Twin Embers

by fil03

DS3-It's been eons since Flynn and Resa trekked across Lordran to link the First Flame. During their slumber, civilizations have risen and fallen countless times over. However, now, they awaken once more to a disturbing reality...they failed to link the Flame. Now, as the fire trembles with the last vestiges of light, they must set out across the land to link the Flame once more

25. Chapter 25

Flynn

SL68 - 24 VGR - 18 ATT - 18 END - 28 VIT - 32 STR - 12 DEX - 9 INT - 9 FTH - 7 LCK

Resa

SL68 - 16 VGR - 24 ATT - 13 END - 18 VIT - 12 STR - 21 DEX - 12 INT - 30 FTH - 11 LCK

Resa

We were back in the painted world...I didn't want to be here, but I knew we had to. The last time we were here, the woman Friede felt elusive...like she was hiding something. It didn't sit well with either of us, and so now, we were back here. Things weren't all terrible, of course. Argyn was back with us, bringing Flynn some much-needed joy after the jarring revelations that had just been dropped on him.

However, mostly, things were terrible. Friede very clearly didn't want us here, a fact she made all-too-apparent as soon as we appeared back at her bonfire. The knight guarding the door was similarly cold-shouldered, befitting the frigid hellscape we now found ourselves in. It only served to solidify the point that we weren't wanted here, and that we needed to find out why.

Currently, we only had one lead - a ladder hidden into the side of an icy cliff, just on the other side of the bridge. Once we got there, descending proved harder than we'd anticipated, mainly due to the wolf. Flynn eventually made due, Argyn slung over his shoulder as he descended, the poor beast's ribs being poked by the menagerie of hilts he had strapped to his back. Seeing the wolf kick at his back to find purchase reminded me that Flynn had said he wanted to talk to me about something later, once we were out of earshot...now certainly fit that description.

Once we were both down, I brought it up. "So Flynn...about that sword."

My brother set Argyn down, looking over his shoulder. "Oh, yeah...I suppose you'd like an explanation of what it means?"

"Indeed." I leaned against the snowy wall, arms crossed...I didn't plan to leave until he explained it.

"So, the Watchdogs of Farron...think of them like tests. I'm supposed to go around and find people, or let people find me...and when they do, I watch them, analyze them. If they think of me as their equal, I put them in their place...or at least I try. I challenge them to a fight. If they can best me, or even if they don't but I see them as worthy, I lead them to the Watchdogs. If I don't...I leave them be."

I cocked my head to the side. "What's that have to do with the sword?"

"It shows my rank among the Watchdogs. Shows to others that I am one. I don't think it's meant to be an elusive Covenant...I think it's one that you have to earn to be in."

"So why do you want to be in this? I'm looking at the Chaos Servants, where you lived to help and save Quelaan...and this isn't that. It seems like the antithesis of that. You exist just to make yourself look powerful over others...that's not you, Flynn. Is it?"

He shook his head. "Not over everyone. However, I've been...bothered by Rosaria's Fingers. I think we both have. And, well...I think this gives me the tools that I need to actually go out and take them down. I know Sirris has it out for them...perhaps with the three of us pooling our resources, we might be able to rid ourselves of them."

I raised an eyebrow. "And that's it? No power games between you and me? No asserting dominance, nothing? Please tell me that this Covenant isn't going to change anything between us, because - "

"Resa." He held out his arms, walking over to me. "Resa, you're my sister. Nothing is going to change between us because of this. I promise." At that, he wrapped me in a hug, the warmth of his body and armor a stark contrast to the icy winds around us.

"I believe you, Flynn...I do." Once he let me go, I looked him in the eyes. "So what do we do? We don't know where the Fingers are, and we certainly don't know how to find them."

"No, but perhaps Sirris does. We have other tasks to attend to first, of course...we have to get the Lords of Cinder back to their thrones. I don't know how much time we'll have between doing that and finding the First Flame, if any, but it's something I'd like to accomplish when we have the chance. Perhaps we do detours along the way when we find information, and deal with it then...I don't have the details yet. I just got this sword, of course. And I'm not even sure I can wield it."

Flynn pulled the sword out, holding it in front of him...it was rustic, and yet no less magnificent. The blade arced backwards like a scimitar, though it was easily twice, if not three times as long. Flynn wielded the weight well, the sword not being much heavier than any of his other weapons, but I could tell at first glance that his form was off.

