Chapter 2 - The Arrival

When Cenric passed through the wall of fog, the ocean's raging waters instantly calmed. The fog kept them asleep, ensuring that those who had been summoned would pass unhindered.

For days, he sailed through the fog, nothing but his boat to keep him company. Always surrounded by the murky grey and the dark depths beneath. Once or twice, a great shadowy fish swam by, paying him little attention. The creatures of the fog only attacked those who were unwanted. And Cenric had been unwanted. Long ago. But now, the tables had turned. The Erdtree called.

When he had first felt it, the desire to return, he had attributed it to longing memories of a past that couldn't be changed. But when he saw it, the golden grace, first in his dreams, then in truth, he couldn't help but laugh. The powers that be just had to be desperate if they called the likes of them for aid. Nevertheless, Cenric had jumped the chance immediately. To return home, after all those years of death and darkness…

He knew what he would find. He knew that the world was dying a slow and painful death. He remembered the fires, the war, the rot, all of it. And now, he was being summoned. Ironic.

When the golden light guided him through the last inches of the fog, the sea had grown livelier again. The wind and waves returned and lightly shook his boat. Cenric continued onwards. It was all so much quieter than he remembered.

He saw the Erdtree after several more days. It began as a little dot in the distance, a dot that kept growing day by day. Until, at last, it took the shape of a tree. Even at night, its golden glow guided him on the one and only course. Whenever he slept, he had the same dream. Saw the same vision. Heard the same sound. Felt the same desire. And when he woke up, he sailed onwards, ever closer to the Erdtree.

After a while, land came into view. When he saw the distant white cliffs, Cenric paused and beheld the view. A strange feeling arose in him, one of both sorrow and unending longing. The coast of Limgrave…he was coming home.

For the next two days, the coast was in constant visibility. Cenric was shaking back and forth between cautious anticipation and apprehension. He wanted to come home. He yearned for it. But…what would he find? How had things changed after his exile? And…who would remember?

As he came closer to the seemingly endless cliffs, he remembered another crucial detail: Limgrave almost had no beaches on this side, only a few, very far between. Provided they hadn't been buried or closed off. Now, though…now he couldn't see any. Only great white cliffs, both hopeful and foreboding in their appearance. In older days, they provided the Lands Between with security against outer forces. Now, they resembled a beautiful prison.

As much as he tried, he couldn't make out any possible docking area. His rations were slowly but surely coming to an end. If he wanted to find out the truth behind his summoning, he had to make it to the place he was being summoned to in the first place.

Fortunately, the Erdtree seemed to be thinking equally. Every now and then, the golden trace returned to Cenric's eyes, guiding him further and further down South. Eventually, he should be able to find a safe haven. As safe as anything in the Lands Between could be, at least.

On a particularly windy and cloudy day, Cenric could make out the shape and form of a great castle on top of the distant cliffs. As he looked closer, he felt a cold chill running down his spine. Stormveil Castle. For a long while, the boat floated in silence, rocking back and forth on the waves, while Cenric glared at the massive structure. A flood of thoughts rushed through his mind, among them memories. Early memories. Memories he had thought to have suppressed by now.

A strange feeling was emanating from the castle, as though something forbidden was gazing out towards the waters, right at him. It was almost as though he could see…

A particularly nasty wave struck the boat. Cenric returned to his senses and took control of his vessel once more.

Stormveil Castle was quickly left behind, nothing more but a set of dark fangs jutting out into the emptiness beyond the cliffs. Cenric was beginning to grow wary. For days, the Erdtree had guided him further South, a great distance away from the cliffs. But…there had to be a docking point somewhere. Limgrave couldn't have simply risen out of the sea for hundreds of yards more. Or was this perhaps some vile trick? A playful trick by the higher forces that had summoned him back from the darkness, only to have him steer an aimless course, in constant view of his home, doomed to never set foot on land?

As he was beginning to let this thought fester, he saw a change at last. It wasn't a harbour, but it was an island. Granted, it was an island mostly made of cliffs just as high as the coast, but it was close. Close enough for Cenric to spot some details. There seemed to be one, no, two great but ruined structures on top, one of them damaged beyond recognition, the other a…chapel of sorts. A rather odd place for a chapel. Who would ever come to pray there? And how would they even get up there?

