Chapter 33: Gills and Lungs
It could have been days later, or merely hours, but finally Lucina's eyes opened again. She gave a low murmur, stretching and testing her legs. They gave a shiver and a feeble kick in answer.
They felt a little more natural than the last time, and even held as she swung out of the hammock and touched her toes to the floor. She wobbled her way through a dim, cavern of a cabin. The floor didn't feel steady under her feet, always swaying around her. Whether it was her balance or the room itself, she wasn't sure. Regardless, she picked her way towards a pale outline. She dimly recognized it as a door, and a way outside.
Lucina fell through it, onto a rolling deck. Sky and sea both painted the world in blue, only broken by splashes of white clouds and the silver sails of their ship.
"Ah, you awaken in good time. We're getting closer to our destination." Morgana told her. The woman kept a steady hand on the tiller, letting the ship skip across the water. Lucina blinked at the ocean, and the bright quality of the waters. Sunlight danced along the waves, dazzling the eyes and offering no hint of what lurked beneath the surface.
There also weren't any landmarks, above or below. One could almost lose themselves in the empty sky and sea.
"Where… Exactly are we going?"
"A place called Ylisstol. Its people are sorely in need of help, and hopefully you'll be able to deliver it to them." Lucina glanced down at Morgana's hand, and with a jolt, Lucina saw that the older woman carried the red gemstone. Morgana easily read her alarm, dipping her head low in remorse.
"My apologies for taking this, and without permission. I'm afraid I needed it for a moment, but no longer." She stretched her hand out, and Lucina felt a flash of shame in how she snatched the gemstone from her grip.
Morgana didn't comment on it… And so Lucina shoved aside any questions she had; on just what sort of magic Morgana was working, on why it was so important to use the gemstone… Or why her fingers seemed to be streaked with red. For her part, Morgana kept them moving, towards a haze of gray growing on the horizon.
"When you're ready, rouse your brother. We'll find our destination in that mist." Morgana wiped her fingers clean as she spoke, banishing any trace of red or hints of blood.
-o-o-o-
Finally, the band of Mer grew tired of the hunt and finished with the last of the serpents.
"From the urgency of our orders, one would think there would be something more than serpents. But at least the brutes make for good meat, and I'll wager the mages can use them for spell agents." The leader of the band growled.
Chrom stayed frozen beneath the hull, trying to figure out why dread pooled in his stomach. The Mer HAD just killed their threat… but there was something in their manner, in their very presence that left his blood cold.
The same must have been true for Robin, with how she stayed fixed beside him. She seemed to be his only source of warmth in the cold waters, and himself the same for her. They were still both shivering when the Mer finished their harvest. Chrom tilted his head to see them loading their hunting trophies onto the backs of great, scaled creatures; something that looked half horse and half fish, with webbed forelegs and a restless manner.
"Well, back to Plegia, to report all the same."
Robin watched the band depart, turning into faint outlines obscured by the ashen waters; only then did she ease herself out of Chrom's grip, leaving his hands clasping at empty water. She weaved through the rents in the ship, darting to the ground with barely a flash of scales.
Chrom shivered from the sudden loss of contract, and found his eyes following her. Robin's tail weaved back and forth, in slow motions designed not to draw the eye. She went skimming cautiously low to the sand and churning up dust in her wake. But even with her cautious movements, she was still clearly following the strangers.
"Robin-?" He called out, but she didn't pause. Instead she darted through withered plants, the ash from them obscuring the vibrant colors of her scales. Chrom picked his way after her, only to hesitate for a moment at the edge of the kelp.
'You could flee. She wouldn't notice-' But that thought pushed a strange lurch into his heart, quickly drowning out the fear from his visions.
It came in strange waves, a throb as constant as his breath. And it only grew with each length Robin put between them, swimming further into the blasted graveyard. She wound around a fallen mast, peering over it to watch the now hazy, retreating Mer.
Her hand reached out behind her. Like she expected him to be closer. He heard a faint whisper of a name as her hands grasped empty water.
"Chrom-?"
Amazing, how his name could send him forward. His motions still felt strange, like there should have been more to swimming than just moving his tail. He bumped against the side of the ship as he followed Robin's path, haste making him clumsy.
