Siege of Bastion

Summary

The battle for Rivergate began with the successful evacuation of the city, thanks to Nightingale's commanding presence, which ensured a smooth operation despite the reluctance of defenders and non-combatant members of Clan Dagonet to abandon the Citadel. As the city fell silent, the seven Saints remained in the fortress, preparing for the clash against Mordret. The Saints from the House of Night were grim and vengeful, while the government-aligned Saints maintained an air of composure, their past experiences leaving them unfazed. Mordret announced his arrival through Morgan's reflection in a puddle, taunting her with mockery and veiled threats. Their tense exchange dredged up painful memories, as Mordret hinted at attacking the evacuated citizens before returning to destroy the fortress. He offered the Saints a chance to surrender and leave, framing the conflict as a personal vendetta against Clan Valor, but his offer was decisively rejected. With his polite pretense discarded, Mordret declared his intent to kill them all. Moments later, the fortress trembled, and the river revealed massive, ominous shapes downstream. As Morgan donned her black helmet, she called her companions to prepare, and the battle for Rivergate erupted.^[4]

The battle for Rivergate reached its climax as Morgan and her allies faced her brother, Mordret, and his thirteen Transcendent vessels. Despite her immense power, granted by her ability to assimilate enchantments, Morgan knew she couldn't defeat him alone. Instead of engaging in a futile fight, she activated an enchantment that allowed her to teleport to a distant anchor point, abandoning the fortress. Her sudden disappearance left Mordret momentarily stunned, though he quickly refocused his intent on pursuing her to Bastion. Morgan reappeared miles away on the riverbank, crashing roughly into the ground. Regrouping with her battered but surviving allies, she assessed the outcome. The Saints had suffered heavy losses but remained alive. As they deliberated their next steps, Morgan considered the inevitability of Mordret's march toward Bastion. With no option to evacuate the city's vast population, she resolved to fortify its defenses. Bastion, a Great Citadel with its own latent power, offered a chance to prolong the war.^[5]

Summary

Morgan deliberately left the Great Mirror uncovered, making the ruins of the ancient castle perilous not just for herself and her six Saints but even more so for her brother, the Prince of Nothing. His unique power over mirrors, including a minor Mirror Domain within his soul, allows him to bypass most defenses by traveling between reflections. However, true Bastion is perhaps the only place where his authority is challenged.^[6]

Here, the Others, eerie beings dwelling in mirrors, pose a grave threat. They can intercept him during his reflective jumps, perceive his gaze when spying, and potentially outmaneuver him in ways neither Morgan nor her brother could foresee. This makes the mirror wraiths his most formidable obstacle in claiming Bastion.^[6]

Additionally, Morgan's father, Anvil, had fortified the ruins with layers of protection, including a runic array to ward off enemies—specifically her brother—Sentinel Swords left as guardians and the mysterious, corrupting influence of the shattered moon.^[6]

Summary

The Siege of Bastion quickly turned into a war of attrition, with Morgan and her Saints holding the castle ruins while Mordret entrenched himself in the forest. Both sides endured constant attacks from Nightmare Creatures, with Morgan hoping Mordret's vessels would be weakened by the assault. Despite the relentless battles, Morgan, aided by Athena, Nightingale, Soul Reaper, and Saints of House of Night, fought fiercely to defend Bastion.^[7]

Mordret attempted a diversionary attack deeper inland, leading Morgan and Kai to counterattack the Night Garden. However, they were trapped by a Supreme Titan Reflection, forcing a narrow escape. The siege continued, with both sides studying each other for weaknesses. The most daunting challenge was the influence of the Others, which nearly claimed Aether early in the siege. The battle dragged on, pushing both sides to their limits.^[7]

A fierce battle unfolds at a crumbling citadel as monstrous beings clash in a scene of apocalyptic chaos. A massive kraken rises from the depths of the lake, its colossal tentacles battling the dragon Night Singer, who counters with a devastating sonic wave. Meanwhile, Typhaon, a towering, godlike creature, emerges, engaging in a cataclysmic clash with Athena, another mighty combatant. Amidst the turmoil, Morgan, a commanding figure, orders her forces to retreat to a second defensive position as the ancient walls of Bastion collapse under an onslaught of abominations. Adding to the tension, Mordret, appears on the battlefield, leading terrifying Transcendent vessels and signaling a personal confrontation.^[8]