I approached him once he stopped swinging, my hands setting to work fixing his posture. "Flynn if you try and hit someone like that you're not going to hit anything vital. It's a big weapon, but it requires finesse...you can't just wildly swing it and hope for the best. Here, let me show you." I walked out in front of him a pace or two, turning around and getting in a battle position, holding nothing but my shield. "You're use to big, heavy weapons. You're used to trying to knock me on the floor, but that won't work with what you're holding. You need to use it to get past my defenses. Try to get past my shield...if you can do that successfully, then you're using it right. Don't knock me on the floor...the weapon isn't that heavy. It won't do that much."

"You sure about this?"

"If you do manage to score a hit, it's coming out of your Estus flask. You're still holding onto my talisman...and I don't think I'm ready to have it back yet."

"Okay. Here goes."

Flynn stepped forward, slashing at me in very deliberate motions, just as I expected him to. I easily dodged out of the way, his follow up attack clear as day. What I couldn't outright avoid, my shield did more than enough work stopping. "You can't ignore my shield, Flynn. It's a part of me, but it's a part you have to avoid. Aim low or aim high, don't aim at my center of mass."

He began correcting himself, the types of swings more varied, but it was still to minimal success. He still fought predictably, and I never took more than a glancing blow. After a while he called it off, planting his sword into the ground.

"I...I don't think this is for me. The wolf said to give it to someone I trust if I couldn't carry it...I'll do that once I'm back."

"The wolf?" I looked at Argyn pointedly, garnering a bark from our companion.

"The wolf in the tower. It spoke to me...there's a spirit still inside it, somewhere. Sorry Argyn...you're not the only wolf in my life." Flynn reached down, stroking the beast's mane as its throat gently rumbled in appreciation. "So yeah...I'm a full-fledged Covenant member now."

More full-fledged than I was, somehow. I still hadn't ever met my Covenant leader, though Sirris had said that we were close to it, just beyond the Boreal Valley. Perhaps then I would get something to show my membership, like the sword that Flynn carried. It's something I needed...I was a member of two Covenants, and had nothing to show for either.

"Well...that's good to hear. Ready to get going?" I pushed myself off of the wall, walking down the path ahead of us. Somehow, he'd ended up on top...he'd found a Covenant, spoken to its leader, and even gained a symbol showing his position. Thus far, I'd only done the first...and maybe not even that. I didn't understand it...I'd spent my entire previous life a devout follower of the Warriors of Sunlight, and thus far the only reason I had to believe they even existed was a scrap of canvas with their symbol emblazoned upon it. It was all I had to go on, but I went with it, clung to it...desperately hoping something larger would come soon. I needed a sign, or else I might lose faith. I always had the Sentinels, or perhaps the Darkmoon...but I had yet to meet their leader yet, as well.

As we walked the path, two of the snowy guardsmen blocked our way. We'd seen numerous of them the last time we were here...we'd grown much stronger since then. I instinctively reached for my talisman, ready to throw a lightning spear at one, only coming to find emptiness where my hand grasped. I still didn't trust myself with it, but that didn't mean I was growing accustomed to being without it. My talisman was such a core part of who I was, much like Flynn's pyromancy flame, and I struggled to find my place without it. I withdrew a blade and a dagger, resigning myself to use them for the time being...given enough time. I didn't swing them this time, however, a fireball from Flynn arcing over my head and enveloping the two guards entirely, leaving little but ashes behind.

Further ahead was a steep slope, far too steep to climb back up if we needed to. I turned back to Argyn. "Is this the way? Is there something here you wanted to show us?" An affirmative bark led the way, and I followed suit, taking the first step onto the slope. I held my balance for a bit, but it soon proved impossible. I tumbled down to the bottom in a cloud of smoke, Flynn and Argyn not far behind me.

At the bottom, I could smell something...distasteful, like rotten flesh. From what I could see, however, everything was clear. We'd found ourselves in what looked like a small village, a stone outer perimeter guarding what had to be no more than a half-dozen buildings on the inside.

Flynn turned to our companion. "Alright...what is it you wanted to show us?"

Argyn marched ahead, the two of us following behind him. Soon, it became very apparent what we were smelling...though I still hadn't pieced it together yet. All around the outer walls of the village were crow-like creatures, similar to the one we saw when we first arrived here. Unlike that one, however, these all seemed on the brink of death...perhaps some of them were dead already. The color had been sapped from their dark skin and they were each splayed out on the ground...some of them still moving, others not.

Argyn pressed ahead, and we made sure to follow close behind him, the smell only growing worse the closer we went. It soon became overpowering, waves of nausea sweeping over me as we passed through a lone tunnel in the outer wall, entering the village proper. On the other side was something far worse than the dying creatures...at least in some ways.

