had been in a familiar voice-
On the second shout, she recognized Chrom, and her eyes searched the waves for him.
She didn't find her brother in the waters. Instead she found finned, half human shapes. The Mer came out of the waves like wraiths out of fog, clad in gleaming scales equal to armor. They were as ruthless as they'd been in Ferox, easily cutting into Ylisse's garrison.
The attack started at the water level, along the docks and the coves. The monsters surged out of the water, digging fingers into the throats of the guards, or puncturing the armor with strange weapons. The first soldiers died without a chance to fight… But the rest heard Chrom's yells, and brought their weapons up against the invaders.
Emmeryn stood transfixed on the balcony, looking out over the red swath that the tide had turned into.
"Drown me…" She wasn't much one for swearing, but the sight and sounds shocked the oath out of her.
It took only a heartbeat for others to hear the cries. The clang of alarm bells awoke the castle, calling as many as possible to arms. Somewhere in the halls, Frederick shouted orders, and the rattle of armor and weapons almost drowned out the waves.
Below, a wall of armor rushed out to meet the Mer. But while the heavier plate helped to turn aside the strikes, it also made for slow going as the seas rushed up, swamping the beaches and docks.
"Pegasus riders!" Frederick shouted. "Hurry and rally! We'll need an aerial defense if we're going to push them back-"
"Exalt?" A soft voice reached her ears, and she turned to see Phila. Her voice was oddly hushed, while her body was like a tightly wound spring. She'd already thrown on her armor, adjusting the last of the straps as she rushed towards Emmeryn.
"What are you doing here?" Emmeryn found her voice. "Frederick was just calling for the pegasus knights."
"I could ask you the same; the balconies are no place for the Exalt, during a siege." Phila answered. "And I… Needed to ensure your safety, before I fight back an invasion. I'd be a poor commander if I didn't look after you…" She trailed off for a moment, and Emmeryn noticed how Phila's hand was half outstretched. Like she wanted to take up Emmeryn's hand.
"Y-you must get to safety, and inside the walls of the palace if possible. We don't know what these things are capable of-"
The sea grew tired of being drowned by the alarms. That was the only explanation Emmeryn had, as she turned to face the waves. What greeted her was a rippling night sky. Stars strained to shine through the mountain of seawater rising up, ready to engulf the lower levels of the palace.
"…Oh." That was all Emmeryn had time to say before the wave smashed into the terrace and filled her ears with the roar of the ocean. Her world spun into a flurry of bubbles and churning waves. Phila's hair tangled in the currents, the silver of her hair mingling with the foam. Emmeryn smashed into a pillar, crashing against the rock as the waves scraped and swept them away.
Out into the bay and the waiting ocean.
Somewhere among the crash of the waves, Emmeryn heard Phila's desperate cry. Her voice was calling out to Emmeryn, only to fade out. Her world was once again submerged beneath the angry waters, the weight of her robes dragging her further from the surface.
She clawed at the water with one hand. The other refused to release its hold on the silver gemstone, no matter how she struggled.
Argent gleamed equal to any star, the saltwater a murky backdrop. Strands of her blood twisted around the silver gem, but did nothing to dull or obscure its radiance. The gloom retreated against the light… And with it, she saw Phila, struggling against the ocean as it dragged her down like a rock.
No matter how Phila clawed to the waves, her efforts were yanked out of her hands. And the weight of her armor constantly dragged her down. To where the moonlight would never touch her again, and the darkness would swallow the rest of her smiles.
Emmeryn tried to plunge after her. To do something. Her sight narrowed on Phila, blind to everything else. Her vision went dim around the edges. Her lungs burned from holding stale air, ready to try their luck with breathing seawater. And still, her sight faded, the ocean growing more dim-
A flash of red-black scales filled her vision, along with too sharp teeth. Her eyes locked with a pair of black ones, the only hint of color from a narrow band of burning blue. For an instant she forgot her struggles, too struck with awe and fear as she realized what she was looking at.
One of the Mer held up a blade cut from a fang. The look in its eyes promised violence, and also promised that in the next instant, that knife would find itself buried in her throat.