Morgan and her Saints prepare for a desperate battle against her brother Mordret and his ten Transcendent vessels. Although the defenders are disadvantaged fighting on land and weakened by the prolonged siege, they wield formidable weapons and skills. Morgan activates the crumbling fortress's defensive enchantments, though these are now a shadow of their former strength. Mordret taunts Morgan before leading his vessels to assault the second defensive ring, their perfect coordination making them a deadly force. Morgan clashes with one vessel, narrowly avoiding a crocodilian creature's lethal strike and defending against coordinated attacks that damage her armor with corrosive effects. Meanwhile, Naeve, Bloodwave, and Aether engage the other vessels in fierce combat. Mordret held back, waiting to see if Morgan had prepared any traps for him. Morgan mentally revealed that the entire siege has been a carefully orchestrated trap.^[9]

Morgan reflects on her brother Mordret's cunning and monstrous nature, recalling how he had defeated her in the past despite being weaker and less equipped. His transformation since arriving at the Sword Domain is evident, as his inhuman emptiness and impatience have replaced his former composure. Aware of his arrogance and deep-seated contempt for her, Morgan has spent weeks deliberately hiding her full strength to reinforce his belief in her inferiority. She has been waiting for the right moment to spring her carefully laid trap, knowing that while Mordret is monstrously powerful, his overconfidence might be his downfall.^[10]

Despite her preparations, the battle has not gone as planned. Mordret's overwhelming strength and the relentless assault of his vessels have left her Saints battered and exhausted. During a fierce clash, Morgan is struck by one of Mordret's most powerful vessels, a towering reptilian creature armed with a trident, leaving her wounded and shaken. Yet, she draws strength from the sight of her ally Athena and steels herself for the fight ahead. Though Mordret avoids direct engagement with his original body, Morgan sets her sights on taking down his strongest vessel. As she faces him with defiance, Mordret taunts her with a false smile, mocking her resolve and her ties to their father, setting the stage for the next phase of their confrontation.^[10]

The group reflects on their prolonged ordeal within a time loop, where they have been fighting the same battle against Mordret repeatedly for months. Effie recalls a similar experience from her Third Nightmare, where she and Jet were trapped on an endlessly repeating day, only escaping after Cassie, learned to retain memories across loops. This familiarity with time loops adds context to Morgan's actions. Using her Ascended Ability, Morgan ingeniously alternates between the hourglass, a Supreme Memory of the Fourth Tier, and an engraved enchantment of its power to make the same day repeat over and over. Her strategy has allowed them to hold Mordret at bay, even as the outside world moves forward.^[11]

Significant events have unfolded during their time in the loop: the Lord of Shadows massacred Saints, the Sword Army won a crucial victory at Godheart, and Nephis was punished for insubordination. Despite these changes, the group's mission remains the same—to prevent Mordret from seizing control of Bastion until the Sovereigns conclude the war elsewhere. However, the struggle has grown more dire, as Mordret has become aware of the loop and now retains memories of previous iterations, making him an increasingly dangerous opponent.^[11]

Morgan and Mordret had fought countless times. Their battles had been almost evenly matched in power, but Morgan had been weakened after dealing with his vessels. The fight had taken a toll on her, both physically and emotionally, as she had grown weary of the endless struggle. Mordret had taunted Morgan with vicious words, mocking her failures, questioning her loyalty to their father, and reminding her that the world had begun to forget her, favoring another, "Changing Star." His verbal jabs had cut deep, aiming to undermine her confidence and erode her resolve.^[12]

Despite her exhaustion, Morgan had refused to back down. Even as her strength had faltered, she had remained defiant. When she had finally fallen to her brother's might, she had refused to acknowledge his victory. She had insisted that they would continue fighting over and over again until he was defeated, no matter the cost.^[12]

Mordret had revealed that his victory had never depended on defeating Morgan in battle. Instead, his true goal had been to strip their father of his power by ensuring Bastion was lost to him. He had manipulated Morgan's loyalty, breaking her faith in their father until she no longer belonged to the Sword Domain.^[12]

In the end, Mordret had succeeded in his plan. He had broken Morgan's resolve by eroding her loyalty, making her lose faith in their father and in her mission to defend Bastion. This had left her vulnerable, and Mordret had ultimately achieved his goal of severing Bastion from their father's control.^[12]

Despite her brother's victory, Morgan had activated a time-reversing enchantment, making a final attempt to change the outcome. However, it had been made clear that even with this act, nothing had changed. The inevitability of her loss had remained, leaving her struggle tragically unresolved.^[12]