His hands drew up clouds of dust and silt as they trailed the ground, seeking stability. His gills itched from the ash drifting through the water, and it spurred him into a faster swim-
He overbalanced from the effort, and was sent tumbling through the water. He caught sight of a ship mast looming ahead of him, and knew hitting that was going to hurt.
But before he slammed into it, a hand latched onto his arm, and yanked him up. His fins slapped against the cross spars, stinging from the contact, but not breaking. The motion tugged his eyes up, and he saw Robin hovering over him. Her hair was the one thing that hadn't been dimmed from the gray waters, and formed a shining white halo around her head.
"H-hey." She whispered. "Don't rush things; I've got you."
"Ah… Thanks." He managed, wondering over the gentleness in her touch. A shrill whinny cut through the waters, snapping their attention back to the retreating Mer. They'd gotten far enough away that Chrom could cover the entire band up with his hand.
"Looks like they're going to be heading… South west? It's hard to tell underwater, but I've got a rough idea at least." Robin shifted her fingers, so she was pulling him along at the wrist. "Swim like this, with your hand out; you'll have less chances of upending yourself. We can't afford to slow down just yet."
She kept her eye on the band, shadowing their trail. Chrom in turn watched Robin, careful to mirror the way she cut through the water. As he copied her motions, he felt a little more stable, and found it easier to keep pace.
'Something about this is familiar-' He wanted to think more on that point, but weaving between wrecks and rocks took all of his focus. The fight against the serpents had cost him more than a few scales, and he didn't want to leave any more decorating the ruined shards.
Robin led them forward, just managing to keep the distance between the two groups from growing or shrinking. The band of Mer never looked back, and never had a chance of noticing them with how they clung to cover.
"You think they might have answers?" Chrom whispered, following in her wake.
"That's what I'm hoping for… and why I'll follow them. At the very least, they must belong to a larger settlement; the equipment they wear, the barding on their horses… That doesn't have the look of belonging to someone nomadic."
He blinked at her words, and glanced at the Mer again. The armor they wore DID seem to be of superior make. There were glints of steel here and there, along with the coral spikes.
"So they might lead us to a place with more people like… Like us." Robin's voice hitched over the words. Almost like she was ashamed to describe what they were. Her eyes trailed over their scales, lingering on his fins before she gave a quiet sigh. "But what about you, Chrom-?"
The way she looked at him, she was scared he'd swim off again. Chrom shook his head, and tried to squeeze at her hand. Maybe that bit of contact would help banish her fears.
"I admit that I'm confused still… But you haven't killed me yet, and I still don't understand a lot of what's going on. I think that I'll only find out the truth if I stay by your side… And hopefully I'll return the favor for your help with saving me."
She paused at that, a strange look crossing her eyes. Trails of light flickered across her cheeks for a moment, before she managed a deep, shuddering breath. Robin only nodded at his words, and swam forward.
Perhaps in search of her own answers.
-o-o-o-
"Ylisstol." Morgan tried the word, and wondered at the tugging in his heart. It wasn't quite sadness and stayed shy of longing. The feelings seemed to shift and change every time he tried to focus on them, much like the looming fog bank before them. It reached up in a wall, drowning the sky in gray. "Are we really going to find a kingdom in there?"
Morgana's answer was to steer them deeper into the mists. The gray strands wrapped around them, distorting sound and making it feel like they floated in clouds. The only things that stayed solid were Lucina and Morgana. Even the boat rolling under their feet felt like it might dissolve into gray.
"Trust me, we'll find the right place." The older woman told him, lending a little more solidity to the situation. Making it feel a little less like a dream.
He tugged the sleeves of his robe again, considering the new outfit. It was a match for Morgana's, and given that Lucina was dressed in similar garb, it seemed to be the only type of clothing she had on hand.
'Better than nothing.' The bite from the wind and mist was particularly cold that day, and he was glad for the layers. Lucina gave a shiver beside him, settling into her own clothes.
"I hope we can find something." Lucina peered forward, her focus unbroken despite her trembling.
"I'll tell you again; it will be fine. Neither of you are enemies of Ylisse, and the protective spells are fading away. We'll find our way to the island, with some help from that gemstone." Morgana sounded more amused then frustrated. "Though that wariness might still help you by keeping you on your toes, and thinking; I'd also suggest you keep any stories about being merfolk to yourselves. Ylisse hasn't had the best history with the sea dwellers… And being free with that information might land you and Robin in trouble."
