A Plea Heard and Answered
Chapter 02: [The Hunter seeks answers]
[XXX]
Varre watched the current happenstance in front of him with curious eyes. He thanked his Lord for the white mask covering his expressions, else the expression of shock he had would be exposed for all to see; in the Lands Between one had to hold each and every trump card they had over their enemies, which also included one's facial expressions.
"Do you know the definition of insanity?" Orion asked out loud, right hand running over the length of his jaw, touching the shallow stubble. His left hand held Evelyn, the Good Hunter lightly tapping the weapon on the female Tarnished's right buttock, the metal barrel meeting the rough cloth of her pants with light thuds.
Each touch of the weapon had the female knight groan and spit out a curse, but there was little she could do while being sat on. Their clash had been a fast – if a bit lackluster – deal. The black-clad man seemingly vanished from sight after the Tarnished had reached a close distance, suddenly appearing at her side and sweeping her feet, the rush carrying enough momentum that the armor-clad fighter slid on the grass until she was about seven feet apart from the white-robed Varre.
Before the Tarnished knight could stand up the Hunter was on her, putting all his weight on her back and lingering there until she all but relented and stopped struggling. He stood from her back and took a few steps away, allowing the Tarnished to stand on her own. She seemed rather miffed with the casual ease that he handled her with, but it seemed to finally dawn on her that frontal attacks were not going to affect him. She took a deep breath to calm herself, only now noticing the white robed fellow in a white mask.
"Oh, so this was who you were waiting for, Hunter?" The white masked fellow stated, nodding his head while acknowledging the female knight. "Another Tarnished, huh?"
The Tarnished lightly cocked her head, one hand already going towards the handle of her sword. "and who might you be? Another thief, perhaps?"
The robed man didn't seem bothered by the accusation, going so far as to chuckle at her. "Rather testy, aren't you? Perhaps maidenlessness does that to a Tarnished…"
The sound of a sword being drawn echoed for a moment before it suddenly stopped, the Tarnished female knight feeling weight being settled over her shoulders while a gloved hand settled over her sword arm.
"Nah-ah, none of that…" Orion spoke, already having to dodge a metal fist that was swung at him. The Hunter backed off and crossed his arms over his chest, cocking his head to the side while deep in thought. "Do you greet everyone you meet with such hostility?" The leather-clad Hunter asked.
The Tarnished then did manage to draw her sword out once more. "When I'm surrounded by thieves and suspicious figures, that tends to raise my awareness, Hunter."
Orion raised a brow and uncrossed his arms, left hand searching through his hip pouches in the search for something. Once the Good Hunter had it, he pulled out the medallion he had acquired earlier. The female Tarnished almost charged at him when she eyed the medallion, but her previous experiences with the man had her rethinking her choices. She remained on guard, but kept her distance and avoided any reckless moves.
The Hunter tutted the medallion's cord from inside his pouch and bundled it around the metal disk, showing it to the Tarnished. "Here, have it." He said while throwing the trinket towards the armor-clad woman, the arc of his throw slow and predictable. The Female Tarnished immediately dropped her sword and cupped her hands to catch her precious medallion, Orion shaking his head in disappointment at her behavior.
Once the trinket was safely back in her hands and safely tucked around her neck and under the armor, she realized her mistake at dropping her weapon. Diving for it would have made her look even more foolish, so the female Knight merely stood with her chest full, pride and poise all she had to offer now, her halberd outside of reach.
"Pride cometh before the fall, Tarnished." The white robed man stated, Orion nodding at the sagely advice. "Luckily for you, however, there is one shining ray of hope for even the maindeless…or the prideful." The white robed man approached, Orion maintaining his eyes on the man's hands, the overly helpful attitude reminding the Hunter of a certain spider-y fellow. "Me; Varre!" The robed man pointed to himself with both of his hands wide. "Take care to listen."
The Tarnished seemed clearly bothered by the two-sided preaching of the two males, but considering that one was an experienced fighter and the other was an unknown threat, she decided to listen for a moment. Besides, now that she had her precious memento, she felt calmer; it was her only memory from back home, a precious thing for her, a gift of her sovere–…, no, she had been banished; still, she preferred to keep the medallion close. It wasn't even unique, but it was special to her.
"Are you familiar with grace? The golden light that gives life to you Tarnished.You may also behold its golden rays pointing in a particular direction at times. That is the guidance of grace. The path that a Tarnished must travel." Varre began his explanations, Orion paying close attention to his impromptu lesson, noticing that the female Tarnished seemed to be fairly knowledgeable in these matters. He glanced at the sky, noticing that the light golden glow that hung in the air had a certain…flow to it; The Hunter let his eyes down, focusing back on the other two.
"Mm, indeed. Grace's guidance holds the answers.It will lead you Tarnished to the path you are meant to follow.Even if it leads you to your grave." The female Tarnished nodded, Orion frowning his brows together. Another supposed gracious guidance designed to strip people of their own wills, huh? The Hunter suppressed a growl, feeling a small itch on the back of his brain.