A fetid pool of water coated the ground, stained pink from everything else around us. It looked like some sort of...infection, some plague, pink polyps springing from the earth, the walls, the stone, even on the ceilings, creating this pocket of the world that was absolutely putrid to look at, let alone be in. The water was thick and I could feel the polyps crush beneath my feet, and I was now ever-so-grateful for the heavier armor that I now wore, protecting my feet from learning how putrid this really was. Argyn had it worse than I did, most of his legs enveloped in the waters, his undersides dangerously close from bathing in the liquids. There was nowhere he could go, or I could go...we were stuck here until we found a way out.

"This isn't normal. This was back at the beginning, as well...where we came in. It was much more contained there, but it's the same stuff. Whatever it is, it looks like it's growing."

I shuddered, wanting anything but to be here. "Whatever it is, we need to leave. Argyn, which way gets us out of here?"

The wolf barked, gesturing to the right of where we entered, but not wishing to get too far ahead of us yet. I took that as a sign, keeping my weapons ready as we moved forward. Argyn was smart, far smarter than I ever expected from a wolf...and he probably had the nose to tell that something was here besides the decay around us. I followed behind Flynn as he led, delicately moving my feet through the grime. "I hate this."

"Well then let's fix it. That's why we're here...right?"

I grumbled. "Yeah...still hate it."

"Believe me, Resa...I do too."

Argyn trailed Flynn, walking beside me as we stepped through the murky waters. At one point I saw both ears twitch, angling off to one direction as his entire head snapped there a moment later. When I looked up I saw something leap down from a bridge above...something very abnormal. It looked like one of the crow-creatures in that it had the beaked face, but everything else about it was very different. It was wide-framed, but its skin was drawn tight over its bones to the point that they poked through, giving it a sort of ghastly, skeletal presence. Most notably, however, were its hands. It had claws each the size of my dagger, though no hands to speak of. It let out a shrill shriek, leaping into the air as it dove towards Flynn.

My brother put both weapons in front of him, catching the first claw, but unable to get the second, It raked across his sides, blood flying from the wound. I charged forward, trying to get in a single attack, but it was fast...faster than I expected from its bulky look. It nimbly dodged backwards just before I would have connected with it, landing back in the water. I chased after it, trying to land a hit, but always coming up short. I circled around it, putting the strange creature between Flynn and myself, hoping to keep it pinned.

I dashed forward once more, slashing first with my dagger as it backed up, following through with the swing by thrusting with my sword. The tip of the blade just barely sunk in, not nearly enough to do any lasting damage. However, that was just the distraction...and it worked beautifully. Vordt's hammer slammed into the beast's shoulder, bones crunching as its left arm instantly went limp from the blow. It squawked, leaping into the air and ending up behind me.

Five blades pierced my back as I screamed in pain, instantly dropping to the ground. I felt my head sink into the water, the shock enough to force me back to my feet, not wanting to be any deeper in the water than I had just been. My hair felt grimy just from the brief encounter...whatever this sickness was, it was certainly potent.

I needed my talisman...I needed to heal myself, but I couldn't in a quick fashion. Flynn charged the beast as I grabbed for my Estus flask, leaning against the back wall as I downed a large portion of its contents. I didn't know if this was worth it...being without my talisman. I didn't trust myself when under Deep Protection, and I didn't trust myself not to use it...I almost certainly would have by now. That other Resa, the darker one...she was confident and sure of herself, but she was also far more violent than I ever wanted to be. There were times when I was in desperate need of the former...but wished I could avoid the latter. Perhaps there would come a time when I couldn't be without my talisman, but until then I would make due with what I had.

Once I was healed, I entered back into the fray. Flynn had done little to the creature on his own, his swings far too noticeable for the dextrous foe to be hit by...unless distracted. I moved to where I was behind the crow, waiting for Flynn to make another strike. I'd noticed that the crow liked to back up, rather than dodge to the side...I could use that to my advantage.

Flynn made two strikes, one with each weapon. Vordt's hammer swung first, widely missing its mark, but he followed up with the Profaned greatsword. The blade erupted in fire as he swung it, though it still didn't hit its mark, the crow backing up right before it would be hit. However, I was waiting in the wings, jumping into the air to where it would land. Both blades hit their mark, twin wounds forming as I raked them across its back, another cry of pain leaving our foe's beak. I saw Flynn wind up for another swing, the greatsword wreathed in fire. I kept the crow pinned down until the last second, leaping off of it as the greatsword hit its chest. Fire scorched its body, the damage enough that it finally fell. I breathed out a sigh of relief...we'd made it.