"H-how do you know Robin?" Lucina broke from her search at that, and Morgan joined her in staring at Morgana. He also found himself wondering over the snowy quality of her hair, and if there wasn't some similarity there.
For her part, Morgana studied his face.
"Don't you remember-?" She answered them with a question of her own, only for her expression to fall. Morgan could only give her a bewildered blink, wondering as something teased at his memory, the same way the mist teased at shapes.
"...I suppose not. The veil always demands a price when people cross it for the first time. And the only way you were going to survive coming here was as Mer. That's why I…"
'Talk sense!' He wanted to blurt out, but a startled gasp from Lucina interrupted him.
It was more than a hint of shapes looming out of the gray. Watery light was spilling through the fog, picking out objects. Morgana threw herself into the lines, stilling the sails so they could navigate the sudden maze. The shapes turned more precise, becoming shattered hulls and broken masts bent at odd angles.
A collection of ruined ships dotted the waters, like a hundred grave stones. A sadness seemed to cling to them, as constant as the broken lines and shredded sails.
His questions faded away, drowned out by the creak of broken timber and the slosh of waves against the ships. Gradually another noise pierced the mist, as waves crashed and fell on a shore. Morgan perked up at the sound, knowing land had to be close by.
He leaned forward, squinting as he tried to pick out the beach. That had to be where Morgana was taking them, and a part of him dearly wanted to feel dry land underfoot again. Maybe that stability would help him with remembering.
'With what I've dreamed, and what Morgana has said, I had to have legs before, and walked on land.' He wiggled his toes to back up that thought. In the corner of his eye, he caught Lucina rocking up and down on her feet, contemplating her balance. Apparently he wasn't the only one thinking about their new limbs.
"Morgana?" Lucina whispered. "Is this really Ylisse?"
"The capital and castle at least… But why do you say that?" Morgana pressed.
"Because… I think I remember something about Ylisstol. And I don't think it was supposed to be in the middle of the ocean." Lucina winced as she talked, trying to pull the hazy memories from her head. When Morgan thought back, he almost glimpsed something; a castle standing on a cliff face that stretched in all directions.
"So you do remember." A bit of satisfaction showed in Morgana's voice. "There's been a surge of magic, tearing the island away from the mainland. Chrom and Robin needed to protect their people, and that's how the ambient magic answered them."
"Mother and father did this-?" Lucina whispered, and Morgan stilled. He wanted to ask more-
The sigh of waves grew louder as they talked. Along with the growing sound, a latticework of wooden poles and planks had taken the place of wrecked ships. It was close, too; almost materializing out of the mist, and without any chance of dodging it.
The ship bumped against the docks with a low clunk, the impact tripping Morgan forward. Lucina was close behind him, splaying her hands out on the wood planks. By reflex she clambered onto the new floor… and Morgan echoed her motions. His legs still ached from the steps, like old scar tissue was still clinging to his knees and calves.
Lucina grabbed him by the hood, wrenching him all the way to the docks.
"Close one," she murmured. "So what are we supposed to be doing now-?"
She turned back to Morgana, as did Morgan… Only to see wisps of gray. Morgan scanned for the ship, but couldn't find any traces of it. How the vessel had vanished so quickly, he wasn't sure… But a faint hum in the air suggested magic.
"Frederick!" Came a voice, from the other end of the docks. "I think I heard something over at the docks! We're going to investigate it, right?"
A collection of footsteps echoed off the wood, and Morgan lifted his head to them. A wind stirred across the harbor, lifting up skeins of mist… And showing two figures walking down the docks. The gray faded out in favor of the sun colored dress a girl was wearing, and she was accompanied by a man in armor the color of a dawn sky.
"Your grace, there must be more important things-"
The man's voice was stern and concerned in equal measure. He hovered near the girl, repeating each of her footsteps and not letting her stray too far from his reach.
"I know, I know!" The girl answered. "I'm supposed to be leading, I know that!" Morgan stilled, wondering at the desperation that made her voice squeak. L-like I said, I know that. But it's not like I know how to do any of this."
"Lady Lissa…"
"And I know you and the rest of the crew are here to help. But… I also don't know some things. Like if the docks are still the same. Or if anyone else has shown up. And I keep hoping that maybe if I check…"
The voice trailed off, as the girl raised her head to look around. Searching for something… Until her eyes fell on Morgan and Lucina. She stopped short, and her guardian had to pull up with a rattle of armor, lest he crashed into her.