'Is this how it ends?' A small part of Emmeryn wondered. 'You couldn't even save Phila, or yourself-'
Something crashed into the Mer, knocking it aside before it could strike Emmeryn. A blur of azure scales, almost black from the wane moonlight, churned the water and clashed against the scarlet tailed Mer. A blue haired figure tore into her assailant, and Emmeryn's oxygen starved brain managed a weak 'Chrom?'
An explosion of lightning filled her eyes, and left her seeing spots. The clashing figures turned to outlines, the newcomer sending another jolt into her attacker. A faint melody teased her ears, the high notes timed to each strike of light. The attacking Mer went limp, falling away from the strikes.
Having driven off the Mer, her rescuer grabbed her by the arm and lunged upwards. She broke to the surface, gasping for breath.
"M-my thanks, Chro-" She paused.
Whoever whoever it was, the boy wasn't quite a match for Chrom in muscle or strength. She'd also never seen her brother wear such a terrified look before.
Nearby, a matching blue haired girl broke to the surface. A crackle of magic still traveled along her arms, as she pointed across the sea.
"Morgan, there's more than one!" Emmeryn saw the truth of that a second later, dark fins cut through the waves and circled around them. One of them cut forward-
Only to stop, their blood staining the ocean as something cut into the scales.
A flurry of splashes burst along the surface of the water. Emmeryn flinched, fearing it was more Mer. Instead, a flash of silver caught her eye. Phila's hair. The woman was flailing, barely managing to tread water. In one hand she clutched a dagger, which was already running red; now she knew why the Mer was bleeding.
The creature rounded on Phila with a snarl, and the two sunk in a whirl of strikes.
"I-I need to help her!" Emmeryn choked out, still gasping for breath. The two next to her listened.
"Morgan-" The girl said, and he broke off on her command. He cut through the water with a splash of his-
Emmeryn gaped at the blue tail that followed the boy, before brine rushed into her mouth.
"Steady yourself; I forbid you from drowning." The girl took over holding her, and tried to hoist Emmeryn a little further above the waves. Where her skin touched Emmeryn, she felt a faint hum of power. And that hum didn't come from the spells she'd called; it was deeper than that, like her blood and bones were spun from magic. In her palm, Argent echoed that hum, shivering against her skin.
The sea boiled with flashes of magic-born lightning, somehow still confined to staying under the waves. With a spray, the boy burst from the waves, hauling Phila with him. Her eyes drifted half shut, but her sides still rose and fell. She'd been rid of her armor, to better float.
Despite the lightning strikes boiling the waves, the Mer hadn't exhausted their numbers… Proof when one of them crashed into Emmeryn. The girl holding Emmeryn twisted around, trying to fight them off.
The claws of the wild Mer cut down, and in their wake came shadows. Instead of blood, her rescuer had black coming off her skin. The girl was dissolving under their strikes.
With a scream she turned on the Mer, and Emmeryn almost went blind when Argent flared up in response. An answering bolt of magic sprang out of the girl's hands, and cut the attacking Mer down.
Emmeryn expected the stranger to be drained from such a spell, but she stayed strong and solid enough to keep moving. She managed to haul Emmeryn towards the shallows, where her feet could almost touch the ground. Nearby the boy did the same, bleeding his share of wounds and half scoured away by the waves. They both seemed to fade, almost like they were made of mist.
Whatever magic had called the two here was almost exhausted.
"H-hurry, get to the castle…" The girl tried to shove her forward, onto the solid shore. Her feet half scraped against sand-
The waters clapped back over Emmeryn, stealing her shout. Nearby Phila was yanked off her feet as well, and the two Mer, the two hopes she had of battling the waves and the wild things they brought, flickered in and out.
Emmeryn slipped from their grasp, as did Phila. The currents swirled around them, and the beach fell away from her feet. Phila's strength was going out, spent from fighting the waves and the Mer.
'She's going to get swept back out to sea.'
Emmeryn felt each of her fingers slip from Argent, and it plummeted into the depths like a falling star. But it left her hands free, as she grasped onto Phila and tried to kick out with her feet. She didn't dwell on the loss of Argent, instead trying to pull Phila to safety.
But there was a hunger to the waves; like they didn't want to surrender Emmeryn without a fight. She saw dark shapes still flitting through the waves; more solid than the two Mer from before, and with a leaner, more savage look.