[***]
I know that, but I can't help it, you know…
No answer came back to the Hunter, but knowing that both his human and god selves (while having different perspectives) were still in the same page. Still, the lecture of the so called White Mask Varre was ending soon, so the Hunter refocused on him.
"…for now,Grace's guidance will reveal the path forward, most certainly to Castle Stormveil, over on the cliff." Varre finished his speech by pointing towards the far and damaged looking castle almost out of sight on the cliff. It surely would take at most a few days walking towards it, nothing so bad. "Though I warn both of you, the castle is home to the decrepit demigod, Godrick the Grafted." The mention of the title irked the Hunter and managed to earn a muted snarl from his throat, the rough noise getting the attention of both Varre and the Tarnished. The female clad in armor clenched her fist, no doubt aware of what the title meant. "If you seek the Elden Ring, even maindenless as you both are, then that is the path that Grace laid for you."
Orion sighed and took off both his hat and the cloth that hung loosely from his neck, stuffing the clothing on a pocket while tying the hat with a thin strip of string on his hip. He ran a hand over his hair with his left gloved (and clean) hand, allowing both to fully see his features.
"Thank you for your time, Varre. I think that we best get going if we are to make to the castle, so this is farewell for now. Is there anything you want? For the information?" The Ascended Hunter offered, patting at his pouches, but letting their contents remain a mystery.
Varre once more rubbed his hands in a merchant-like manner. "Fret not, Hunter. This is mere common knowledge on these lands and I do not find myself lacking in runes to ask them for such petty information."
The female Tarnished took the chance and fetched her weapons back, although she seemed much more willing to listen to sense this time.
"However, if you prove yourself and manage to get a summons to the Roundkeep Hold, I might have an interesting offer for you. I sense a sort of kinship with you, Hunter; Let time and fate decide if my wits aren't dull and you are truly what you seem and say to be." Varre said and returned to his previous place, letting Orion and the Tarnished by themselves.
The Hunter glanced at the armor-clad woman, wondering about the state of her mood. Now that her precious trinket had been returned, the Hunter guessed she might be more willing to listen to him. He turned to call her out, but she had already seemed to have chosen a path, the clatter of her boots not being missed by Orion.
He sighed and shook his head. Finish the contract and dump the lass somewhere safe. Maybe at this Roundkeep Hold…some Lady Melina doesn't mind.
The Hunter placed his hat back atop his head, but opted to not cover his face. The smell of rain and dewy grass was a pleasant thing, much different from the intense smell of beast-repellant incense or the stench of blood and charred fur. He followed the Tarnished, descending a couple of stone platforms and through some fields, closing on a forest.
The Hunter's senses were keen and soon he heard the clatter of heavy armor and the trot of a horse. It was close by, but it was stable and constant, indicating that whoever this horse-riding person was, they were likely on a patrol; Orion would know if someone was stalking him, since you would never survive in Yharnam without developing a sense for this things. Call it paranoia or sixth sense all you want, but Hunters were very good at tailing and knowing when they were being tailed.
He slowed his steps down and knelt on the spot, the rather tall grass field hiding his frame as he took his time to use the monocle to observe his surroundings. It didn't take long for the Good Hunter to spot the figure and he cringed a bit at the sight. Golden armor for both the rider and the mount, with a large shield and halberd also gold in color; Orion felt rather bothered at by the rider's level of exposure, but the sheer size was bound to intimidate many. Only fools or the overly confident would try to challenge a cavalry unit without preparation…
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…
…
~~~SSSIIIIIIIIGGGGGGHHHHHHH~~~
Which was why Orion was face-palming, rubbing his eyelids with his left hand in frustration as he noticed that the Tarnished was walking unconcerned and apparently unaware of the close presence of the golden rider. The mounted man seemed to notice the female clad in armor first as he stirred his mount and readied his polearm, the axe-head dragging and gouging the ground, the noise finally alerting the female Tarnished.
However, by that point the golden-clad man had already cut the distance short on his mount, his halberd being swung in an ascending arc.
*CLANG*
The Tarnished's reflexes were – at the very least – decent, as she managed to unsheathe her sword and use it for defense. The metal clash bent her weapon out of shape and threw her back by about seven feet of distance, earth and grass kicked up together, but she seemed to be alive. She quickly scrambled to get her own polearm, but one could see that the blow had an effect on her vigor. The golden knight cared little for her state, skillfully riding his steed and circling around the tarnished, his golden shield ready to parry any attacks that might be sent his way.
Orion huffed and put away the monocle. His current weapons were not ideal to fight with heavily armored foes and while he was proud of his strength, he was not about to dull the edge of his blades against the golden armor. Still, he needed the Tarnished alive if he was to teach her anything and fulfill his contract with Lady Melina. He called upon the Art of Quickening and began a sprint towards the two, an already lit Molotov cocktail grasped on his right hand while Evelyn was held on the left.
