Back to some actual plot progression now. Not gonna lie; it might be a while before we get any actual fluff, but I hope you guys keep reading. I've had some back-and-forth with a couple of friends so I'm making a lot of changes in both the plot and characterization in the coming segments. Whether its for the better or worse is ultimately up to you.
At this point I'm going to stop apologizing for the fight scenes. At worst people are neutral with them so I'll just write them as I always do and let people imagine something better if they don't like it. If you guys have gotten this far you're probably not in it for the fight scenes.
I was going to name this chapter 'Even more sappy- no, wait there's actually plot this time' but there was no room.
He never got the chance to answer.
A scream, soft but unmistakable. His head snapped up and he rushed to the window, eyes narrowing at the dark shadows surrounding them. Derflinger was quick to snap, asking him to focus on their discussion, "Shh!" He looked back and placed finger in front of his lips. It was clear Derflinger hadn't heard it but that didn't surprise him; the sword was quick to tell him that he had a better sense of hearing that others. He had called it artifact of his past life.
Another scream, louder this time; it was rough but distinctly feminine. He wasn't imagining things then.
"Partner, what's-"
"Someone screamed. They could be hurt." He hastily fastened on his boots and grabbed Derflinger by the sheath. It was possible that they had simply tripped and screamed in surprise but it was better safe than sorry. He briefly considered going to the gun hidden in stump before deciding against it; whoever screamed might have been in danger and he didn't have time to waste, "We need to help them."
"Stop changing the subject! Do you want your memories gone or not? You don't need to make excuses-"
"I'm not making excuses!" He whispered harshly. Quickly peeking into Tiffania's room, he found his lover still sleeping soundly in her bed and heaved a sigh of relief. Good, if luck was with him then she wouldn't have to trouble herself with this, "I wouldn't make up something like this. You know me better than that." He pushed through the door as quietly as he could and closed it behind him, "I won't be able to live with myself if I don't try and help."
"Even if someone did scream, why help them? You're placing yourself in danger needlessly, partner." He argued back.
"That was me out there a month ago! If Tiffania and the kids didn't help me out back then we wouldn't even be having this conversation!" He looked around the inky darkness and rushed to the direction of what sounded like a growl, "The least I could do is help someone else, right?"
"Help them how!?" He all but yelled, "Without your memories you can't fight for anything worth a damn; all you're going to accomplish is getting yourself killed! The runes won't work! Hel, they practically never worked before!"
"I have to try!"
Their argument was cut short as he caught sight of a prone body lying on the ground, blood pooling from under her. The first thing he caught were her wounds; deep gashes all over her arm and tears at the armor she wore. Around her he could see a pack of wolves, at least five of them, all baring their sharp teeth and drawing closer to her. Just barely he took note of the glowing runes adorning their foreheads.
These weren't normal animals, that was clear for any to see.
Now wasn't the time for deliberation. Mustering his courage he kicked away the closest wolf and brought Derflinger down on another. Both missed, the wolves nimbly dodging his clumsy strikes. Barely avoiding tripping himself, he stumbled in front of the injured woman and held up the sword with both hands, "B-Back off!" His hands shook as the wolves drew closer. Everything inside was screaming for him to run: He couldn't fight. At best he could swing the metal and hope to hit them if he got lucky.
A wolf pounced. He closed his eyes and raised both hands to defend himself until he suddenly felt himself move. Opening his eyes he let out a yelp of surprise as he rolled, barely avoiding the wolf's bite, before bringing the sword down on its head. The sound of the blade ripping through the flesh caused him to shiver; it was alright, he told himself, he'd killed animals before. This was no different.
Another slashed at him, claws almost grazing his skin. Leaning back he avoided the attack and grabbed the wolf by the scruff of its neck. It struggled, legs kicking desperately to loosen his grip, before it let out a pained whimper. He winced and looked away as his hand tightened, slowly but surely snapping its neck. Its struggles grew more desperate until he heard the sickening snap.
He tossed the limp corpse away and watched as the last three retreated. Falling on his knees he shook his head and panted, hands running through the ground to wipe away the thick blood coating his fingers, "Wh-What was that...?" He looked at the glowing runes on his left hand. Magic?
"Sorry about that, partner. You couldn't fight and the runes wouldn't work so I had to take over your body," Derflinger's voice sounded distant, almost faint in a way, "Well, uh...magic like that costs magic to use and I had to spend a lot of it saving your ass a few weeks ago so...I kinda pushed myself too much." His laughter sounded even softer, "Uh...you might wanna get outta here before they come back. I won't be able to bail you out again..."
"Wh-What do you mean? Is something wrong?" He grabbed the sword and held it close to his chest, "A-Are you alright? Is there anything I can do."
"Nah, nah I'm just...kinda tired is all." He yawned, "I'll be gone for a bit so...take care of yourself till then, yeah? We'll continue that conversation we had tomorrow."
"D-Derflinger?" He shook the sword but nothing came. He was...he would be fine. He said they would talk again tomorrow, so there would be nothing to worry about. Planting the sheath at his back, he turned the woman over and studied her features: Apart from the gashes on her arms there were a few light scratches at her side. Thankfully it seems her armor had blunted most of the attacks.
"Urgh..." Her eyes opened, eyelids parting to show brown irises. Her breath was ragged and her expression was pained, but at least she was alive, "The hel...where am I?"
"Uh...in the middle of the forest." He ripped off the bottom of his shirt and wiped the blood smeared on her forehead, pulling away the blonde hair stuck onto the sticky skin. At least her face seemed relatively uninjured, "You were attacked by wolves- Oh no, it's fine now! They're gone!" He held onto her shoulders to balance her. He could make out at least one gash on her leg so she wouldn't be able to stand properly.
"Those weren't wolves..." She grit out, "Those were-"
That was as far as she got before she started frantically pointing behind him. Eyes widening he let out a scream of pain as a wolf pounced at his back, its teeth digging into his right shoulder. Letting go of the woman he stumbled back and frantically grabbed for the animal's snout, "Let go, damn it!" He pulled, but it did little to help. Now it was hanging in front of him, its teeth digging a path through flesh as it shifted positions.
He fell on his back, the wolf finally releasing him. It opened its mouth wider, bloodstained teeth exposed for a brief moment, before it tried to clamp down on his neck. He used both hands to keep its mouth spread, the teeth now digging into his fingers, "D-Derflinger, help!" He cried desperately. He couldn't do this! Even now he needed help, "Derflinger, please help me!"
Nothing.
As the teeth drew closer he turned away and closed his eyes. This was it, he was going to die in this forest. At least...At least Tiffania and the others were safe. He could take some solace in that.
Just when he could feel the teeth beginning to make contact with his neck a shot rang out. The wolf fell and something warm tricked down from his neck to his chest: Blood. It wasn't his, that at least was comforting. Opening his eyes a crack he saw the lifeless eyes of the wolf staring at him, a hole at the side of its head continuing to leak out blood. Pushing it off, he scrambled back and took deep, panicked breaths.
Someone had saved him.
The woman's arm was raised, shaking hands holding onto a flintlock. Seeing his surprised expression she gave him a pained grin, "...You alright, kid? That...looks pretty nasty..." The flintlock fell, and she along with it. Crawling towards her he breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the steady rising of her chest. She was unconscious, but definitely alive. Now all he had to do was leave before-
Laughter. Someone was laughing. Turning around he did his best to keep his grip steady as he saw a woman walk towards him, an amused smile on her lips. On her forehead a set of runes shined in a purple glow, the same glow of the runes the wolves surrounding her had, "Wh-Who are you!" The pain in his shoulder made it difficult to keep his grip on Derflinger. He could count at least ten wolves in addition to the woman. That...That didn't bode well for his odds.
"Merely an observer." Her voice caused his shivers to run down his spine. He...He'd run into her before, he was sure of that, "You...You I've seen you before, haven't I?" Her gaze shifted to the runes on his left hand and her smile widened unnaturally, "Oh, I almost didn't recognize you. Normally the runes would have transferred but...it's you, isn't it? Even with that new skin I can still see the rot underneath."