With her hands full, and Phila slack in her grip, she didn't have a hope of warding the Mer off. Emmeryn held her breath, certain she'd die here; either from drowning, or at the claws and swords of the Mer.
A desperate sound built in the back of her throat… and she swore something in the waves answered. The reaching, greedy claws of the current stilled. In their place, the waves picked up around them, pushing them closer to the shore. Emmeryn didn't still her voice; it was almost like she was still holding onto Argent, feeling some of its power hum through her.
The Mer stilled at the sound, before thrashing forward. Almost like sharks after a kill, determined not to let her go.
She fought to stay afloat, but carrying the weight of two with sodden robes wasn't something she was trained for. With gasping breaths, she violently kicked her feet to keep their heads above the water, until suddenly an arm wrapped around her waist and lifted them up.
"It's okay, I've got you." There was no confusing Chrom's voice that time.
The waters seemed stained with strands of ink. But the copper in her mouth told Emm what it really was. Fresh blood. It streamed from Chrom's arms. But he was still a strong swimmer, able to hold her and Phila up.
"H-how-?" She dearly wanted to know how they'd found their way into the ocean, but it was still a struggle to just breathe.
"I thought I heard you singing… And it looks like I was right, to follow that sound." Chrom said.
Robin was close by, with wounds of her own and magic crackling in her hands. The spell bolts snaked through the waves, snapping around Mer and driving them back. As she watched, her feet finally scraped against sand.
"THERE!" Frederick's voice cracked out, right as she found a foothold. Emmeryn raised her head, to see the walls of the castle. Chrom had pulled them back to the beach; some of the glimmering tide seeped out onto the sands, mingling with the ocean water. "Everyone who can, get to the castle beach!"
Her eyes blurred, and her head listed to the side; above, she could see white glimmers in the sky. The pegasus riders were finally in the air, and swooped down like hawks on any Mer foolish enough to breach the ocean.
Robin stood against the waves, braced against the spray as she called up more magic.
'All without a spell circle, or a tome…' There was an odd similarity between her, and the blue haired girl. Emmeryn almost wondered if she'd feel that same hum of power, if she just reached out and touched Robin.
Her thoughts were going bleary, as was her focus.
Emmeryn couldn't keep her sight straight or pick out every spell Robin weaved, but she couldn't deny the effects. The other castle guards were drawn to the clash, and helped to sweep the last dregs of the invaders away.
A flicker of blue scales shimmered on the crest of a wave. Emmeryn's got her last glimpse of the two Mer that had fought off as many enemies as they could. In the next breath, the scales were swallowed by the crash of the waves.
-o-o-o-
Lucina twisted back and forth. Her limbs felt like they were dissolving away, one fragment at a time. The pain of the cuts was fading as well; it was like she was turning numb with each breath she took; she didn't even have room or energy to wonder why her blood had been replaced with shadows.
'up-'
The world was fading away as well; the brilliant castle walls were going dim. Her world was all shadows now, leaving her to float.
'Wake up-!'
Lucina came back to herself with a jolt. The bindings were back in place over her arms, and blinding her eyes. Hands gripped her shoulders, almost bruising her skin where they shook her.
"Wake up, damn you!" Bubbles roared past her head and made the fins behind her ears spring open to try and shield her head.
"Enough. She's back with us." That was Mustafa's voice. The first voice gave a sigh.
"Prisoners are proving to be more trouble than they're worth. Can't even swim without blacking out. Maybe we should just kill them here-"
Lucina froze at that. Her limbs felt too battered to try fighting, after… After whatever had just happened to her.
"It's not your call, unless you want to explain to his Grace why he doesn't have prisoners to interrogate." The first voice subsided with a growl, and the currents pushed at Lucina's hair; a sign they were moving again. A different set of hands closed over her, and she heard Mustafa's voice, grumbling low.
"...You are causing us trouble, however. I don't know why you slipped into a dream like that, but we can't afford to slow."
"I… That was a dream?" It had been so vivid, her thoughts protested. "But I…"
She'd felt the claws of the Mer; there had also been a strength to her limbs that had now deserted her. And it had all been impossibly vivid. It was also a sharp contrast to the bindings now weighing her down.