However, we were still in the ichorous water, a fact that I desperately wanted to change. Flynn pressed forward, travelling underneath a bridge and past some buildings, a ladder leading up and out onto the streets. I rushed for it, sloshing through the swampy water, helping Argyn up the ladder until eventually all three of us had made it. The ladder put is inside a building, a warm glow coming from the far end of an otherwise dark and gloomy room.

I was still on guard after being attacked by the strange crow...it seemed incredibly stealthy despite its bulky appearance, which meant that more could be anywhere. Both blades were out as I crept forward, peering around the corner of the room, seeing an empty doorway on the far side. The warm glow of a lantern came from further around the corner, in a room tucked off to the side. As I crept around it I saw another crow...this one was like the others beyond the wall, grasping on the brink of death.

"Why...hello there."

I gave a sharp glance back to Flynn, furrowing my brow. I wasn't sure I trusted this, but that might have been my own paranoia more than anything else. I sheathed my weapons, advancing towards the crow. "Greetings. What happened here?"

The crow let out a raspy chuckle, falling into a coughing fit by the end of it. "You'll have to be more specific, dearie...there's a lot that's happened here."

I looked around, a broad gesture to the direction that was towards the wall. "The death. The decay. What was that beneath the bridge?"

The crow cocked his head to the side, retreating further into the corner of the room. "You...you must be new here. Is that correct?" When I nodded, he continued. "This painting is old...older than it should be. It is not the first painting of its kind, nor should it be the last. In every painting is a painter, fit to create another living painting. When the old begins to crumble, we here move into the new."

Flynn folded his arms across his chest. "So if that bridge is any indication, then you should have moved on by now. What's the problem?"

"The painter has been missing...if the painter cannot paint, then we cannot move."

"And where is the painter?"

The crow didn't have the bone structure to shrug, but I could tell that's what it tried to do. "I don't know...but we're all too weak to do anything about it. Lady Friede has starved us, kept us trapped and weak...I believe she wishes it to be this way. I do not know why...but we have been pushed to the brink of death. Some of our kind have turned loyal to her, and slaughter any of us that dare to travel too far up the hill. Most of my kin have fled to the outskirts of this village...it saddens me to hear they are no better than I."

I nodded, grimacing...I knew Friede was up to no good, and this was damning proof. If she had anything to do with this, it was inexcusable...this was torture, through and through. I looked towards my brother, both of us nodding in mutual understanding. We had to find whatever she was guarding. "Thank you. We will take the matter into our own hands from here. Is there anything else we should know?"

"There is a gate at the top...if you want to get through, you must find another way forward. How...I do not know."

I bowed slightly, thanking him. Flynn and I exited the building, finding ourselves at a central hub. Ahead of us were numerous buildings, a snowy road leading up to the gate that the crow just spoke of. Behind us was another building with a bonfire nestled inside of it, which we promptly lit. Our break wasn't short...we needed to get to the bottom of this.

"You're thinking what I am, right? The painter has to be up there. If she's trying to choke these people out, that's the only thing she wants to guard."

I nodded. "And we have to get her, and fast. She has to know we're here. The knight was watching us as we went down that first ladder...he knows we've wandered over this way. If she starts sending too many people for us, we might have to duck out."

"But what if she kills the painter?"

"Then she would have done it already. She must have her own motives for keeping her alive...perhaps because she may want to move to a new world, just on her own. I don't think she would kill her just because we're coming after her, but she might want to kill us enough times that we stop coming back."

Flynn laughed. "Then she clearly doesn't know us."

I nodded. "We can't take forever here...I don't know how time passes, but we have obligations in the outer world as well. If she does manage to repel us long enough, we might truly have to leave."

Flynn took his mask off, scarred and hollowed face staring at me. "This is coming from a Warrior of Sunlight? Resa...that isn't you. I shouldn't have to be telling you that we need to save these people."

I hung my head low. "You're right. But if we take too long saving these people, we might risk losing everyone outside. Sirris, Irina, Greirat, Siegward...those people matter too. I don't know what the balance is. I don't know what's more important."

Flynn stood up, grabbing me by the shoulder to help me do the same. "Then let's not waste time, and give ourselves as much time as possible to do both." He walked out of the small building, advancing across the bridge and up the sloped road towards the gate. Quite a few crows were still lingering around, all crawling across the ground in clear agony. As the two of us moved closer, I could hear movements...they were coming from above. "Watch out."