Morgan stands among the ruins of a castle under a shattered moon. As she reflects on loyalty, she realizes that she has none left for her father, the King of Swords, and thus, no true connection to the Domain. Raised as a ruler with only subordinates, she finds herself detached and uncertain of her path.^[13]

She is tasked with defending Bastion from her brother, Mordret, who seeks to claim it for the Queen of Worms. However, she questions whether she should fight, knowing that Bastion is already lost to her father. For the first time, she considers the lives of her Saints—her loyal warriors—who have fought and died under her command countless times.^[13]

Ultimately, Morgan decides not to manipulate them into battle for her personal vendetta. Instead, she embraces her pride and declares the battle lost, giving her Saints the freedom to leave. Whether she fights her brother or meets a futile end, she will do so on her own terms.^[13]

Morgan reveals that she has been reliving the same battle against her brother, Mordret, using a Supreme Memory, but she has decided to end the cycle. This will be the last fight—no more resets. She gives her Saints the choice to leave, warning them that if they die this time, it will be permanent.^[14]

Saint Naeve, driven by vengeance, is furious, but Morgan coldly reminds him of his responsibilities—his daughter and the remnants of the House of Night. Eventually, Naeve, Bloodwave, and Aether decide to leave, returning to the waking world. The three government Saints, however, remain. Raised by Wolves cryptically mentions her family home in Bastion, while Nightingale questions Morgan's decision. She insists she hasn't given up, only accepted that she has already lost. But she will fight to the death, refusing to surrender.^[14]

Then, Nightingale does something unexpected. He insists that she must not fight, and before she can react, an eerie power overtakes her, freezing her in place. He apologizes—before betraying her.^[14]

Summary

Morgan finds herself paralyzed under Nightingale's command, his power seeping past all her defenses. Despite her predicament, she mostly feels amusement and mild indignation rather than fear. She underestimates her vulnerability—until she realizes this is no simple act of protection. The government Saints discuss what to do with her. Jet suggests killing her, though Nightingale refuses. Instead, he decides to take Morgan with him, though even he seems uncertain about the plan. The urgency in their actions suggests something is happening outside—a battle they hadn't expected so soon.^[15]

Raised by Wolves chooses to stay behind, implying she has an important role to play. As the others prepare to leave, she tells Nightingale they'll meet again in Bastion, joking about a café Nephis used to frequent. Then, Nightingale transforms into a colossal dragon, his power reinforcing Morgan's paralysis. Before she can free herself, Soul Reaper grabs her, and they take off into the sky. As they leave, Morgan catches one last glimpse of Raised by Wolves standing alone, facing the direction of Mordret's approaching army. She has been taken away. The battle for Bastion will continue—but without her.^[15]

Morgan and Nightingale arrive at Ravenheart, where the city's defenders hesitate upon recognizing Nightingale—until they notice Morgan. While the human soldiers freeze under his command, the Queen's puppets attack, forcing Morgan into battle.^[16]

Meanwhile, Jet arrives at the Night Garden, where she must face a Reflection as powerful as a Supreme Titan. However, she has a key advantage: the Reflection will mimic her, inheriting her Flaw and slowly destroying itself. With her Aspect Legacy, captured souls, and an hourglass Memory, she is prepared for a battle of endurance.^[16]

Back in Bastion, Effie awaits Mordret's arrival. His monstrous vessels loom over the ruins as he jumps down, asking for Morgan's whereabouts. Effie, unimpressed, tells him Morgan is "indisposed" and offers herself as his opponent instead. Amused but intrigued, Mordret questions why she remains behind if his sister has fled.^[16]

Effie taunts Mordret, calling him a coward for never challenging Morgan to a soul duel. He remains amused—until she mentions the Lord of Shadows. When she reveals the "gift" (Refer to Abjuration) left for Mordret, a monstrous Cursed Demon emerges from her locket, its presence so overwhelming that even Effie struggles to breathe. The creature, a horror of twisted flesh and countless eyes, awakens—and the moment Mordret looks at it, it looks back.^[17]

As the ruins quake with the Cursed Demon's presence, Effie sprints away, aiming to trap the monster in the Great Mirror once she reclaims Bastion. Meanwhile, Mordret, now face-to-face with the horror, has no choice but to fight for survival.^[17]

Sunny, Nephis, and their allies have reached the point of no return. With Bastion, Ravenheart, and Night Garden fallen, the Sovereigns are weakened, but the cost is immense—countless mundane humans are now vulnerable to the Nightmare Spell. There is no more time to wait. Despite the shifting battlefield and the Sovereigns still standing, Sunny and Nephis make their choice.^[18]