'Whatever else happened, whatever vision happened, you're still in captivity either way.'
"Focus on swimming, girl. You'll have time to rest soon enough." Was all Mustafa said, before he picked up one of her bindings. Treating it as a lead, he swam ahead, pulling her with him.
"Luci… What was that?" Morgan whispered.
Something had called them. Just like it had called a wave that pushed the land dweller back to her harbor.
"I- I don't know." She answered, keeping her voice low. "Just that we're not the only ones with magic like that… And I'm more relieved than anything, that it's in the hands of the castle dwellers."
-o-o-o-
When the battle faded, Chrom found himself and Robin guided into the castle. Away from the pull of the ocean. The salt itched on his skin as he dried, and Chrom tried not to squirm from discomfort. He also tried to keep his back to the sea, and focus on the present. But it almost felt like he was sleep walking, his surroundings oddly muted.
Even though the halls swarmed with activity, the situation was surreal.
'Did any of that really happen?'
His answer came in the rumble of conversation; a dozen different reports drifting about, the smell of sweat and blood sticking to the castle stones.
"...Granted, I doubt they expected a counterattack from the ocean." That was directed at him, Chrom realized. Frederick matched his shuffling pace, and talked as they walked. "Once you started fighting from the flanks, it divided their focus enough that we could repel them."
As he spoke, Frederick fumbled with the bandage around his forehead. His fingers bumped and fussed with the gauze, until Sumia stepped in to tie it up. His hair was a darker, sickening shade, thanks to the dabs of dried blood coating his bangs.
Looking around, Chrom saw Frederick had gotten off lightly compared to others.
All through the castle there were signs of the wounded; Lissa and Maribelle were worked hard, darting from one person to the next. Libra had stepped in as well, to mend where he could. Even the stone itself had taken its share of cuts and tears from the waves. It was testament to how badly Frederick was injured, that he didn't bother to sweep the pale gravel free from where it clogged the hallways and tried to turn Chrom's feet.
"What about Emm…?" Something had a stranglehold on Chrom's throat, leaving his words to come out as a pained rasp. That same thing made his steps lead. It was like he was wading through a nightmare.
"At ease, milord." Frederick's voice tore off the dread, before it could smother his thoughts completely. "She was injured… but she lives."
That got his feet moving, and he ran full tilt to where she rested. He almost tripped over Lissa, who was tending to Emm's injuries.
"You're… you're okay?"
"Just so." Emm's voice was weak. Even her smile couldn't hide the stress lingering around the corners of her eyes. "Part of that is thanks to someone else. I just glimpsed them, when the Mer that had me by the throat. Something in blue scales."
"Other Mer, maybe…?" Lissa hazarded. "Maybe friendly ones, like what I saw?"
Chrom wanted to scoff, doubting that such things could exist after all that he'd seen. And yet… Emmeryn wasn't arguing. His mind reminded him of the one glimpse he'd also seen; of two blue scaled figures, rescuing Lissa from the depths.
'Could it have been the same ones?'
"Wh-whatever that may have been, the important thing is that you're alive NOW. That's all that matters…" He trailed off, watching Emmeryn's face fall. She wouldn't meet his eyes, and he couldn't remember the last time she'd looked so abashed.
"The invaders may have failed at taking my life, but that doesn't make everything well." Her hand moved over her heart, her fingers shivering.
"Argent is gone. They pried it from my hands." Her fingers curled in, like she could take the gemstone back if she kept her hands tensed. She kept her eyes downcast, ashamed.
A quick pang traveled through Chrom's chest at the loss… but it didn't remain for long.
"It- it still doesn't matter compared to you." Chrom whispered. "I'd rather have my sister, instead of some ancestral bauble."
A part of him winced at admitting that… But it didn't change how he felt.
'If the choice is between people and objects, then-'
"YOUR GRACE!"
Phila's voice was a slap across the ears, with enough panic in the yell that it was a wonder it didn't shatter any glass. Chrom winced from it. He'd never heard her voice pitched in such a way, or steeped in so much pain.