The waves were getting stronger, more chaotic, by the minute. Cenric began to have trouble holding the boat steady.

Then, the leaves began to fall. At first, he thought nothing of it, until he noticed their colour: gold. The Erdtree's leaves were falling, blown across the Lands Between by a warm wind. Even down here, among the cold and the waves, they still shone like fireflies. Cenric stretched out a hand, letting one of the leaves land on it. Like a beating heart it was, coated in the golden light that had guided him here.

But then, the waves grew more ferocious. Clouds began to form on the distant horizon. A bitter chill blew from the ocean, and the leaf in Cenric's palm glided away, landing softly in the cold waters, where the light was extinguished. For a few moments that seemed to stretch into eternity, Cenric watched the spot where it had sunk.

Then came the quake. At first, it was a distant rumbling sound from somewhere far above. But when Cenric looked up, he had to duck immediately. A great stone boulder thundered into the water, only inches away from him. Then came another, and another, and another. Was the cliff crumbling down? Another jest of the Erdtree's light? Buried under rubble on his own bot before drowning?

Cenric began to steer. He had to get away from here. This was not how he would end his journey. Not without answers.

As he was about to get his boat a safe distance away from the shattering cliff, Cenric looked up, and froze. Among the falling rocks was…a woman. Dressed in strange and expensive-looking clothes, hair as white and silvery as the moon's rays, she was falling towards the dark waters. Before Cenric could make any sense of it all, the stranger hit the water like a falling star and was swallowed by the ocean's darkness.

The next moment, one of the rocks finally struck. A great chunk of the hull was ripped away and immediately grabbed by a current. Cenric cursed under his breath as water began to flood into the boat. He immediately got out his shield and placed it above the hole. That would buy him some time. It was all or nothing now.

But then…he hesitated, and gazed into the water. There she was…sinking, but slowly, still close enough to the surface.

A wave of dark clouds was now approaching on the horizon. The storm would reach them within minutes. Cenric looked towards Limgrave's white and promising cliffs, then back into the water. And then, begrudgingly, he felt his decision being made.

Cenric sighed…and jumped.

Neria was falling. Then she was drifting. All the while the darkness surrounded her once again. But this darkness was different. She still knew her name and what had transpired. She was just…floating.

Somewhere in the darkness, she heard a clanging sound. A familiar clanging. She didn't know how she did it, but Neria somehow managed to will herself into the right direction. The clanging came closer and closer. The darkness was pierced by rays of gold, rays that turned into leaves. The Erdtree's leaves.

Neria stretched out an arm, and one of the falling leaves landed in her palm again. The clanging drew nearer. As Neria gazed further onto the leaf, it slowly began to shift, until it was no longer a leaf…but a rune. No, several runes…forged into one. She knew this symbol. It was as though the knowledge was part of her soul. And yet…she couldn't put a name to it.

The clanging came again, followed by the sound of shattering, and the rune split into several pieces, gliding apart from each other into the darkness. Neria wanted to follow. Something in her desired those pieces. Each and every single one of them. In the distance, she saw the Erdtree, a pale golden shape against the blackness. Then…nothing.

Neria slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she felt was cold, followed by comforting warmth. She sat up and looked around. She was sitting in a cave. A long path ahead dug deeper into the earth, while the exit provided a view onto the ocean. A few waves reached the cavernous shore, softly coating it with cold salty water. The sky was dark. Rain was falling and thunder sounded in the distance. A boat had run ashore, its sails ripped apart by strong winds, its hull damaged by merciless waves.

Confused, Neria tried to stand…and noticed that she was covered by a thick blanket. Underneath it, she was practically naked, only wearing her undergarments. Her confusion rose and she frantically looked around. A small fire had been prepared out of some pieces the boat clearly didn't require anymore. Her clothes were neatly folded next to it. Cautiously looking around, Neria made her away to the fire, cringing as her bare feet walked across sharp stones.

Her clothes were dry and undamaged. Even her sword, shield and staff had made it. After one last glance to make sure nobody was watching, she dropped the blanket and began dressing herself. While she was doing that, she noticed just how pale her skin was, as though it had never seen the sun. Well, it was true from a certain perspective, as she had been lying in a coffin for an unknown stretch of time.

