A/N: If you're not familiar with Dragon's Dogma, all you need to know for this story is that the main character is something called an 'Arisen'. Because of that, she has the power to command beings who look just like humans, but don't have any human emotion or drive, called 'Pawns'. Normally the Arisen would have a team of three or so, but, in this story, she'll only have her 'main pawn' which is the pawn that was created once she became an Arisen and travelled with her throughout the game. Her pawn is a mage named Matfie, she's a 'magic archer' (which is a hybrid of the traditional rogue and mage classes). They just defeated a dragon in their world, and now they're stuck in Middle Earth.
Also, the game has some pretty noticeable language quirks/accents/styles of speaking/etc. I've adopted that style throughout the whole story. So, weird phrasings and what not are usually intentional, haha, and will be commented on by the denizens of Middle Earth.
In terms of canon, in keeping with current fandom trends, Middle-Earth events will be a mix of the book and movies. In addition to that, I'm not planning on sticking strictly to the Hobbit plotline. I debated whether or not to make this a Lord of the Rings crossover, or a Hobbit one, but, ultimately, I think the best way to look at this story is as a 'Tolkien' crossover. The current timeline is during the Hobbit, but the Arisen will be moving throughout Middle Earth, not just exclusively following Bilbo and Co. around. Dragon's Dogma canon will ignore anything that doesn't happen in the pre-game. So, one can assume that Bitterblack Isles has been cleared, but anything post Grigori, i.e Everfall, has not. In fact, the Arisen doesn't even know it exists yet.
And, just as a disclaimer, I am not a Tolkien expert, and Dragon's Dogma canon can be about as clear as dirt sometimes, so apologies in advance for any mistakes in either universe.
"Are you alright, Master?"
The words were paired with a pale hand, reaching towards her. Out of habit, and long trust, she extended her own, and allowed the pawn to pull her to her feet. The Arisen's vision blurred for a moment, and she swayed unsteadily, but her pawn's firm grip held her in place and kept the archer from falling.
The Arisen took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and shook her head once to clear the fog from her mind. Her pawn watched on with a touch of worry, but kept quiet as she orientated herself. Partially out of concern, and partially because, well, for the first time in his existence, he had no advice to offer.
The two of them had just defeated the dragon. Grigori was destroyed, and yet...and yet, neither could say what had happened after. In addition to that-
"Where are we, Matfie?" the Arisen asked, voicing the question on both of their minds. She took a step back, as her balance returned to her, and looked around. The last thing they both remembered was an arena of fire and death. However, instead, tall trees and long grass swayed in a pleasantly warm breeze flitting around them. It was an idyllic, peaceful woodland, with quiet birdsong and a bright sun, shining as it set.
"I know not, Master," he replied, a strange, out of character answer. Together, the two of them had travelled the entirety of Gransys, and her pawn's perfect memory for geography had never failed them.
There was a nearly imperceptible touch of concern in his voice, but it was enough to make her look up (he'd always been abnormally tall) and study the mage's face. Pawns didn't oft look troubled, but Matfie's expression was as close as he could get.
"Master, I," he paused, another strange action, and one very much outside his usual habits. "I cannot...feel the Rift."
"What?" she asked, black eyes widening.
"I am sorry, Master. I know not what this means."
Nor did she. All pawns had an innate connection to the other side, the world that created them. She knew pawns were dependant on that bond to the Rift, and had never heard of it being severed. At least, not while their Master still lived.
"Perhaps others of my kind would know," Matfie said, ever helpful, even when they both were lost. "We should find our bearings and seek out Gran Soren. News of the dragon's death will surely have spread by now. I imagine the people of Gransys will be most grateful, and therefore more willing to assist us."
And wasn't that daunting to think about. Grigori was dead. But, where did that leave her? The Wyrm Hunt had been her entire life, for the past several months. With it over, the only thing she could think to do was settle in Cassardis with her beloved. Though, she doubted the itch of wanderlust would ever truly leave her, now that it had taken such a firm hold over her heart. Perhaps the Duke would still be willing to utilize her services...though at times she didn't trust the man even half as far as she could throw him.
Those were thoughts for another day, however. Her pawn was correct. Returning to Gran Soren was of the utmost priority. Fortunately, she had a ferrystone.