"Wh-What are you talking about?" The wolves were drawing closer. He wouldn't be able to run fast enough.
"Oh dear, have you lost your memory?" A hand touched her cheek in mock worry, "You Undead are such fragile creatures, minds always teetering to the brink of insanity." She sighed, "I could kill you right now, but my master would find no amusement in a one-sided fight."
"An..An Undead? What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said," She remarked airily, "Your memory will return soon, I'm sure of it. Until then you're safe from me. There's no sport in killing weak prey." She snapped her fingers and the wolves backed away, "Enjoy your reprieve while you can, wretched creature."
He watched silently as she turned and walked away. There was no way...no way for him to defeat her. If he even attempted it one of those wolves would rip his throat out, "Pathetic...I'm pathetic..." His hands shook. The runes finally stopped glowing, replaced by wisps of darkness emanating from beneath the skin. He wanted to kill her, rip the flesh from her bones and hear her scream for mercy. She would beg for death's release when he was done with her.
Hunger. He hungered for Humanity. He needed to feed.
"Robin?"
All at once his anger faded, a feeling of utmost shame taking its place. Looking back he saw Tiffania looking at them worriedly, her eyes shifting between him and the injured woman. Now wasn't the time for...whatever in helheim that was, "T-Tiff? Why are you here?"
"I...I heard screaming and woke up. I came as soon as I could." She knelt down and touched the cut on his shoulder. He winced and bit back a hiss of pain, "This looks bad. We need-"
"D-Don't worry about me." He pushed her off gently, "We need to take care of her first. Her wounds are far more severe and I...I can survive this much at least." Because he wasn't a human, "If we don't heal her she might bleed out."
"R-Right." She rubbed the place where her ring used to be. She had used it all healing him and the rest of the injured in the war, "W-We can buy some tonics in town tomorrow. Until then she we need to bandage her wounds and make sure they aren't infected." She picked her up by her underarms and pulled her up, "I need your help, Robin. I know you're injured, but-"
"I'll be fine." He grabbed her legs and hoisted her up. His shoulder felt as if it was on fire but he could cry later, "On you, Tiff."
Dragging her back was simple enough, if tiring. They placed her on his bed and immediately got to work patching her up...or rather Tiff got to work patching him up since he didn't know much about healing at all. She took a moment to quickly bandage his shoulder first before working on her, cleaning the cuts and gashes lining her arms and legs before wrapping them in the thick cloth.
He wanted to leave, maybe get some food for her to avoid feeling useless, but she urged him to stay. 'Just being here is helping', she said...hah, she just wanted to make him feel better for not being able to assist her. Sitting on the stool, he watched as she brought a cup of water to the woman's lips and carefully let her drink. She had regained consciousness, albeit she was passing in and out of it.
"You're safe here." She wiped away the spilled water and gave her a reassuring smile, "Whoever hurt you is gone now."
"Wh-What?" She tried to sit up, but a stab of pain at her side put an end to that quickly, "Ah...shit. Her Majesty sends me on a mission and I get attacked by fake wolves. Just perfect." She laughed bitterly before turning to look at him, "Hey, kid, you alright? You took a real beating there before I could help out."
"I-I'm fine!" He held up both hands and waved them, a slight redness tinging his cheeks. Gods this was embarrassing; saved by the person he was trying to rescue, "J-Just get some rest and we can talk more tomorrow, Ms..." Ah, right, he never get her name.
"Name's Agnes, so none of that 'sir' or 'ma'am' wyverncrap." She yawned, "..Anyway, I'll do my best to get better as soon as I can so...yeah, thanks. Look in the pouch on my waist and you'll find at least a few hundred ecu. I owe you and all so you can take it."
"Oh, no need!" Tiffania denied quickly, "It was only right that we helped out someone who was in trouble." She smiled at Robin, which he reluctantly returned, "Please get some rest and don't hesitate to call us if you need anything. We'll be just in the next room."
The pair left the woman to her rest, making their way to Tiffania's room. As soon as they closed the door Robin removed Derflinger from his back and all but collapsed on the chair, staring up at the ceiling with a groan. What had happened back there? First he found a woman that had been attacked by fake wolves only to find out that they were controlled by some kind of witch that apparently knew him from before.
What was it that she called him? An...Undead? He placed two fingers against his neck...his heart was beating, or at least it certainly felt as such. His skin was somewhat cold but he always put that down to being somewhat sickly. Was he really...not a human being? Did Derflinger lie to him?
"Robin, what's wrong?" Tiffania asked, worried. He looked down and saw her sitting on the bed, her expression troubled, "Do your wounds hurt? If we go to town now we should be able to find at least one shop still open. If you can't wait until tomorrow-"
"Ah, no, it's nothing." He did his best to smile, "It's just..." He looked away, "Tiff...what would you do if I'm not who I say I am?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean...what if...what if I'm not human?" He squirmed in his seat awkwardly, "Before you arrived there was a woman there, she...I knew her. I don't know how I know that but I'm sure of it. She...She called me an Undead." He closed his eyes and clasped both hands in a prayer position, "She could have been lying, but she had no reason to. She could have killed me right then and there, but she said it wouldn't be 'fun'." He grit his teeth, "She was sure that I would recover my memory."
"I...I had my suspicions already." His head snapped up, eyes wide. She looked away, her expression torn, "The first ring my mother had given me had already run out long before I helped you. There were other injured before you that I couldn't save; the second ring she gave me...it didn't heal them at all." She bit her bottom lip, "But still, I wanted to try and save them. Every time someone was injured I tried to use the ring to save them but they always died...all except you."
"So...you knew from the beginning that...that I wasn't human?"
"I...I didn't know who you were, exactly. My mother told me that the ring would help those who've already 'passed the threshold of death'," She explained, "It was a relic from her homeland. She called it a 'ring of sacrifice'. Replacing death with something else."
"All this time...I was never human..." He closed his eyes and shook his head, "All this time I never even suspected that...that I was some kind of reanimated corpse!" He stood up abruptly and tried to leave. Tiffania quickly followed after him and held onto his left hand, "Tiff, l-let go. I need to leave. I'm some kind of monster-"
"You're not a monster!" Her hold on his hand tightened and she pulled him into a sudden embrace. He should have pushed her off, but he couldn't muster the will to do so. He wanted her to never let go.
"I...but you know that-"
"If you're a monster then what am I?" She cupped his cheek with both hands. She was crying, but she still did her best to smile for him, "I've been called a monster my whole life. Big sis and the rest of the children, they accepted me for who I am...and so did you." She took a deep breath, "If you call yourself a monster for possibly being Undead then I'm a monster for being a Half-Elf."
"Tiff, you're not a monster." He brought a hand through her hair, stopping only when he reached the top of her head. It felt nice, "You have pointed ears and I'm...rotting. There's a difference-"
"There's no difference!" She interrupted forcefully, "People look at me and see a demon. You and everyone else think otherwise, and that's good enough for me." She pressed their foreheads together, their lips nearly touching, "If you want to call yourself a monster then call me one as well."
"That's not fair and you know it." He gave her a sad smile. Gods, she always knew what to tell him, "I...need to talk to Derflinger tomorrow...ask him to explain what all this means so..."
His words died in his throat as she closed her eyes and pressed their lips in a soft kiss. It was longer this time, their contact lingering compared to the affectations a few nights ago. Her arms draped themselves around his neck and his hands lowered, grasping at her waist clumsily before pulling her close. All at once he felt his troubles disappear, replaced only by a desire to deepen the kiss.
They separated, both of their faces tinged red and pointedly looking away from one another. That was...well, he didn't know how else to describe it except for breathtaking.
Tiffania shuffled in place, hands wringing together restlessly, "I...sorry for being so forward, Robin." She blushed even deeper, "I'm...normally not like this...but I didn't want you to call yourself a monster or...or for you to leave me." She licked her lips nervously. Gods he wanted to kiss her again, "I hope that you didn't think I was being too mean or anything."
"N-No, quite the opposite in fact." He traced the edge of her ears and she giggled, "Now I have to wonder what I did to deserve someone as great as you."