After she had put her cloak back on, Neria approached the boat. Indeed, that one wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. It was battered in every way imaginable. The sail had been ripped apart as though several sharp claws had chosen it for a victim of their rage. There was water everywhere.

But…to whom did it belong? And why was she here? The last thing she could remember was…

Neria shivered. That… thing . It had tried to kill her and she had let herself fall. It had seemed like the end, as though her brief respite from the darkness had just been that: a respite. But here she was. And she was still alive.

"Now, that's more like it." Neria whirled around. She was no longer alone. Before her stood a man dressed in very worn leather. A grey cape was billowing behind him. He was carrying a dagger and the shield on his back looked plain and showed a few dents. His face looked just as weathered as the rest of him: long, curly and unkempt black hair and an equally black beard. His grey eyes, however, were filled with vigour and the will to live. He was shorter in stature than her, but he simply radiated experience gained from countless hardships..

He strode through the cave and dropped a leathery pouch next to the fire. It was filled to the brim with grey mushrooms and lush green moss. "Brought some nourishment while you were dozing," he continued. "I hope you have a taste for accidentally caught fish and vegetation of questionable origins."

He emptied the pouch and pulled out two fish from the very bottom. As he began to cut and gut them apart,, he gave Neria a questioning look. "You planning on speaking at all?" he asked. "Are you mute, perhaps? Did your tongue not revive?"

Neria slowly shook herself free of the stupor and approached carefully. "Where…where are we?" she asked. Her voice sounded strange to her. Even though it sounded thin and tired, there was a certain heavy layer underneath that not even she could place.

"Oh, praise whatever god is still alive!" the man laughed. "She speaks!" He cleared his throat. "A seaside cave, somewhere in Limgrave, if the borders are still the same. Was the first thing that came close to an approachable harbour. Not like we had many options." He nodded at the boat. "Beast of a storm. Don't sail in these places unless you absolutely require it."

Neria relaxed inwardly. She felt no threat from him, not now at least. Slowly, she sat down by the fire, across from him. "How am I here?" she asked.

"I hoped you'd be able to tell me," the man said. "I was sailing southwards, minding my own business, looking for a place to dock, when suddenly you and a cascade of rocks hammered in right next to me. My boat didn't take kindly to it."

"You…saved me?" Neria felt a smile appearing on her face, a movement that felt strangely unusual to her muscles. "Thank you."

"Wasn't easy," the man retorted. "What among the boulders and currents, and winds." He finished gutting the fish and began to clean the mushrooms and moss. "So…care to tell me why you dropped down a cliff and how you somehow survived? A fall from this height." He whistled. "Water may as well be stone. And here you are without one broken bone."

Neria's face fell and her breathing increased. "Something…chased me," she whispered. "It…spoke, had the face of a man…but it was like…I cannot say for certain. It was like…well…like several bodies had been merged into one."

The man paused to stroke his beard. "Can't say I've heard of a fellow like that," he said. "But that's not saying much. I've only just arrived myself. I figured there would be changes."

"He spoke of Lord Godrick," Neria added. Something about the name was familiar to her, but, like everything else, it was blocked by a translucent wall.

The man clapped his hands. "Godrick the Golden," he said with obvious distaste in his voice. "I was wondering what he was up to these days. Surprised he even made it. Looks like he got himself a new pet."

"Who…is Godrick?" Neria asked tentatively.

The stranger gave her a long look. "You…don't know who Godrick is?" he asked slowly.

Neria sighed. "I feel like I should," she said. "But…aside from my name, I cannot recall much."

The man nodded after a while. "Death does the strangest things to us," he said. "I suppose it isn't too odd that it would choose to withhold your former self. Each of us has their own process." He sighed. "Well, a name is as good a start as any. Care to share?"

"Neria," she said.

"Cenric," the stranger replied and inclined his head. "Glad we got that out of the way. Now, why don't you just sit back and let me prepare us a moderate feast in some moderate ambience. It isn't exactly a royal tavern, but it should do. When was the last time you've eaten?" Neria shook her head and shrugged. "Right," Cenric said. "I'll hurry up."