The Arisen opened one of the pouches at her side, and rifled around for one of the teleportation devices. It took several moments of searching longer than it would have normally. The shining stones were usually one of the brightest, most noticeable tools in her inventory. However, that was exactly the problem.
The stone in her hand wasn't glowing at all. It looked nothing more than a purplish rock.
"That stone doesn't appear to have any power in it," Matfie said. "I hadn't realized such a thing was possible."
Her brow furrowed, but she threw the stone in the air. It flew several meters above their heads, and fell back to the earth at her feet.
"How odd," Matfie said, bending down to pick it up. He turned it over in his hands a few times and studied it intently.
"Is there aught you can do to energize it?" the Arisen asked.
"'Tis not my area of expertise, Master. I am deeply sorry."
There was nothing to be done for it then. Considering the dozens of stones she'd bought from less than scrupulous places, it wasn't necessarily surprising that there was the occasional defective one in the bunch. And, if they couldn't teleport themselves, they'd just have to walk.
The Arisen waved off her pawn's apology, and gestured for him to follow. He, being fairly familiar with her taciturn nature, moved to obey the command, and took his place several paces in front of her, alert to danger and leading the way, as was his habit.
She gestured for him to go opposite the direction of the setting sun, east being an adequate enough starting point. The Arisen didn't bother with her map. The trees alone, verdant and beautiful, but ultimately entirely different from any she'd seen before, were enough to make her realize that she had never been in the forest they'd mysteriously found themselves in. But, the sea always lay east in Gransys, so east they'd go.
"I'm running low on curatives, Master," Matfie said, breaking her from her musings, and turning around to look at her. "Shall I search the area?"
"Let me see your inventory," she replied, walking up to him.
The two of them were both wearing white, her in the form of light armor over a vest made of Dragon Leather, and him in white robes. Each also had a belt, with storage bags at one side, and a lantern at the other, though neither was lit. Matfie had a stave on his back, and she carried a magick bow on hers, as well as a pair of daggers at her waist. Her neck wrap was torn along the bottom though, ripped through by the wyrm's claws. However, the injuries she'd acquired, along with Matfie's, she realized, after looking over his equipment, had disappeared, likely a result of the mage's proficiency with advanced healing magicks.
Despite his skill though, both of them had gone through the majority of their medicines during the grueling battle with Grigori. Neither of them had much more than a few limp sprigs of greenwarish and a flask or two of harspud juice to their names, and she nodded a hesitant agreement at his request, before something dawned on her.
The other two pawns who had been travelling with them were gone. Normally she wouldn't have worried overly much for the sorcerer and the warrior. Even should they have suffered fatal injury, it would have been a simple matter of returning to the rift and healing. But, if the Rift was...gone...
"No, I would prefer you to stay close," the Arisen said, changing her mind.
"Of course, Master," Matfie replied, never one to question her orders.
She clarified anyway. "In fact, I'd rather you not scout ahead at all. Keep your guard up, and make maintaining health your priority. If you cannot feel the Rift," she paused. "...that means you may not be able to return to it. And, if that is true then, should you fall in battle, I may find myself unable to revive you. So, I would ask that you stay wary."
"The thought had not occurred to me, Master," he replied, with a deep nod. "This pawn is humbled by your concern and will obey."
Good. While Matfie would never question her decisions, it was still practical to have a pawn flexible enough to adapt when the situation called for a medicant over a pioneer. Normally she preferred Matfie's expertise to be well utilized when they wandered various routes of more and less seemliness, but, if her hypothesis proved true, the stakes for finding trouble were apt to be much higher than usual. She preferred caution in most things, but especially when it came to the life of her companion.
In a strange forest, under stranger circumstances, it was best that they stuck close together. They were both powerful in their own rights, but she wasn't going to let themselves be defeated by arrogance, even if it meant sacrificing the convenience of having a talented scout in her party.
Matfie and her closed their packs, and the pawn fell in place at her side, rather than in front of her. The two of them continued walking, with the sun at their backs, though its light was rapidly fading.