"R-Robin!" She pushed him off and turned away, the red covering reaching up to the tips of her ears.
"What? It's true!" He laughed and wrapped his arms around her in a hug, "Just because it's embarrassing doesn't mean I'm lying." She still didn't turn around, "Come on, Tiff, this can't be the first time someone flirted with you."
"That's not...we should go to sleep." She gently pried his arms off and sat on the bed, "Since Ms. Agnes is occupying my bed I suppose that we should share the bed for tonight...or until she gets better."
Now it was his turn to blush. Gods, how was it that he could even go red if he was already dead? "Uh...I was just going to sleep on the floor, actually-"
"No." She shook her head, "If anyone of us should sleep on the floor it should be me. You're the one with an injury." He opened his mouth to protest but she cut him off, "I knew you'd disagree so that's why I suggested we share the bed. B-Besides," She looked down at her lap, "W-We're l-l-lovers, so it's not shameful to do this...right? B-Besides, we've already k-kissed so sleeping in the same bed is alright."
...Gods, he really wanted to kiss her again. No, he needed to have some self-control.
"I-If you're sure..." At her nod he settled himself on the side of the bed, making sure to face away from her. The bed was small so they had to squeeze together, "Tiff, are you okay?" He very pointedly ignored the two globes being pressed on his back. Tiffania was hugging him; an extra insurance from falling off the bed, "J-Just say if you're uncomfortable, okay?"
"Okay..." Her breath was warm against his back. Holding onto one of her draped hands and squeezing gently, he closed his eyes and allowed sleep to take him.
Well, here they were again: Albion. Louise closed her eyes and took a deep breath, relishing in the cold air of the floating colony. After the many days on horseback and the extra day they spent cramped into a small ship (it was the only one willing to take them on such short notice) she found herself cherishing whatever speck of difference she could receive. Granted it wasn't comfortable being here - already she was shivering from the chill - but it was better than the same tedium she'd gotten used to in weeks.
Not that the citizens were doing much to make her feel welcome. It took only one glance at the people milling about town for her to tell that they either avoided her like the plague or looked at her as if she were some kind of aberration. Well, it didn't surprise her - She was a noble and the nobility weren't exactly popular in this town at the moment regardless whether they were a Tristanian or an Albionese.
"You seem calm, my lady. I would've thought this place would hold bad memories for you," Julio remarked, already beginning his walk to the town's edge. If they hoped to find Raziel then they would need to return to Saxe-Gotha.
"It does, but I do my best not to think about it," Louise replied. In all honesty the memories were already fading, though she knew by this point that the scars would remain. Going back to where they nearly died wouldn't do much to improve her mood, "I know you told me that Albion came back and won the war but this is still somewhat unbelievable. It makes our stand at Saxe-Gotha look kind of stupid in hindsight."
Even now, over a month later, the damage still hadn't been fully repaired. All around her she could see packed inns, people sleeping on the side of the road with sleeping bags and tents. Merchants desperately hawked their wares, lowering prices to the absolute minimum to try and receive some sort of compensations. Louise sighed and bought a pair of extra thick cloaks, waving away the merchant's constant 'thank you's'.
"It was brave, my lady. You couldn't have known that they would intervene," Julio looked back at her and smiled, accepting the cloak gratefully, "I hear Queen Henrietta is still here in Albion, actually. There appears to be some issues with regards to the treaty so the proceedings have been extended. Do you wish to see her?"
"When we're done." She pursed her lips. She could tell Julio was tempting her to divert from her course and while she appreciated that he worried for her she wasn't going to change this, "I'm sure she'll be grateful to you for saving me, as will my family."
"Kindness is its own reward, as my master would say." He laughed, "Now come, I'm sure you're eager to meet your Familiar once more."
Making their way back to Saxe-Gotha was disconcerting, at least it was for Louise. She still remembered the men they'd killed...the vanguard wasn't that far off from the village when they first met them and they were at least a hundred men strong. She still remembered killing most of them, though by now their faces had mostly blended together into a blurry amalgamation.
It was only when they arrived at the field that she felt it - The unnatural cold in the air that caused a chill down to her bone. Dismounting her horse she tightened the cloak around herself and shivered. It wasn't as if it was cold - the sun was beating down on them just a scant few minutes ago - but the second they had arrived here it felt as if she had gone naked into a snowstorm.
Looking around there was certainly nothing unnatural about the field...well, there were a few holes and displaced earth from the conflict, but beyond that there was absolutely nothing that made it stand out.
So why in helheim did it feel like she was doused in icy water?
"You feel it as well, Ms. Valliere?" Julio asked, his hands shaking slightly. It felt worse for him but he had experienced it before, "Perhaps the rumors were true after all."
"Rumors? What rumors?" Oh God it was getting worse. She breathed into her hands desperately and tried to warm herself, "And why is it so cold here? Did Cromwell cast a dying curse or something?"
"He was a pawn; he wouldn't have the power for something like this," Julio knelt and traced a hand through the soil. Devoid of warmth, just like the first days before Light came to them. He winced; tapping into such distant memories was always difficult, "We had already left before I could see it but I had heard from second-hand sources that a monster had turned the army."
"A...monster? Are they...talking about Raziel?"
"Rumors and hearsay can mean anything, my lady." He did his best to give her a comforting smile, "It was a beast of pure Darkness, or so the story goes. It drove men mad with its very presence, they said." He stood up and wiped the dirt from his pants, "But we both know that rumors shift. Others claim it was Brimir punishing man for their hubris, others still think they refer to 'monster' metaphorically"
"...There's nobody here." She looked away from him and scanned the field. It was totally barren...even Raziel's body was missing.
"This place appears to be abandoned," Julio said, "You're a Void Mage and I am a Void Familiar, hence why we feel this unnatural chill in the air." He looked up at the sunny sky and smirked, "Everyone else...it would be disconcerting, yes, but they wouldn't be as severely affected as we were." His grin faltered. If the very earth was this damaged he dreaded to see what Raziel's condition was...or if they was even a Raziel left. Still, given that there wasn't news of a rampaging beast slaughtering its way through Albion he still held onto some measure of hope that this could be salvaged.
"We should probably go to the closest village then" Louise suggested, "Since no one's going to help us in the port town we can probably ask around there instead and get our next lead."
"In Sir. Raziel's...condition, I rather doubt he would go to such a populated location. Did you try using your Familiar's Bond."
"It didn't work," She bit back, annoyed, "I've been trying the whole trip here but all I get is a headache. At times I can maybe see a few blurry images, but nothing I can really use."
"Hmm, I suggest the forests then." She raised an eyebrow at that, "Merely my own suggestion, my lady. People of his...condition would avoid populated areas. Undead are solitary by nature and it was only through spending time with you that he overcame his fears."
"So you think he's squatting in a cave somewhere?" She asked back.
"Perhaps, but I know at best that he wouldn't be in a town. Solitude would be his first instinct."
She chewed on her lower lip briefly before sighing, "...Fine." She conceded, "If we have to search every cave in this damned island then so be it. I'm not leaving till we see him again."
The sun was high in the sky by the time he had woken up.
Sitting up on the small bed, Robin rubbed the sleep from his eyes and yawned, "Tiff..." He looked to the side and found himself completely alone. What time was it? She must have woken up before him. Huh...they had slept together. He tried to stop the giddy smile from overtaking his face; it wasn't a big deal, just sleeping in the same bed, but he felt ecstatic all the same.
Stifling another yawn he placed his feet on the floor and blinked: Tiffania was right there. Sitting in front of a desk with her back towards him, her head tilted from side to side as she hummed something under her breath. She must not have heard him. Grinning to himself, he stood up as quietly as he could and tiptoed his way towards her.
"Morning, Tiff." She jumped in her seat, but it was interrupted when he wrapped his arms around her shoulders in a quick embrace and pecked her on the cheek. All at once she broke into a fit of giggles and readjusted her place on the seat, "Writing a letter?"