I looked up to the roof just in time, another warrior crow blackening the sky above me, and I invisibly rolled out of the way just before its talons would have hit me. I circled around, managing to start the fight by landing both blades in its back, hearing an angry screech as I ripped at its shoulders, and then another.

No...not another...at least not from this one. I looked over, seeing Flynn interlocked with another one, fending off attacks with one weapon while simultaneously trying to fight with the other. He had a shield...why he didn't use it was beyond me.

I leaped off of my crow's back, backflipping in the air towards Flynn as I flipped the grip of both blades, arcing through the air to bring them both down on the other crow. I completely blindsided it, both blades slashing at its front as I landed directly before it, immediately springing off the ground to deal two fatal uppercuts, my swords piercing from its ribs to its shoulders. I slashed outwards, twin streaks of blood splattering against the ground behind it.

As the body fell to the floor, Flynn hurled a fireball through the air, erupting in the face of the now-solitary crow. When it faded away only a blackened husk remained, albeit still very much alive. It charged towards both of us but I rolled out of the way, catching it by surprise as I went invisible, bashing one of its legs before I reappeared behind it. It fell to the ground, and a resounding crunch from Vordt's hammer ensured that it never got back up.

With that taken care of, I went back up to the gate. Two buildings were beyond it, but the gate was far too tall to try to scale...we would indeed have to find a way around. I looked around, trying to find something, seeing a series of stone and wood planks connecting the leftmost of the two gated buildings to the cluster on our side of the fence. We had a way across, if we could just figure out how to get there. I tried to trace back to where we might get to the rooftops, but lost myself among the dizzying spider web of planks, buildings, and natural land. I pointed it out to Flynn, and the two of us turned around, trying to find some way up.

We found something rather fast, a bridge off to the right of the settlement, covered in the rotten filth that we'd seen earlier. It crossed over to some natural paths that rose up, eventually leading to the rooftops over where we'd spoken with the crow. Flynn and Argyn walked in front of me as I trailed behind, passing by even more dead and dying crows every step of the way. At some point we reached the wall, able to look out over all the death surrounding us. We were alone here. It wasn't that simple of course...there were other creatures here, but they all desperately needed life. Besides Flynn, Argyn, and myself...It felt as if nothing else was here.

As I looked out, I caught a glint of something. Steel, perhaps an armament of some kind. I squinted, trying to find where it was, eventually locating it on top of a small mesa. From here, it was still hard to see what it was...but I was curious. There were wooden planks over the wall that could make the leap difficult, but manageable...and I had a way to get back if I needed.

"Flynn, hold up. I'm, going to need you in a bit."

He turned around, Argyn doing so at the same time. "And what's that?"

"I'm going to need a way back." I leaped off the side of the wall, putting everything I had into my legs as I pushed off, soaring through the air. I didn't even try to land on my feet, simply holding out my dagger to secure myself to the snowy ground to avoid sliding off the other side of the mesa.

Now that I was here, I could see what it was...and I was curious. It looked to be a rapier of some sort, but there was more to it than that. They looked like spears, or swords...but shorter, and with no good handhold. There were four of them, each a little longer than my forearm...I had no clue what to do with them, but I was intrigued by their very nature. I picked up the rapier and sheathed it, reaching one of the spears. As I did, all four rose in tandem, three of them simply hovering there in space. I looked around, trying to see any sort of strings, wires or otherwise...nothing. There was clearly magic at work here, magic that I didn't understand but very much wanted to learn. For now I simply put the spears on some loops in my belt, letting them hang there. I'd experiment later.

I looked back up towards Flynn, pulling out my rope. "Catch!"

I attached my dagger to the end of it as usual, giving the end of the rope the weight it needed to fly through the air. However, Argyn caught it, not Flynn. I chuckled. "Argyn...you sure you can hold me?" He was a big wolf, that was for sure...but I also didn't want to be the one responsible for him falling off the edge. Flynn reached down and grabbed the dagger quietly, holding onto it in case our companion needed some backup.

With a bit of effort I was able to make it back, Argyn doing the lion's share of the work. When I got up I knelt down and gave him a few good pats, running my hands through his cold fur. "Have you ever seen anything like these, Flynn?" I spun around, gesturing towards the odd weapon."

He thought for a second. "They look like throwing knives. Very large ones, but I can't think of what else they'd be."

Throwing knives. "And how do you normally throw them?"