It was probably time to start considering whether or not to make camp for the night. But, a learned wariness of the dark, and a desire to return to civilization as quickly as possible, tempted her to press on through the night. Likewise, a lack of supplies made the thought of sleeping in the forest wholly unpleasant. On the other hand, even with her immediate injuries banished by her ever faithful servant, there was still a bone deep weariness dogging her footsteps. By her estimation, it had like been only a short time ago that she'd fought the most arduous battle of her entire life. The adrenaline of the bout, and even the adrenaline of waking up in unfamiliar territory, had faded, leaving only an omnipresent fatigue in its absence.
Matfie, too, seemed unnaturally subdued. The two of them walked quietly side by side, and that alone was cause for concern. While she refrained from speaking when possible, her pawn hardly mirrored that model, and their journeys were oft filled with his chatter. When Matfie knew something, whether it be inconsequential trivia, or life-saving stratagem, he was quick to share it. The silence coming from his half of the party, as they took step, after step, after step, was strange. The thought that he knew absolutely nothing about their current location was unnerving, and she almost hoped that his silence was a result of fatigue and nothing more, unlikely a hope it was or not. She knew pawns didn't experience exhaustion the same way humans did.
Which was really quite fortunate for them. Her own fatigue blurred her vision for only a second, but it was enough to trip her on the root she had been stepping over. Matfie's hands immediately darted forward, and their quick placement at her elbows prevented her from falling.
"You seem tired, Master," he said, helping her straighten up. "Ought we to rest a bit?"
She shook her head, and gestured for him to continue forward.
He let go of her arms and moved back a respectful distance, before saying, "The sky grows dark, Master. T'will be easier to navigate by day," which could be read as an excuse for her tripping on the gnarled piece of wood. However, she knew that it was really just the closest Matfie would ever come to censuring her.
She smiled fondly at the pawn. He was obviously worried for her, but he also wasn't able to express it in ways other than roundabout advice, and polite inquiries. Sometimes she wished the mage would just speak his mind, but she knew it wasn't in a pawn's nature to do so. And, really, it was hard to say how much of a 'mind' they even had at times. Pawns had distinct personalities - her own was well-spoken, and very fond of using (sometimes even overusing) his ability to speak well - but it was impossible to know how much of it was their own, and how many of their traits were just a result of them catering themselves to the preferences of their masters. Matfie's own personality had evolved as they'd spent time together, noticeably so, but she truly hoped it was genuine growth on the pawn's part, not just him mimicking what he thought she wanted.
But, she was falling into thoughts far too deep to pull herself out of, in her exhausted state. She'd think herself in circles for fun, when she was in the right mood. However, the hours following a battle with a dragon was hardly the time or place for that if she wanted sensical ones.
The Arisen turned to address her pawn.
"We will stop once it is well dark," she said, deciding to acquiesce to his concern, and her own body's complaints. "Neither of us has adequate oil supplies, and I am leery of wandering blindly in these woods."
"'Tis a pleasant corner though," Matfie replied. "We have not yet encountered a single foe, and the weather too is quite mild. Still, who knows what the night may bring."
She nodded at him. He'd mirrored her thoughts exactly. It was uncommon to not encounter at least the occasional wolf pack when travelling. The lack of any daytime predators in the forest like meant the nighttime ones were doubly more vicious than normal, which wasn't an enemy she was of a mind to encounter.
She increased her pace at the thought, and Matfie mirrored her. Considering how thick the trees were, it was unlikely they'd reach the edge of the forest anytime soon, but, if nothing else, at least they could get as close as possible to it, before they stopped for the night.
At her side, Matfie seemed to be growing more confident with their surroundings, and had started commenting on them.
"These trees are quite tall, Master," he said, gesturing to the surrounding greenery. "In stronger light, I imagine one might be able to see for leagues, if they were to climb one."
"There are tracks on the ground here, whatever made them appears to be quite nimble."
"There may be aught of use here. We will have to thoroughly search the area, come morning."
She smiled as he spoke. Most of what Matfie was saying was fairly inane, his own knowledge of their surroundings not enough to be truly useful. However, the pawn's return to more familiar habits did much to set her mind at ease.
A/N: Hello! Welcome to another one of my weird crossovers, haha. That said, I'm a little disappointed someone hasn't already written this one. I know Dragon's Dogma is pretty obscure though. Still, if anyone's actually reading, I'd be glad to hear your opinions. Feel free to leave a review on your way out.