"Just re-writing my mother's song." She kissed his cheek in turn, "I misplaced the old sheet and I need to re-write all the lyrics." She already memorized the song by heart but some of the children had tried their luck with it as well. Amy was doing better than the others, "I'm sorry I didn't hear you wake up. I was just concentrating. You seemed so at peace earlier that I didn't wake you up for breakfast."
"Oh, it's fine." He released the embrace and made to stand beside her, "Anyway, this was the song you were singing a few nights ago, yeah?" She nodded, returning to her writing. He read the letters silently...these were, "Hey, Tiff...this isn't the same language the ones in town use, right?"
"Hmm? Oh, yes, this is Elven script." She finished the last line in the verse and turned to him, "My mom taught me how to read both the Elven and Human languages. There...wasn't much else to do in our time."
"Looks like Oolacilian text to me..." Robin muttered, quickly shaking it off. Nah, he was thinking too much, "Anyway, I gotta ask: You always tell me about your mom and all but you never said her name. It's kinda awkward always thinking of her as 'Tiff's mom'."
"Truly? Oh, I'm sorry I didn't realize. Her name was Estella."
"Estella..." He knew the meaning of the word: Star. How exactly he knew that was beyond him but that wasn't important now, "I...notice that you don't mention your dad much. Some bad blood there?"
"Not really." Her smile still remained despite the question, "I just...didn't know him as well as I did mother. I know he loved us - I still remember the time he let me play in the royal vault - but my memories of him are few and far. Mother was the one who guided me, taught me most of everything I know. You can thank her for the stew you and the kids like so much since she was the one who taught it to me.
"I'd definitely thank her if I could." Robin smirked. After all, she was half the reason Tiffania was in this world; that was worth more than a few thank you's.
"Oh, before I forget: Both Miss. Agnes and Mr. Derflinger are awake and wish to speak with you." She returned to the sheet, "Oh, and...I wanna introduce you to someone tonight. I told her all about you and she decided she wants to meet you."
"Can't wait." He kissed the top of her head before leaving their currently-shared room. Now more and more he felt Derflinger's offer burning at the back of his mind. If forgetting everything meant he could stay here then he would happily pay that price. Even if he was...some kind of reanimated corpse, she didn't care. She still cared about him, and he cared about her, that was all that mattered-
The events of last night came back at him in a rush. The woman...the one that had attacked Ms. Agnes, she knew him. She was dangerous, that much was clear, and he...he couldn't even fight back properly. As he was now he was weak, erasing his memories would make that permanent.
It was only when he stood in front of the door to his room that he heard the conversation.
"He doesn't remember anything? You're not just pulling my leg here?" Ms. Agnes' voice.
"Wouldn't dream of it, Ms. Knight! All the memories are locked tightly in a little box and at his word I can throw it in the trash." And that was Derflinger's voice. At least he was awake, "I can guess why you were sent up here all by your lonesome - You're looking for Pinky, aren't you?"
"Queen Henrietta heard news of her survival, so yes I was sent to search for her. I started my search in the fields of Saxe-Gotha and, well, shit happened." He heard a laugh, "I'm guessing you don't know anything?"
"Nope. If I did I'd send you to her straight away. Er...just to clarify, Queenie only wants Pinky, right? My partner's not part of this little search and recover?"
"Ms. Valliere is my only priority; whether she comes back with or without her Familiar was never part of the assignment's details. If you want me to keep his little secret here then I'm all for it; I do owe him for last night. I doubt Her Majesty will care all that much so long as Ms. Valliere's alright."
That was as far as he let them go. Opening the door, he caught sight of Agnes snapping her gaze to meet his before she visibly calmed, "Damn, kid, you scared the hel out of me." She laughed, sitting up on the bed (which was impressive considering her state the night before) to be more level with him, "What's wrong, kid? You look like you swallowed a Beholder."
"You...knew who I was?" He asked, "I, um, heard your conversation."
"Catch that, huh? Knew I heard someone skulking around outside." She gave a slightly pained smile as she moved her arms experimentally, "But to answer your question, well...yeah. Not that we were best friends or anything, but I ran into you a few times when Ms. Valliere was asked to perform a service for Queen Henrietta."
"Queen? Uh...that's where you lose me. I doubt I was spending time with nobility, nevermind royalty, even if it was just as a servant."
"Wow, you really don't remember anything." She whistled, shooting Derflinger a quick glance "Well, I guess your 'partner' was right about that. I mean you could be faking, but from what little I saw of you back then you always were a stubborn ass. Hard to believe you're the same guy I nearly got into a fight with."
"We..fought?" He forced a laugh. Great, he probably embarrassed himself there.
"For a bit, but Daphne and Amethyst split us up before you could kill me." His eyes widened at the response, "What? Oh, yeah, sorry nearly forgot about the memory loss there for a bit. Yeah, you were pretty good in a fight. No technique to speak of from what I saw, but you didn't really need it. Sure didn't stop you from beating up one of my Musketeers or gouging that blonde prick's eyes out."
"Urgh..." He swallowed, trying to ignore the sick feeling in his stomach, "Could we...please talk about something else? I..don't want to hear about the fights I got into before."
"Huh, didn't think losing your memory means you're a completely different person. You must have had some nasty stuff in that head of yours."
"You have no idea, Ms Knight. I'm still rooting through all of it and it just gets nastier and nastier," Derflinger quipped.
"Well, if we wanna continue this conversation then lets do it outside." She stood up shakily. Robin moved to help her but she waved him off quickly, "I can walk on my own two legs. Just need to get the blood pumping again is all."
"Your wounds-"
"They were worse than they looked," She dismissed casually, "Our 'friend' from last night wanted me to bleed slow, so she made sure not to hit anywhere too vital. Besides, your girlfriend gave me some tonics so I'll be good as new in a bit." She took a moment to balance herself before continuing, "Oh yeah, you don't have to give me the 'She's a good Elf' lecture. I already got that from her and since I'm not one to bite the hand that feeds me I'll keep that a secret too."
"Um...please go on ahead, I need to talk to Derflinger first."
He waited a few minutes after she had left the room before looking back at the sword. Derflinger caught his gaze and spoke first, "What's wrong, partner? You look like you swallowed something you shouldn't have?" He watched the young man trudge to the bed before sitting down on it, all without saying a word, "Uh...any reason for the silent treatment? You did tell Ms. Knight that you-"
"Why didn't you tell me I was Undead?"
A stifling silence filled the room, interrupted only by the few mundane creaks of the house. Derflinger heaved a sigh before nudging himself out of his hilt, "How'd you find out about that?"
"Last night after you fainted...a woman attacked us."
"What kind of woman? A bandit?"
"No, she didn't look like it. She...was wearing a hood so I couldn't make out her features, but I remember the runes." He traced the length of his forehead, "They were on her forehead, glowing with some kind of purple light." He didn't miss the way Derflinger's hilt clicked, "She...She told me that she knew me before and that the only reasons he didn't kill me was because...there would be no fun in it."
"What else did she tell you?" Derflinger's voice had taken a colder tone, "This is important, partner. What else?"
"Sh-She told me that she was sure that my memory would come back and that...that she would come back when it did." He shook his head, "I...Derflinger, I don't know what's happening. It slipped my mind last night but...what if she comes back?"
"She won't. Remember what she said; she'd only come back if you remember anything. I'm going to find the deepest, darkest hole I can and I'm gonna put your old memories down there for good."
"W-We might need them! If she comes back then...you heard what Ms. Agnes said: I can't fight now, but with my memories I could. If she comes back she could hurt Tiffania and the others and I won't let that happen."
"She just said she'd only come back if you remembered anything!" He argued back, "Seems to me that keeping these memories is just going to bait her to come back! There's a reason she didn't kill you last night, partner! I don't know what it was, but if it means you're still here then I'm not gonna argue."
"What if she was lying? What if I erase my memories and she came back? We'd all be dead."
"If she comes back then let me deal with it!" Derflinger said, "I took over your body last night and helped you out then, right? If she comes back then I'll make sure she's dead even if it takes all my magic."
"You were gone for a day and you only took over for a couple of minutes. I don't know how your magic works but you might not be so lucky next time!"