Flynn reached for one of them, just as perplexed as I was when the other three came along as well. Put them between your fingers, like this." He guided them up, the four knives seeming to fan and spread out as they neared their destination. I gripped each knife between two fingers, letting the end of the blade rest against my palm. They looked like claws now more than knives...perhaps they served a dual purpose. "And now, flick your hand forward and let go. Let's see how good your aim is." Flynn walked over, picking up four various battered objects from our immediate surroundings, setting them on the floor. Try to get at least two. These things seem magical...they might help you out."

I did the motion as he said. I pulled my wrist back towards my body and then sharply snapped it forward, releasing the pressure on the knives as I did so. Each of the knives flew forward...or so it looked. An illusory version of each flew from my hands, puncturing the objects Flynn had set out one after the other. The true weapons blades stayed in my hands, hovering there for the mere second I wasn't gripping them.

I looked down at my hand, and then to Flynn. "That was...unexpected."

He simply nodded, dumbfounded. "That seems...useful. I don't know what you're like with a rapier, but I think those are worth holding onto. I don't know how much damage those knives can do, but they can serve as a distraction if nothing else."

The rapier...I'd almost forgotten about the more mundane aspect of the weapon. It was larger than others I'd seen, a little more metal about the handle than usual, but the blade was nothing special. "I'll learn...but I can't carry all of this. Something has to go." Right now I had the scythe from the Boreal Valley, my twin blades, my dagger, and now the rapier and knives...it was a bit much. If I had to elect to lose something though...I grabbed my twin blades, walking outside and planting each of them in the snowy dirt. "They've served me well...but I think their time has come to an end. Let's keep moving."

We pressed forward, but not for long...the path we were on came to an end, the upper ramparts of the wall crumbled before us. We had to find another way up, as it was now quite clear this wasn't it. We went back to searching, crossing the bridge back to the main area of the village and looking for a new way forward. Eventually we found it, a ladder leading up to the rooftops.

"Alright Argyn, you know the drill." The wolf immediately leaped up onto Flynn's shoulders, my brother using one hand for the ladder and the other to keep Argyn from slipping off of him. Once they were both up I followed, rapier and knives ready for whatever was before us. As it turned out, it was more ladders, this one rising quite high, towards the steeple of one of the buildings. However, I could see wooden planks from up there connecting it back to where we ultimately wanted to get across the bridge...it was the right way.

Flynn didn't even have to say anything this time, Argyn already jumping back up to his temporary perch. We ascended further this time, coming out on wooden planks that were a bit too thin for my liking...I couldn't dodge and roll here as I was use to. We stepped forward carefully, wary of anything that might attack us...things were surprisingly quiet as we made our way across, eventually landing on the rooftops of one of leftmost building. Friede had to know we were here...that knight had to have told her. Thus far, we'd only seen three guards...there had to be more on the way. I didn't want to consider that I might have been overthinking it. I didn't trust her, and we had plenty of reasons not to. She would come for us...she had to.

We stepped off the building, landing on the snowy ground underneath. There was a door to the left building, one that we quickly discovered was locked. Perhaps she'd trapped the painter in there, leaving the key somewhere else in this frigid world. I could see a door to the right of the two buildings...perhaps we'd find some answers in there.

Right as we got to the door, I could hear a growl building in the back of Argyn's throat, his predator eyes narrowed on the door. Flynn stopped, kneeling down. "What is it?"

Of course, the wolf couldn't respond...but we both knew something was amiss. Flynn turned around to face me, holding a finger to his helmet. "Quietly?" I nodded.

Flynn opened the door slowly, thankful that it didn't creak and groan like I expected it to...that meant that it was likely maintained, unlike everything else here. Inside was a warm glow from torches lining the walls, and we entered into what seemed like a library. At first glance, nothing was in here...but Argyn had a far better nose than I did, which likely meant that we weren't alone.

Flynn and I stepped carefully, our weapons drawn...I was opting for my scythe at the moment, wanting a weapon I was more familiar with should we face a challenging opponent, the one thing this land was teeming with.

"You aren't welcome here."

My head snapped towards the voice, clearly male, not finding anything. I could hear the footsteps, however...heavier armor, but still light on his feet. I was fairly certain it was Friede's guard, but I hadn't heard enough to pass that judgement yet.

Flynn responded. "And why's that? Something to hide?"

A laugh, still out of sight. "You've seen too much already. No...this world can only have one Unkindled, and she's already here. Two would be too much. Three? Blasphemy. If you will not go by your choice, you will go by hers." The guard stepped out of the shadows, revealing himself fully now. In his hand was a wicked sword, the blade intricate and delicate while simultaneously looking extremely deadly. It was a jet black color, flecks of red dancing off of it from the torches. "So which will it be, then?"