"Thank the gods you're safe. I was…" In another deep breath, the anguish fled her voice. Phila had the mask of a soldier on once again. Something Chrom tried, and failed to emulate. "I was at fault. I should have never let my guard down-"
"You place too many burdens on yourself." Emmeryn told her, voice gentle even with the scouring it had taken from the tides. "You fought off one of the attackers, after all. And I… I wouldn't have lasted long, without you."
Her eyes darted to Chrom as she said that, a brief and understanding light in them. Softly, she added on, "and I think I understand what Chrom is saying; that I'd rather have someone alive, instead of an ancestral trinket."
Though much like him, a part of her still winced from admitting that. And it seemed she didn't want to dwell on that confession, with how she looked at him.
"And what of you, Chrom? How did you find your way into the sea?"
He remembered the sea dragon, and the promise he'd made to her. His throat threatened to betray that promise, however. He could only shake his head, glancing back to the tide pools.
"I… I was dragged out by the tide, before you were. It was a lucky thing Robin was there, to help me swim." It wasn't a complete lie, but it still stung at his throat.
His eyes kept darting to the bay as well, when he tried to talk. Chrom tried to tell himself that it was to keep a watchful eye out. Just in case something decided to try another attack.
But his heart knew differently. That spell cast by the tides still lingered in him, a thread pulling at him each time the waves crashed on the shore and retreated back out to sea. He tried to brush the salt spray out of his face, only for his fingers to tangle in his bangs.
'Tide Touched.'
…Those words weren't limited to his thoughts. There was a faint whisper of that, among the guards now patrolling the halls. Given enough time and it would be going through the circles of nobles as well.
"E-excuse me. I should check around the castle." He stammered, hurrying away from Emmeryn. He brushed past the guards and wounded, not meeting their eyes. His feet picked up the pace, wanting to get out of the crowd.
As he walked, he saw more of the damage. The castle didn't feel all that safe and secure, any longer. Not with the damage caused by the waves.
Chrom quickened his pace. No one would be so brazen enough to suggest HE was the one who called those creatures here. Or at least not openly voice that idea… But superstition had a way of working itself into whispered, private conversations.
'Count your blessings, that it was only Robin who saw you almost walk into the waves.' At that thought, his head jerked up and he found himself scanning the Shepherds and guards.
Just then, he wanted someone to talk to. Someone who, even if she didn't understand everything about Ylisse, at least knew what it was like to feel the ocean's pull.
-o-o-o-
Robin's steps were heavy, as she walked down the hallway. Her eyes glided over the damage of the halls, able to pick out the pattern and history of the attacks; the spiderweb of cracks in the walls were from the impact of waves, many of the banners drenched and their patterns obscured. The curtains had been torn to ribbons, either from the clash of swords, or the torrent of waves.
'You can tell that… Can you also tell how much of that was because of you?'
Just then, she didn't want to meet the eyes of anyone, and hurry away. Her feet protested as she tried to move away, find some room to seclude herself in-
"Hey, wait up for a second?" Her legs gave up that goal when she heard Chrom. They scuffed against the floor, leaving her rooted in place. "Where are you off to?"
"The plan was going somewhere to think." She admitted to the floor.
"You're sure it's thinking? With how your shoulders are hunched, it looks a lot more like worrying." He tried to keep his voice light, but with mixed effort. "Would you mind if I walked with you? I… Could use the company. And maybe you could use another person, too."
Robin slumped at that. A part of her wished she'd been able to slip away unseen… But the rest of her agreed with Chrom's words. She at least wasn't focusing entirely on the damage, now. She found herself giving a small nod.
"Great; then in that case… Try walking over this way."
His hand ghosted against hers for a moment, his fingers hooking against Robin's and tugging her towards something. The stifling air of the halls was replaced with a cool breeze.
When Robin raised her eyes, they were standing at a balcony looking over the bay. The elegant railings were marred by tears and gouges, and some of them crumbled away entirely. But the floor itself remained solid, and held up as they walked along its edge.
"Sometimes when I need to think, I find myself out here." Chrom admitted, dropping her hand. "Reminds me of what's important."
He gestured to the harbor, and the town beneath. The city had been spared the worst of the conflict; a few broken ships and docks lined the city, like ragged edges on a wound. It should've been a relief to see the city intact… But instead she felt sick, glancing back to the wounded.