"Then I'll make sure to drag her down with me." He snorted, "What, you think I'm afraid of going out? I've been alive for thousands of years, partner. At this point things are becoming stale enough that going out in a blaze of glory is something new at the very least."
Robin looked down and bit his lip, "Why...Why are you being so nice to me?" You don't have to risk your life for me like this."
"...Alright, let me tell you another story," Derflinger sighed, "Look, it's been thousands of years and I've had hundreds of wielders. Bandits kings, mercenaries, nobles, Vampires, knights, necromancers, theatre actors: You name it there's a pretty good chance that I've been in the possession of one of em. You know one thing thing they all had in common?"
"Uh...they all bought you from the store?"
"Almost none of them had happy endings," His voice had lowered into a harsh whisper, You know how I got new wielders? Nine out of ten times my new owner was the guy who killed my last one. A knight kills a necromancer so he takes me as a prize, that knight's killed in a bandit raid and the leader takes me as a trophy and then that bandit is killed by a mercenary for a job and takes me as a bonus. Repeat this for a few thousand years and you got my life in a nutshell." He laughed, though there was no humor in it, "There were a few breaks from the routine there - my last owner sold me in a shop where you found me - but even then I have no idea what happened to the poor bastard. Probably hanging from the gallows somewhere."
"...What does this have to do with me?"
"I'm tired of seeing my wielders die, partner. Most of em were pricks, sure, but some of them were decent enough guys and they died all the same. Right here you have a chance to make something of your life, to do something else besides dying alone in some kind of battlefield. If I'm being honest I'd rather die making sure that happens rather than have you die and get shunted over to another guy before he gets killed too."
"I..."
"If you can't accept that then just think I'm doing this cause I'm selfish and there's nothing you can do to stop me," He interrupted, "Either way I'm going to do my best to make sure one of my partners get a decent life. I wanna do that at least once in this long life of mine."
"...Thank you." He clenched his fists and tried to steady himself, "It's just...I would have appreciated it if you told me what I was right from the start. It would have made things easier."
"You would have used it as an excuse to get depressed," Derflinger replied half-heartedly, "I was getting tired of 'O woe is me! I'm a monster! It doesn't matter if I die cause I'm already dead' bla bla bla."
"N-No I wouldn't!" His face burned, "It's just...alright, I was depressed when I first found out, but Tiffania accepted me for what I am and...that's enough." He finished lamely, "I don't know what I'm going to tell the kids, but Tiffania believing in me...that's a start. I can live with myself if she can."
"Wow, these memories of yours really did fuck with your head. If you acted like this back then you would have been easier to get along with." Derflinger chuckled, "Alright, go talk to the knight. I'll be here when you're done and we can discuss what to do with your memories."
"R-Right."
She'd found him.
Ciaran knelt on the tree branch, watching the pair move through the forest. The first of them was a young woman, a soldier given the way she carried herself. The second was a young man, barely more than a child really. Neither appeared to be armed, but she knew better than to take that at face value. From below her Fenris hid behind the foliage, watching the pair intensely.
The necklace hummed continuously, the metal almost burning a hole through her armor. One of them was the monster, but which one? Killing them both would have solved her problems but she was nothing if not precise. It was highly unlikely that the innocent among the pair knew they were talking to a monster.
"Was I...really that much of a jerk?" The young man asked, pace rushing to catch up with the older woman.
"You had your days, yeah...actually from what little I saw of you you had your weeks." She laughed. It was strained, obviously a result of the injuries she sported, "So you're really planning to stay here, huh? Put it all behind you? Those kids seemed real fond of you so I can see not wanting to disappoint them."
"That's what Derf is suggesting, yes. He...I'm happy here. I'm not sure how things were back then but Derflinger told me that the silver linings didn't make up for it."
"Hmm...well, whenever I saw you it was either you were pissed off, injured or both...mostly it was both." She smiled wryly, "Listen, kid, I don't blame you for not wanting to go back. Everyone wants a peaceful life and when I retire I'm planning the same. Living in the countryside, just watching the sunset pass." She clapped his shoulder, "Ms. Valliere will just have summon another Familiar if it comes down to it."
Their conversation continued, the Lordsblade trailing after them silently. Neither of them seemed like they were Manus. A trick perhaps? Or...a host? She'd dealt with people who had unknowingly been corrupted before. Despite her ill view of Humanity they weren't all willing thralls of the Dark, but they could turn into Malfested all the same. Killing them before the insanity took them fully was a mercy.
The pair finally separated, the woman trudging back to the previous path while the young man stayed, picking what seemed to be mushrooms . She maneuvered herself till she was above the young man and gripped the amulet tightly. The woman was drawing further and further away but the metal still continued its quick thrumming.
He was the one, then. A child had been chosen as the host. She shook her head, willing away her hesitation. Mercy was a virtue, and one that she couldn't afford. She'd seen the results of hesitation before - Innocents turned into monsters against their will, their minds taken over by the primal instinct to consume. At the very least she could make this quick.
She jumped, feeling the air rush from underneath her briefly, before she landed on top of him, "Wh-Who are you!? Are you with her!?" He struggled, hands pushing against her chest in a desperate attempt to knock her away. She pinned his arms above him with one hand, her other reaching for the pendant. One last test, she had to make sure. Removing the accessory from her neck she pressed the ornately decorated metal against his chest.
His reaction was instantaneous: He screamed, his struggles intensifying as the metal burned his skin. To a normal human it would have been a soft warmth, almost calming even, but to those that had been corrupted it was akin to burning alive in fire.
"You're the host..." He looked up at her with wide eyes, tears running down the side of his face. How could Manus...how was it that he could use such a fragile being as its vessel? She'd heard tales of a dark beast decimating an entire army, could a single host even hope to contain such a horrid thing? Regardless, the amulet made it clear he was the only one. Steeling her resolve she removed one of her tracers and-
"Let go of him!" Her head snapped to the direction of the call. A small child stood there, hands shakily pointing a flintlock at him, "I said let go of him!" His shaking only worsened despite the intensity of his cry.
She saw Fenris snarling and she shook her head. It was nothing more than an unaware child. Hopefully he hadn't been corrupted as of yet.
"Stay away, child. This does not-"
She never finished her warning. Robin struck his hand up, hitting her throat and causing her to pull back. He threw another desperate punch at her gut and kicked her away. His chest burned, but he forced himself to stand. He had to get out of here before she recovered.
Ciaran watched through pained eyes as the young man picked up the child in his arms and ran. Aware or not the beast had given him strength; no ordinary human would have been able to punch through her armor like that. Sitting up, she coughed and rubbed her throat as Fenris rushed to her side, "A light wound. Do not worry..." The wolf barked happily and pointed his snout at the direction they ran.
They needed to catch up.
Robin didn't know how long he had run, but it was only when he was sure that she wasn't behind him that he finally allowed himself to let go of Vaan, "Ahh..." He sucked in a pained breath as the injury in his chest flared. Gods damn it, was she with that woman? He was right; she wouldn't wait for him to recover his memory. He had to lead her away from the others before she killed them too.
"Vaan, stay up here." He carried the child to the lowest hanging branch of a small tree, "Climb as high as you can and wait for a few minutes. When you're sure its safe go back to the village and warn everyone to lock their doors and stay hidden."
"But what about you!?" He protested.
"I'll be...I'll be fine..." He took the flintlock from the younger man's hands. It would give him maybe a few extra seconds of life but he would take what he could get, "Just make sure to warn the others, okay? I'm going to lead her away from the village. I'll be back as soon as I can. Call for help from Ms. Agnes and Derflinger if you can but don't do anything risky, okay?"
"Big bro-"
"No arguments." He interrupted, looking behind him briefly. She wasn't there yet, that was a good sign, "Just do this for me, okay?"
Before the child could argue once more he ran, rushing to the closest clearing. He would have to bait her to chasing after him and in this dense forest she held the advantage. In an open field he could at least see her coming.
He crashed through the trees and stopped only when he saw the empty space that made up the clearing, "Come on..." He held the gun with both hands and searched frantically. Without the trees as cover she would have to charge through the clearing to come after him. With any luck he would hit her somewhere vital and stop her before she could hurt anyone else.