I looked to Flynn, raising an eyebrow. If it was just him, we could take him...but it was impossible to know what else was here. "Where's the painter?"

"You're a fool if you think I'll tell you that. I take your silence to mean I must extract you by force?"

"Yeah...that sounds about right. You're killing people out there, entire villages...I don't think I'm going to let that keep happening." Flynn shouldered both of his weapons, ready to fight.

"Maggots! Friede is the ruler of this land, its caregiver. An insult to her graciousness is an insult to this entire land! I, Sir Vilhelm, shall slay you for your transgressions!" He punctuated this by twisting his sword, the vicious blade becoming enwreathed in black flames.

I narrowed my eyes, readying my scythe. "Then tell her this. She's a curse upon this land, and it's dying. It's all dying because she doesn't tend to it, she lets it rot. So we won't stop until we've fixed it. We won't stop until we find the painter and create the next world, where people can live happily again. If that means we have to kill you, or even her...that's a sacrifice we're willing to make."

There was no intelligible response, just a guttural howl of anger as Vilhelm ran forward. I ran up to meet him as his blade collided with Flynn's black and red fires intertwined around each other, none gaining the advantage. I dashed low and swung, cutting at one of his legs to great effect. Argyn circled around to the other side, biting at one of his legs. There was little Vilhelm could do about it...we'd trapped him in.

"You thought you had the advantage...foolish insects!" Just then, it became clear how not alone we were...three crows charged in from the room we came through, one of them carrying a weapon that looked identical to the one I'd just picked up...perhaps I'd see just how it was intended to be used. The other two were carrying the claws that we'd seen thus far. We went from outnumbering to outnumbered in an instant...and as much as I wanted to simply end Vilhelm right here and now, it would give the crows ample time to surround us. I broke away from the knight, spinning around to face our new adversaries. I couldn't fight all three of them at once...but if I distanced myself correctly, perhaps I wouldn't have to.

I ran forward, diving to the side as my invisibility kicked in. I swung at one's legs, opting into the elegant style of the scythe. I spun and dodged out of the way, a series of smooth attacks coming one after the other. I kept my distance properly, however...that was the only way I'd get through this. I could handle two reasonably well, but I rolled to safety as soon as the third made it back to me. It didn't give me much time to fight back. I took a glance back over to Flynn. He was still locked with Vilhelm, the two of them seeming to trade blows evenly. "Argyn! Could use some help!"

The wolf promptly responded, breaking away from Vilhelm to come to my aid. He leaped into the air and tackled one of the clawed crows, ripping at its exposed chest. I ran over, dropping my scythe low and taking one precise swing, severing its head from its neck. "One down. Two more."

His next pounce failed, his body simply flying through the air as the crow dodged out of the way. It was the one with the rapier...I'd learned a bit while fighting it. It didn't use it from as far away as I would have thought, instead opting to stay at a close distance, alternating between rapid thrusts with the rapier followed by a fan of knives. It was effective...it kept me from chasing too much in fear of being whittled down by the knives. I took in how it fought, trying to learn so that one day I might be able to perform the maneuvers myself.

With two crows left, the fight was much more manageable...but it could have been so much easier. I still lacked my talisman, an implement that I was now sorely missing. Two, perhaps even one casting of Wrath of the Gods would have ended this much earlier. Even a lightning spear would have been good...but I had none of that. I was starting to doubt whether I should hold off from having it...I wasn't sure I could trust myself not to cast Deep Protection, and that in turn would reduce most of my worries. I was simply concerned about that first part...if I was in a bind, like I was now, I couldn't count on myself to abstain. It was powerful...but that power came at a frightening cost. For now, I simply had to resort to my weapons, and wait until I absolutely couldn't be without it.

I dodged out of the way of another crow, a stray knife hitting me in the knee. Argyn again tackled it, this time catching it by surprise. As before, I cut its head while it was down, now faced with only one of the clawed ones. "That's enough, Argyn...you can go back now."

The wolf barked his affirmation, turning back around to Vilhelm. Flynn seemed to be gaining an edge, actually opting for his shield and hammer rather than using both weapons. The shield blocked Vilhem's attacks with ease, giving him the room he needed to strike back. As I kept looking, I saw why...Sulyvahn's sword was cast off to the side, but I hadn't seen whether it was willingly dropped or forcefully disarmed. What Flynn had was what was left, but he was certainly making it work.