'This was an organized strike.'
"…They only had one goal when they attacked. And that was to reach us." To capture her. She couldn't forget that they'd called for her by name. The echoes of their voices still hissed in her ears. "To… It was my fault."
She sunk against a solid part of the rail, the strength draining out of her legs. Chrom followed her, kneeling down as he tried to look her in the eyes.
"What are you talking about? Robin, we wouldn't have been able to beat them back without you."
"I-I don't know what my connection is with them. I'm not certain I WANT to know any longer. But they… I swore they were calling out to me. Then there was what Tiki said-"
She cut off, needles digging into her brain and a headache paying a long overdue visit.
"H-hey! Easy, Robin. Take it slow." The two hands on either side of her face helped distract her. The headache stilled under his touch, giving way to a furious heat blooming across her face.
"You must have not heard what Emmeryn said. They also wanted to take Argent, and attacked the palace for that. But we're lucky that they didn't get Emm, or y..." He trailed off. He seemed to realize that his hands were still cradling her cheeks, and dropped them instantly. The light was too faint to see, but she wondered if his cheeks were red like hers.
The moonlight shimmered down, weaving through the clouds and making his hair look almost black. Chrom tried to lift his eyes to her, before pausing at her neck. Robin followed his eyes, to the compass gleaming at her throat.
She slipped the compass off her neck, staring at its face.
'Is my mind playing tricks on me… Or have the patterns changed on it?' She couldn't explain the silver glow that had come from the compass, either. The engravings in the metal had changed, the whirling patterns turning into something that looked almost like a map.
"That almost looks like Ylisstol," Chrom murmured, looking over the symbols. "And those marks… They look like,"
There were five points scattered along the surface; like little fragments of stars had somehow fallen onto the metal.
"They look almost like the light houses." Robin finished. "That's one more enigma to worry over."
Her hands cradled the compass, and she felt an odd, almost peaceful feeling settle over her, as she looked at it.
"Those things… From what Tiki said, it sounds like the Mer wanted that, too. So at least we kept it out of their hands." Chrom offered. "But since we stopped that... What's next for us?"
The question drew her eyes up from her hands.
"Huh?"
"I'm trying to think of what we should do next… And asking you seems like a good step."
"W-wait. Since when did I become the go to person for advice?"
"Because you're equally involved with everything that has happened. To be honest, you've made a lot of decisions that have kept me and everyone else alive. I trust you."
"Even after that attack?" And that conversation with Tiki; her words still haunted Robin. And yet Chrom didn't seem to want to focus on them, as he shook his head.
"Because of that attack. You saved my neck, and kept me breathing long enough to meet with…" He trailed off, glancing around to make sure no one would overhear. "To meet with that sea dragon. If we are dealing with legends coming alive, well… It seems good to have as many advantages as we can."
"Even if they can't remember anything about themselves…" Robin murmured, but still nodded to him. "But, thank you. I'm glad that I have a place with the Shepherd and the crew."
Warmth spread through her as Chrom flashed her smile. Maybe she was glad for more than a spot with the Shepherd's crew.
"But as for what's next… I find myself wanting to follow Tiki's advice. If we figure out what's going on with this compass…" Robin looped the chain over and off her head. She turned it about, considering the way golden light danced across its surface. "I wish I could better explain it, but I have this feeling it might help Ylisse-"
Her words paused, once another hand brushed against the compass. Their fingers rested together, as Chrom considered the carvings again.
"I was actually wondering about that… Nice to hear we're on the same wavelength." Chrom's voice kept her from falling too deep into those sensations. Though when she risked a glance up, she noticed that he seemed distracted as well. His eyes stayed fixed to where their hands touched.
"I-It might be good to keep the Exalt mobile as well. With luck we can stay one step ahead of any further attacks." At the reminder, Chrom dropped his hand from hers and balled it into a fist.
"Good point." His words were still soft, at odds with how his fists tensed. "I-I need to keep Emm safe… And at least this way, we can all keep an eye on each other. Any idea where to go next?"
"Yes… Though I worry it might be trading one risk for another. But between Tiki's words and what we heard at Wreckage… I think our next step is Valm."