His search was interrupted by a sudden headache, "What...not now..." His left eye felt as if it had been stabbed. He could see...a young man smiling, small fingers holding onto a wand. No, he needed to concentrate before-
"Ah!" He let out a strangled cry as a wolf bounded on top of him, its lips open in a fierce snarl. His hands fumbled desperately for the flintlock but his hands were pinned. The woman followed soon after, trudging towards him slowly with both hands holding onto her curved daggers, "Wh-Why are you doing this!" He tried once more to reach the gun. The woman's appearance had lowered the animal's focus and he could almost reach it, "I never did anything to you!"
The woman hesitated for a moment before she released a soft breath, "You hold a monster inside, whether you are aware of it or not." She knelt down next to him, "I am sorry for this. Know that your sacrifice saves the lives of others..."
Now! Grabbing the flintlock he shot the wolf's side and threw it off. The woman jumped back in surprise and he rushed ahead, fist raised, before he felt two painful pricks at his chest.
"What...?" He looked down and let out a pained gasp. She'd stabbed him, both daggers piercing through his chest nearly to the hilt, "...I'm sorry." She pressed them deeper and he let out a choked cry of pain. He could feel the blood leaking from the wounds, the black and red liquid pouring onto the green earth. Robin closed his eyes; he could feel his consciousness fading even as he heard Derflinger's frantic cries.
The young man's body grew still, falling limp in her arms. She turned her head to the woman holding a sword in her arms, her eyes wide and mouth agape in shock. No doubt she'd come here to help him; a noble gesture, if misguided. She briefly contemplated explaining before deciding against it: Unless they saw them turn to monsters they never believed, always assuming that it was nothing more than unjust murder."
She needed to leave before she recovered from her shock-
A hand clamped around her arm like a vice, fingers digging into her skin painfully. Looking down she gasped at the dark eyes that met her gaze, at the open mouth exposing a row of sharp teeth, "Ciaran..." The voice was inhuman...and familiar.
Before she could push him away his free arm hit against her shoulder fiercely. She bit back a scream as she heard the snap; he'd broken her arm. Following up he brought a knee against her stomach. Once, twice, three times. He stopped only when she coughed out trail of golden blood, the ichor draining from her lips. She...She needed to cast a miracle and heal herself.
Seeing his master's distress Fenris charged, ignoring the wound at his side. He threw the Demigod away before pulling his leg back. Fenris let out a loud whine as the foot connected with his injured side and he flew through the air before he crashed against a nearby tree, nearly going through it altogether.
It whimpered, paws desperately trying to pull itself up.
"Foolish animal..." Keep in control...he had to keep in control. Slowly the darkness from his eyes faded and his teeth returned to their normal sharpness.
Raziel watched as the assassin retreated to the wolf's side. Going after them unarmed would be foolish - He needed a weapon; turning his gaze to the shocked musketeer he rushed towards her and took Derflinger from her grasp, "Can you fight?" She was injured, but as long as she could hold a sword she could be useful.
"What-"
"Can you fight?" He fastened Derflinger on his back and unsheathed the blade. Everything was coming back at once: His fight against the Gods in Lordran, his misguided journey out of a belief that he was a chosen hero and the struggles he fought through with Louise. All three lifetimes, trying to engulf his mind. The runes at his hand burned; either Derflinger was trying to seal his memories once more or he was returning them.
"Yeah..." She unsheathed her own blade and took out a flintlock, "Mind explaining what's going on here?"
"I do not know much more than you." His eyes narrowed as saw the bright light engulf the pair. She was performing a miracle. Of course, how could he have forgotten? She stood up shakily, her previously broken arm holding onto the blade tightly. The wolf followed her example, catching the dagger she threw in its mouth and holding it in between his teeth.
Manus had fought her before. This time there would be no escape.
"Well now, this wasn't what I expected."
The sudden intrusion drew all of their attention. Julio watched them all, an amused smile playing at his lips. At his side Louise looked at the scene in confusion, her eyes lingering at the injured musketeer, "Agnes? Is that you?"
"Ms. Valliere?" Agnes' eyes narrowed, "What are you doing here...and with him?"
"I rescued her, but we can discuss that in detail later." He turned to Ciaran, his smile practically turning into a beam, "Ciaran, it has been such a long time. I must admit I'm surprised to see you here."
Ciaran's eyes narrowed from underneath her mask, "Identify yourself." She kept her attention focused on the Host. He didn't return the favor, turning his gaze to look at the pink haired girl the priest had brought with him.
"Hm? Oh yes, I suppose I do look different, but my memories still remain." Held up his hands, "Come now, did you truly forget about me? You swore fealty to me, did you not? You and the rest of your compatriots served as my knights in those trying times."
"What?" She finally turned to look at him. She didn't recognize him; it had to have been a trick, "How do you-"
"You were there for the rebellion. Your contributions aided us greatly in pacifying the dissenters," He continued, "If you hadn't assassinated the Duke de Rival he would have rallied his armies to march against us." He smirked, "Still not convinced? You were there when we sentenced Havel to his punishment. Exile into the tower on the edge of the Darkroot. Given the situation it was the closest mercy we could give him."
"How do you know this?" Her hands shook, her grip on her weapons faltering.
"I know this because I was there, because I was the one who had sent you to these things." He stepped closer into the clearing, Louise following after him reluctantly, "Need I continue? I was the one who sent you to kill Lady Micaiah; she had planned to poison those loyal to us in a banquet. I knighted you myself, even when you'd lied about your identity. I-"
"Quiet!" She pointed her weapon at him now, "You...even if you are who you claim to be, it changes nothing." She glared at the Host, "Manus is here. My vow involved eradicating all of his ilk from this world. If you are truly who you say you are you would aid me in this."
"You failed before...you will not succeed now." Raziel snarled.
Rip the flesh from her bones, make her choke on her own blood. She would die.
Seeing the darkness corroding his skin Julio stepped closer, "Things aren't the same as they once were," He pressed, "He wrought destruction once, but now he could help save this world. Prevent it from its predestined fate as Lordran had once fallen into-"
"Your pride begets your true nature, pretender." She interrupted. She felt rage well up inside; this...this deceiver had nearly tricked her. Lord Gwyn would never use the Dark as a tool. He knew better than anyone the consequences for underestimating it, "If you wish to defend this...creature, then you will die with him. If you wish to live then stay out of my way."
"Calm yourself-"
A peal of laughter caught their attention, followed by a series of slow claps. Raziel's eyes narrowed while Agnes stood rigid by his side, head darting to try and find the source. Julio's smile disappeared, replaced quickly by a sudden scowl.
Louise looked around worriedly, "What's going on?"
"An old acquaintance has come to interrupt our meeting." Julio unsheathed his sword, "Prepare yourself, my lady. Her laughter is never a good omen."
"What is this?" Ciaran looked around, eyes widening as she saw the flock of crows lining every branch. A trap of some sort? No, all of them looked far too panicked at the sudden intrusion.
A woman seemingly materialized on a high branch, the runes on her forehead glowing from under her hood. A pack of small gargoyles flew around her, each holding various weapons, "I must admit, this is a pleasant surprise." Her voice was akin to that of a child who had received a present, "To think you would all gather in one place without having to be drawn here...fortune truly favors us indeed."
"You were...the one who sent those spies?" Ciaran's stance lowered. The gargoyles could swoop down at any moment.
"Yes." She giggled, "I must admit it was nothing more than chance that I managed to find you; I thought you perished along with all the rest in the old world, but to think the corpse would be your target." She broke into another fit of giggles, "I had plans to take care of you myself, a degree of punishment for your failure to aid us before, but with this you can entertain my master as well-"
The clap of a gunshot interrupted her rant. Cursing to herself, Agnes watched as one of the Gargoyles fell and shattered into a multitude of pieces. The damn thing had used itself as a shield.
"Now that was rather rude." She chided playfully, "And to think I found you by chance as well. I'd almost think you all planned to meet together." She brought a hand from under her robe and fished out a few runed stones, "Regardless, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I didn't take advantage of the situation. Do try your best to put up a fight; my master will be watching and he so hates to be bored."