And I intended to do the same. I rushed at the crow, ducking under its claws and cutting at its legs one more time, causing it to stagger forward, momentarily off balance. I leaped straight up as I contorted my body around, the scythe spinning rapidly around me as it slashed its back multiple times. When I landed on the ground I ended it with one final slash diagonally across its back, the wound too much for it to shrug off. Once it collapsed on the ground I turned my attention to Vilhelm, marching towards him.

"More will come...more will always come. You will not win!" He desperately tried to fight off Flynn, but my brother was simply overpowering him at this point.

"We always win. That's your first mistake. So bring the rest." He smashed Vordt's hammer across Vilhelm's helmet, causing him to spin through the air. The knight struggled to get up, using his sword like a walking stick.

"Friede knows I'm here. If I don't return soon...you may well get your wish. And should you let me escape...you will get your wish sooner. You handled three, but you cannot handle dozens. Friede has an army. What do you have?"

"Each other." I plunged my rapier into his chest, letting his body fall limp. As it did, an odd contraption fell to the floor from his cloak...it looked like the handle to a lever. I grabbed it, looking around the room. "If this is important, he wouldn't bring it with him. He took it from somewhere in here, and we need to find what."

As soon as I finished saying that I heard Argyn bark, directing my attention to something over on the wall. It indeed looked to be the shaft of a lever...I socketed the strange mechanism into place, pulling it. A second or two later, a hidden staircase crashed down from the ceiling, several stacks of books flying from the impact. I looked to Flynn. "After you."

Flynn circled past me, ascending the staircase cautiously. At the top he stopped, still defensive. "I presume you're the painter?"

I rushed up the stairs, eager to see who he was talking to. When I got to the top I saw a young girl with ghostly skin, pale hair extending longer than her entire body. She wore what looked to be a painter's garb, a black smock and beret. Curiously...she had a tail of soft fur, the same white as her skin. She looked at both of us, nodding. "I am. And you are?"

"I am Flynn...this is my sister, Resa. Why are you trapped here?"

She shook her head. "They don't want me. Friede doesn't want me. So I'm here. Are you here to let me go?"

I nodded. "We are. Do you know the way out?"

She shook her head. "No...but you should go. I heard the fight downstairs...that was a big fight. Friede will be mad, and she'll come for you. She won't hurt me...I'm safe here."

"Why won't she hurt you...why does she want you alive?" Flynn sheathed his weapons, an action I followed...we weren't in danger here.

The painter shrugged. "I don't know. She will hurt you though. You can't help me if you're dead. There's a bonfire just outside. It won't be hard to come back."

"Sweetie...we don't die. We can come back here and try again."

She shook her head. "Friede won't hurt me, but others will. Follower tribe is outside...they'll hurt me. I can die."

That piqued Flynn's interest. "You're not undead?"

"Nope."

Then we had to go about this differently than usual. If Friede was hunting us, which everyone was saying she would, then we couldn't just try indefinitely until one shot worked. We only had one shot...and we had to think this through. "Flynn, what are you thinking?"

He shook his head. "I don't like it...but we might need to come back. You say the Follower tribe is outside...will they hurt you if we open the door?"

"Friede taught them to stay away. I'm safe here. Door's locked." She pointed a finger at the door, which seemed to be the way out of this. There was a balcony out in front that overlooked the village as well...perhaps that was our way to get outside.

I let out a sight, looking at Flynn. "Okay. We leave, let give ourselves time for Friede to stop searching for us. Once it's safe to come back, we'll try. If we've only got one shot, I want to be as strong as possible for it." I turned to Argyn, kneeling down. "Listen here Argyn...if anything comes here that tries to attack her, you attack it first. Okay? You're her protector now, just like you've been ours. Got it?" I nuzzled him, running my hands through his fur. I swear he nodded...not barked, but actually nodded.

I stood up, looking at Flynn. "Are you good with this plan? If you want to try now, you know me. I'll follow you every step of the way."

He shook his head. "I want to, but it's not smart. We leave as you said, and come back when we're able. Argyn?" The dog snapped to attention. "I'll see you again." He walked over and gave the dog some affectionate scratches, walking over.

We found our way out...some rickety planks had been set up that connected the balcony to the back door, barely stable enough for us to walk on. As the painter said, just outside was a bonfire. The door was locked from the outside, affirming what she said...Friede wasn't worried about the Follower tribe getting in and killing her, she was worried about the painter trying to get out. For that reason, we kept the door locked.

I lit the bonfire, both of us taking a seat. "When do you plan to come back?"

He shrugged. "We still have two Lords of Cinder left. We should get at least one of them before coming back here, perhaps even both. One thing's for sure though...we are coming back here."