And hurry up he did. Neria watched as the fish, the mushrooms…and even the moss, were put onto a dented pan. A moment later, the most pleasant of smells filled the cave and Neria's stomach began to churn. When was the last time she had eaten?

Neria would never have imagined cave moss to be as tasty as it was the moment she bit into it. Perhaps it was simply the ravenous hunger that tore at her insides, she didn't care.

"Thank you," she said in-between two bites and swallowed a piece of fish.

"Don't mention it," Cenric replied as he watched her with curiosity. "How did you end up on that cliff, anyway? What did you use to return?"

Neria looked at him, uncertain. "Return?" she asked.

"Well, you are Tarnished, right?"

"That is…what the being called me, yes."

"So, how did you make your way across the ocean? Boat? Flight? Spell? You look like you know a spell or two."

"I…woke up in a coffin," Neria said. "In a chapel up on those cliffs."

Cenric raised both eyebrows. "That was your chapel? A Tarnished who revived in the Lands Between. Never heard of that one before. But, granted, I haven't heard much since my awakening. I rose up in some nameless grave beneath a ruined village, pillaged by bears. And you get your own chapel on some high cliff right next to Limgrave? Who are you?"

"I wish I could tell you more. Did you…keep your memories, then?"

"Indeed!" Cenric said. "Unless the Erdtree is putting things into my head. Was a mercenary and occasional guard, looking after myself. Did a few things that angered the tree, as much as trees can be angered. Had to leave, for, like all Tarnished, the Lands Between became too good for me. Got squashed while I was drunk. Now, I'm back here."

"The Erdtree."

"Oh, so you do know something! What else? Why have you been awakened?" There was a strange eagerness in that question.

Neria wanted to respond with 'I don't know', but found, to her own surprise, that this wasn't true. She felt it again. The desire. The runes. The shattered fragments belonging to one great piece.

"The Erdtree," she whispered. "It…called to me."

"Do you know why?"

"I feel like I do, but I cannot say for certain."

"Same with me," Cenric said. "It feels like I'm supposed to know. There is just this one last detail dangling in front of me on a hook of elusiveness. It's fascinating, isn't it? You can wake up without so much as your name, and yet you know this one thing, this one constant thing: the Erdrtee beckons. As it beckons me. As it beckons all Tarnished. But…why? And why couldn't it impart this knowledge onto us?"

For several minutes, none of them spoke.

"I have…so many questions," Neria mumbled after a while, putting her finished meal aside.

"Understandably so," Cenric said. "I have a feeling some of them are ones we share. Unfortunately, I can't answer them for you. And this isn't the best place for such talks, anyway. You're welcome to plod along with me, though, until the answers come to us. You're the first face I've seen since my revival that hasn't tried to murder me in some capacity."

"You have seen others?" Neria asked.

"I have. Bears, raiders, other Tarnished."

"Other Tarnished?"

"Yes. And all out for me once they saw me. All except you."

Neria nodded, even though there was still an air of uncertainty. She had just met Cenric and knew nothing about him. Well, she didn't know anything about herself, either. He had saved her from the ocean, ensured that she could live, even though he had no obligation to do so. Whether or not there were ulterior motives behind that, she at least owed him.

"So…where to?" she asked.

"Out of this cave would be my suggestion," Cenric said. "I want to know exactly where we are. Pack your things."

Neria nodded and grabbed the rest of her equipment. As she did so, she slowly turned back to the strange man, eyeing him suspiciously. Only a moment later did she feel the blush. "Did you…undress me?" she asked.

"And dried your clothes. And warmed your cold body in my blanket. And kept you from freezing to a most unsuitable death. And didn't look while doing so."

"Right," Neria said slowly. "Right. Of course." She decided to trust him on that. And his logic made sense when she looked at it from his angle.

Cenric also donned more gear. He was now wearing a battered plate armour, along with a longsword in his hand. On his back, right next to the shield, she could now see a rusty halberd. When inspecting his helmet, Neria noticed that the visor was broken.

"Bear," Cenric said quickly. "Hate those furry beasts. Not exactly the first thing you want to see when waking up from years of death." He picked up a torch out of a wooden pile next to the fire, and lit it. "Come now. We have many ways to go."