The stones crashed against the ground and glowed briefly before releasing their magic. Raziel watched with a scowl a multitude of constructs appeared: Titanite Demons, hulking Gargoyles and various other monstrosities all emerged. He took a quick glance at the others - All of them followed his example, looking at one another uncertainly before snapping back to the monsters.
The truce was unspoken but clear.
Sheffield watched with manic glee as her creations charged ahead, swiping madly at the person closest to them. She made sure not to go too far, however - A game was only fun when the opposing players had a chance, or so her master claimed. If it was her she would have killed him and have it over and done with, but her beloved's wishes would be fulfilled. She could only hope he finally found some true amusement from this.
The Undead ducked under the gargoyle's clumsy swipes and clambered onto its back. Her brows raised slightly as it grabbed its wings and pulled, severing the stony wings with a quick pull, before stabbing his blade through the back of its head.
Hmm, it appeared stronger than when she'd last confronted it. Fascinating, "Lets test its endurance." With a snap of her fingers a Titanite demon bounded over and slammed its trident on top of him. The sharpened edges pierced through the the Undead and Gargoyle both, pinning it in place. It struggled, the corruption in its skin only worsening, but it showed no signs of ceasing his movements.
The construct was thrown back by a bolt of lighting, allowing the Undead to stand and pull the serrated points off himself - Even from where she stood she could see the wide holes already healing themselves, dark tendrils covering the wounds before disappearing.
Her focus shifted from the Undead to the priest - Gwyn's successor, the one she'd spared before. For the new 'Lord of Sunlight' he was weak, far weaker than any reincarnated God had the right to be. His left hand spasmed, arcs of light running through the length of his arm. He stepped back, pulling the young Void Mage with him, to join the female knight. Letting the others take the brunt of her attacks? Clever, if a bit cowardly.
Ciaran weaved under a large Golem's legs, nimbly dodging its arcing slashes. The creature was large, but she would be able to use its size against it. She pierced her blade through the back of its knee and twisted, her other hand rapidly stabbing the base of its spine. As it struggled Fenris scrambled up its back and swiped his held blade at the back of its neck.
These creatures...they held a resemblance to the giants of her homeland. Memories of training with Ghough flashed through her mind - Aim for their weaknesses. A giant's skin was tough and overwhelming force was unfeasible against them. Backing away from the fallen construct she unsheathed her throwing knife and threw it against another's eye before slashing at its throat.
These weren't Golems, not fully anyway. Parts of them were constructed, but they were a disgusting amalgamate of flesh and stone. It allowed them to accomplish tasks no mere Golem could hope to replicate but it also made them vulnerable, and she was willing to take full advantage.
Sheffield flicked a few extra constructs in her direction. It was a shame - It was quite clear that the woman's skills had atrophied. In her prime she was feared, more an idea than an individual. Stories spread of her deeds, of how she'd bypassed an entire army in order to kill its commander with all of them being none the wiser. Now she was struggling with a few of her experimental creations. Well if the Gods of Lordran had fallen, she supposed it made sense for their lessers to slip as well. An unfortunate development, if an expected one.
"Explosion!" Louise pointed her wand at a group of clustered imps. At her side she saw Agnes block a smaller gargoyle's swipe before cutting off its head. Another came up behind her, its trident raised, "Agnes, look out!"
The musketeer ducked, allowing herself to fall on the ground before shooting her spare flintlock right at the creature's neck. It sputtered briefly, trying to maintain its flight, before it crumbled into a few scattered pieces. Louise rushed to the woman and helped her up, "Are you alright?" She barely managed to catch her nod before Julio pulled them both back, another Gargoyle landing on top of where they stood..
Another bolt of lightning, another fallen construct. Julio took a deep breath to calm himself, doing his best to ignore the burst of pain that ran through his body. The soul of a God but the body of a Human made of an unfavorable combination.
Raziel grabbed the fallen hammer and smashed it against the demon's face. Pointless...this was all pointless. For every construct they killed the witch would summon another. Balling the dark fire in his hands he let loose a torrent of pillars before rushing back to the others. They'd faced something similar before, that spirit who had taken over Wales' body. Would the same method work again?
"Good of you to join us." Julio grinned despite the situation. Ciaran and her pet were nearby, her attention focused on the creatures beginning to surround them in a tight circle. At least they knew who the threat was, "It...appears our situation is dire. I don't suppose you have any ideas."
"Perhaps..." He looked to Louise, "Louise, cast the dispel magic once more. If it succeeds it could prove to be our salvation."
"What? How do you..." Her eyes widened as she caught sight of the sword and runes lining the back of his hands, "Raziel...? Is that you?"
"Now is not the time!" He blocked a golem's sword and kicked it away. Next to him Agnes finished reloading her flintlock and shot at another construct. They were getting closer, "We can defend you to the best of our abilities while you cast!"
Ciaran turned to him with a noise of disbelief "You wish to rely on this girl? This is madness-"
"Now is not the time for hesitation, Lady Ciaran." Julio did his best to ignore the glare the Demigod had given him, "Even if you do not trust him he has no reason to lie in this situation. We can continue our conflict when we are out of immediate danger."
She said said nothing, but her nod was all the confirmation they needed.
Louise still appeared hesitant, "But what happened last time-"
"We do not have a choice!" He threw another wave of dark fire, crating a makeshift barrier. "If you do not do it we all die here!"
"...Alright, keep them off me." She closed her eyes and began the incantation.
Sheffield's eyes narrowed. The girl was casting the incantation for dispel. Clever, but it did put her at risk. She raised her hand order her Golems to attack all at once before a crow perched on her shoulder, giving her a pointed stare, "...Master they pose a risk." It cawed, claws digging into her skin, "But...I understand, Master." She sighed. Her beloved could never throw a plaything away when he could still have fun with it.
His wishes were her wishes. Fishing through her robes a final time she threw the last of her creations and made to leave. Just because he was willing to give them a chance didn't mean she had to make it easy for them. If they failed here then they weren't worth her master's attention.
A stone knight swung its blade in a wide arc, nearly cutting off the musketeer's head, "Ms. Valliere, you might wish to hurry!" Agnes back hit against Raziel as she dodged the strike.
"Duck!" She lowered into a crouch and he cleaved through the stone knight. Giving him a quick 'thanks' she pulled him down just as a gargoyle attempted to stab him with a spear. She stood up shakily and tackled it to the ground, stabbing its neck frantically.
Julio attempted another miracle, "Argh..." He knelt, the spasming in his arm worsening. That was it, he'd reached his body's limits. As if sensing his weakness a sentry charged straight for him, its halberd raised.
Fenris pounced, knocking the artificial fighter into the dirt before biting off a huge chunk of its head. Ciaran pulled him up forcefully, pressing his discarded sword into his hands, "Stand and fight."
The fighting continued, the creatures seemingly endless. Louise rushed through her incantation, doing her best to focus even as the sounds of battle drew closer and closer. She could...She could feel the magic emanating from them, but it wasn't just them. Raziel, Julio and the woman...they would be affected by the spell as well. She bit her lip; the pain would be temporary and she could apologize later.
"Dispel!"
A bright light engulfed the area. All at once Louise felt her energy drain, her consciousness feeling faint. A long series of dull thuds followed...along with more than a few pained screams. Forcing her eyes to open she found the three writing on the ground, their expression pained. Agnes knelt by her side and tried to help her up while the wolf rubbed its nose on the woman's chest worriedly. She...to a normal Mage they would simply faint, their willpower taken from them, but to those three...it was only for a brief moment but she saw it - Their magics were tied to their very soul. To them it would have been akin someone ripping a piece of their very being away from them.
The pain was agonizing. Raziel let out a haggard scream, the darksign in his neck burning fiercely. His skin lurched, the corruption fighting to escape its confines. Close by he caught sight of Ciaran and Julio clutching their chests, their breaths shallow. Light or Dark...in the end they all had a price to pay. He had to recover quickly; he didn't trust Ciaran not to attack him in his state.