"Oh my gods, look!" The girl, Lissa, rushed them. She was heedless of the broken quality of the docks… Which was how she tripped over a skewed plank and almost ended up flying fast first into the waters. Morgan snapped his hands out by reflex, hooking his fingers into the back of her dress to catch and pull her in. He would've landed flat on his back, if it weren't for Lucina bracing him.
"Th-thanks." Lissa managed, staring up at them.
"Don't mention it," Morgan answered quickly… And wondered for a moment why helping had felt so natural. And so familiar. Lissa didn't have those same hesitations, with how she pulled herself back up.
"See Frederick?" Lissa turned back to him, a satisfied look on her face. "I TOLD you I heard others… And it looks like we've got a few more hands ready to help out."
The knight gave them a cautious look, taking in the ragged and damp quality of their robes.
"More refugees?" The suspicion and doubt was clear in his voice. But Lissa clearly didn't feel the same, as she nodded eagerly.
"Looks like it! So there's GOT to be more survivors out there, right? I'm pretty sure I'm right." She looked back to Morgan, waiting for him to back her up.
"Y-yes. We are refugees." Of sorts, Morgan thought to himself. "We were out at sea for several days, and drifted here."
It wasn't a full lie, either. But that didn't seem to be enough to convince Frederick. His eyes roved the harbor, likely looking for their ship and finding only driftwood. Lissa however, had her eyes fixed to Morgan and Lucina, taking in more of their appearance.
"Wait, Frederick… Look at them." Lissa took a step away from the two and motioned to their hair, and Morgan wondered at the way Frederick's eyes went wide. He glanced at Lucina, and noticed how the mist dimmed the quality of her hair to near black. Just the faintest glimmer of blue showed through… But that was what Lissa and Frederick had their eyes fixed to.
"…More Tide Touched?" The knight tried to whisper to Lissa, but Morgan still caught snatches of what they said. "What sort of strangers are these?"
"I don't know either," Lissa answered. "But we need all the help we can get, don't we? It might be coincidence, maybe it's just a weird hair color, but still… If they ARE Tide Touched, don't we want them on our side?"
'Tide Touched?' He glanced to Lucina, but she couldn't seem to make any sense of it either.
Frederick and Lissa turned back to them.
"…Explain yourselves." Frederick turned that word into an order, his voice sharp and commanding.
"The truth is…" His memory flashed back to Validar, looming over Lucina and tearing Morgan's fins to ribbons. Morgan stilled at the thought, fear trying to clutch at his throat. Even his feet and legs ached, remembering the old wounds. "W-we don't know."
Frederick narrowed his eyes at that.
"I-I mean, we don't know who our family is. We're out looking for them, but our minds are… Well, fuddled." He didn't know if they'd believe it; not with the way the armored man was frowning at them.
"Sir, I don't understand what warrants this suspicion." Lucina spoke up, matching Frederick's frown with one of her own. "OR this interrogation. The fact is, we've been adrift for months at this point, and have been trying to piece together what's been going on. Our furthest memories are of surviving a storm… And beyond that, everything turns into a blur."
Lucina wielded her own words more like a weapon. She stood straight as a mast beside Morgan, unwilling to flinch under Frederick's suspicion… And ready to fight back, if he took it into his head to act like Validar.
"W-wait." Lissa stalled any confrontation. "Frederick, what if they really were caught out in the storms? Those are traumatic enough to confuse anyone."
"…Perhaps." Frederick allowed, subsiding a little at her words.
"I admit, I wonder about them too. But after everything that happened… I also don't want to make anyone else hurt. At least not until they prove themselves a threat." Lissa dipped her head at that. Morgan wondered at the sorrow in her voice. In fact, grief seemed to hang over the shores of Ylisstol, heavier than the mist… But at least it put anymore questions about them on hold.
"Very well." Frederick said at last, dipping his head. "As you say… They should have a chance, as much as anyone else. That would best serve the remnants of Ylisstol."
Morgan leaned in closer to his sister, to better whisper to her. "Well, for now I guess we know what to do next. We get used to walking on land… And maybe making some more friends with the land walkers."