A pair of footsteps drew her attention. Turning her head to the source, Louise nearly screamed as she saw the young woman hesitantly walking closer. At first glance she appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary girl but the points of her ears dispelled that notion quickly. An Elf...they were all weakened from fighting and now an Elf just so happened to appear.
What did she do to make Brimir hate her so much!?
"Tiffania, that you?" Agnes slung the younger girl's arm around her shoulder and pulled her up, ignoring her panicked expression, "I told you not come here."
"I heard fighting...I thought I could help." She tightened her grip on her wand, "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."
"It's a good thing you did; we barely made it out of there." Agnes looked down at struggling Louise, "Ms. Valliere, please calm yourself. She means us no harm." She turned back to the Half-Elf, "We need to get them out of here. Can you check on Julio and the kid? Uh..careful of the woman in the blue armor; she attacked us before." She offered her one of her flintlocks but the girl only winced, "You might need it. I'm not sure if we can trust her not to attack. I'll bring Ms. Valliere back and come back as soon as I can but until then I need to make sure you can take care of yourself."
"I-I have my magic..." Tiffania watched the knight go before hesitantly walking closer to the three. Julio had fainted, his eyes closed in a measure of peace, while Raziel continued to struggle. Her eyes were drawn to the woman; she appeared to be the least affected by whatever it was that hurt them. The wolf at her side continued to bark what seemed to be encouragement and ignored her entirely.
"Robin, are you okay?" She knelt in front of him and held onto both his shoulder. He looked up and she gasped: The right side of his face was appeared as it always did, but the left was covered in a nightmarish amalgamation of scars, corroded tissue and blood, "Oh God, what happened to you." She cupped the injured side gently, doing her best not to hurt him, "We have to-"
Tiffania screamed as she was pulled back, a powerful arm wrapping around her and holding her in place. She looked up at the woman's cracked mask: She couldn't see her expression due the porcelain cover but she did hear her words, "You're...You're alive...I thought you died with her five years ago..."
"Wh-What-"
"Let go of her!" Raziel tried to stand but his legs refused to follow his commands. Ciaran looked back at him silently before her free hand raised her tracer, pointing it right at him, "If you wish to kill me then do so. Leave her out of it."
"You know her...of course, I should have expected it." He could practically feel the venom dripping from her voice, "Even back then you were drawn to her."
"What are you talking about...?" The beast fought, banging against its cage. Keep in control...he had to keep in control. He wouldn't lose himself in front of her, "Do not...touch her..."
Ciaran backed away, her grip on the girl never loosening. No...not again, she wouldn't let another of her wards suffer again. First in Oolacile, then when those humans had burned her out of misguided beliefs. She was too late to save the princess, but...but it wasn't too late for her.
"You may have doomed Princess Dusk once before but I refuse to let her daughter suffer the same fate!"
...Surprise! Well, not that much of a surprise really since Dark Souls characters are coming out of the woodwork for this fic. At this point most of the cast are either related to Dark Souls characters, reincarnation of Dark Souls characters, have elements of Dark Souls characters or are just plain Dark Souls characters transplanted to ZNT. It's rather telling that among the cast in this chapter only Agnes has no actual connection to the DS world.
So yeah, Tiff is Dusk's daughter. Considering they're both blonde with pointed ears and pleasant personalities you can point to a commonality connection between the two easily enough. Is it particularly original? Nope, but it gives me just a bit more to work with...and unlike Siesta this could actually factor in since she's a main member of the cast by virtue of her Void Magic.
A lot of changes in this chapter over the course of writing. Originally Ciaran was colder and merciless along with her prejudice against humans taking center stage. I decided to tone it down because it seemed massively out-of-character - Yes she's a professional, but she's not heartless. Raziel as well since he was supposed to be half-feral after Ciaran stabbed him, but here he's perfectly lucid save some brief moments since it made it difficult for him to work in tandem with the others if he couldn't talk or see friend from foe.
And I'll be honest, writing Tiffania's segments with 'Robin' was difficult. Her template is the same as Siesta - that of being the 'understanding Nice Girl' - and while her backstory offers far more potential her personality is just as vanilla/milquetoast. Keeping her in-character keeps her boring while shifting it would get accusations of character derailment so Mortons Fork is at play here.
That and I was just plain uncomfortable writing their sappy back and forths - Maybe it has to do with their naivete or because Tiffania's fifteen while 'Robin' looks about the same. I know people in hentai fuck long before they get to that age but I'm actively trying to move away from the ecchi-harem roots the series has, so it was kind off off-putting. That and knowing her backstory and Manus' 'love story' with Dusk adds a whole other layer of unfortunate implications to the pairing.
And before anyone comments on it - Yes I know its absurd that they all end up in that one clearing in sequential order like there's a damn clown car ferrying them around. I'll do my best to lower the absurdity meter for the coming chapters, but for now I'm invoking narrative causality -It happened that way cause the story needed as such to progress. The chances of them actually arriving by pairs in that order are slim to none but hopefully it doesn't break the Suspension of Disbelief.
To finish off, I'm surprised at the amount of people that sympathized with Siesta in the last chapter. I guess dignified acceptance just clicks with people or something.
Demons of Anarchy and Pride - Debatable. As other reviews made clear they think Raziel's life sucks and that he's better off on his own by ditching Louise. You think it's a life worth living, others would disagree with you and in-universe Derflinger is of the latter mindset.
Guest - Yeah, definitely caught that. While we might not agree on the Raziel/Tiffania ship, Julio/Louise is looking more and more unlikely. When I originally planned her romance with him Louise still retained a certain naivete of her character and Julio could bank on that. At this point she's much less willing to trust people and given the situation she wasn't in the mood for a relationship. We'll see if I can salvage it later or I just drop it altogether.
SirSquirtle - I doubt it. Assuming the 'external skin' masks their rotting scent Undead probably don't smell like anything outside of the things that cling to them like dirt or blood.
ArkT - Less absurd than Xehanort in that he's not singlehandedly responsible for everything - His comments to Julio make it clear that in the past arc they were played like a damn fiddle by Velka. That and it's debatable whether he has three personalities or three separate memories - You could easily argue that pre-kiln and post-kiln Raziel are different people/personalities the same way you can argue that he's the same person who's been broken and acts as such. To make it clear if the story hasn't already: He doesn't have the 'Manus' personalty from the flashbacks. That personality is long since insane, and what he regresses to when he loses control.
Everquesting - Thanks for the long review :D Will reply in PM.
Mo Eazy - Tiffania's parents relationship failed not because of their own problems, but through external circumstances. Even then it didn't seem that happy since Dusk/Estella was trapped in practical solitude with only her daughter for company - 'Robin's' relationship with Tiffania was happy at the cost of him intentionally blinding himself from the truth; even when he found out he was Undead Derflinger withheld info of his transformation into Manus . Whether its a price worth paying is another thing entirely.
You have a point there. Still, maybe the point wasn't reproduction but subversion? The Black Widow is a well known stereotype of a woman being able to seduce and manipulate others (male or female) to their whims. The opposite one, The Bluebeard, is relatively rare all things considered. These kings were powerful, and as Nashandra proves she was all too willing to take advantage of that and drive Vendrick to war with the Giants.
Perhaps it's not just spreading the dark that they wished, because from a sexual point of view a male still makes more sense, but also manipulating the already existing powers to their advantage. It's notable that Nadalia went mad when she found her king missing and the land barren rather than just packing up and spreading Darkness the old fashioned way.
Kishinokurobi - Imagining the Zomboner? Please, it's the farthest thing from my mind. I mean he sleeps in the same bed as Tiffania and he ain't pitching any tents; all he does is kiss her and hold her hand.
Remvis - Uh...I think your review was cut-off. Oh, and Tiffania's not Dusk - Even before the reveal she said her name wasn't that.
Mingyu - Wardes isn't a dick when he doesn't have to be. As for Louise: Well you can say she was determined to get her Familiar back and given that she knows her family is safe in Tristain (if grieving) while Raziel could be dead she's willing to put the latter first.
...Anyway, I hope your day is good after reading this :p