A gunshot roared loudly, the quicksilver bullet aimed at the knight's head with the hope that it would decapitate the man. It struck the helmet with a loud sound and warped the metal, but didn't manage to pierce through; the Hunter was quick to throw the flammable liquid next, unwilling to be the next target of that halberd. The bottle shattered on contact with the chest armor and immediately acted, covering the knight and his mount with flames.
The horse began to wildly buckle, out of the knight's control. The golden-clad knight was forced to grasp as the reigns and forget the Tarnished momentarily; Orion immediately grasped his longsword and slashed at one of the horse's legs, the cut not deep enough to server the limb, but also not so shallow as to be ignored. He didn't stop to see if his attack had landed, placing the weapon inside the sheath-blade on his back.
The Tarnished noticed his sprinting approach, but with the Golden Knight distracted, she wondered if she could put a couple of hits on the armored foe. Maybe even get him to drop from his horse. A fall like that was bound to hurt! However, before she got the chance to attack, the female Tarnished felt an arm wrap around her waist and suddenly she had no ground under her greaves.
Had she been…picked up? Almost as if a misbehaving child?
Before she could protest the Hunter's left hand went backwards, the strange hand-cannon once more fired, three loud roars echoing and targeting the approaching heavy knight and his mount. Three different places cracked and warped on his armor, but the knight still charged forth; his mount whined, one leg lagging behind, but the horse still obeyed its rider in pursuit. The Hunter stayed his hand, the Tarnished seeing the knight prepare an overhead swing that was likely to clip them, given the range advantage of his weapon.
And then, then another loud roar exploded from the hand cannon, but this time it was aimed at the injured leg of the mount. It tore a good chunk of flesh and sinew, the limb immediately faltering and launching the armored knight into a messy throw, his previous move interrupted by his sudden change in momentum.
By the time the golden-clad knight managed to stand up, Orion had managed to put a great deal of distance between himself and the opponent. He then spotted a ruined building and headed to it, still carrying the Tarnished on his shoulder while making use of his enhanced speed.
His hurried steps kicked-up a few blades of grass, but finally Orion and the Tarnished were in relative safety. He immediately released the armor-clad woman from his hold, letting her fall gracelessly from his hold.
"Ackkh!" She complained, turning her head to stare at the Hunter and most likely send him a dirty look from underneath her helm. Not that that managed to do much, as he grabbed a firm hold of the head gear and roughly yanked it off from her head, throwing the piece aside as if it was worth nothing. "H-hey!"
*SMACK*
And then her face was forcefully turned to the side as a resounding smack echoed in her head.
"That a good wake-up call? Have I managed to get through your thick skull or do you need more?" The Hunter asked, his previously light-natured voice now an authoritarian and worrisome thing. She held one of her hands to her face, wincing at the touch as her cheek was hot and stinging from the slap she received.
"Tarnished, I don't know if you are suicidal or just plain-old stupid, but things are going to work out a bit different when I am around!" Orion managed to maintain his voice to a reasonable tone, but the edge present in it only seemed to sharpen. A growling thing with a deep resound, the man's voice had the Tarnished in worried wonder: was she facing a man or a wolf? "First things first, you are not to rush head-first into danger; I'm not risking my ass again to drag you to safety. Second, you are going to obey everything I say as if I was your lord!" He made his point, jabbing his pointer at her before using his thumb to point at his own chest.
The Tarnished wanted to argue back, but her words choked on her throat and died down, the woman unable to say anything to the leather-clad Hunter. She made to stand up, an echoing sound reaching the duo, but Orion pointed to the ground in front of him, his tone imperative.
"You stay right there, I'll go check it out." He firmly stated, turning around and beginning to head deeper into the building. By the looks of it, the place was a church, but with the decay and destruction, it could have been anything.
Orion was used to the grandeur of the Cathedral Ward, the Healing Church and such other places; it was a rare and pleasant thing to see a simpler building dedicated to worship of whatever gods resided in this land instead of the lavish and pompous décor that composed any and every building that the Healing Church owned. For as much as they condemned the people of Cainhurst, the members of the church could be as bad, if not worse than the Vileblood nobles.
The Hunter shook his head to get rid of the thoughts and headed towards the source of the melody that was playing out, a simple song that echoed, being played out by a man sitting by a campfire, a site of grace nearby. To avoid scaring the present man, Orion walked while purposefully making loud steps, touching the site of grace and feeling the rush of comfortable heat and comfort pass through him.
The Hunter left the site behind him and approached with slow and easy steps, his weapons sheathed and hands very visible. The present person was wearing a red hooded cloak and was leaning his back against one of the pillars, an assemble of bric-a-brac scattered around him in rough-hewn bags, a nearby mule saddled and loaded.
"You're a Tarnished…right?" The man asked, Orion wondering how and why he was being recognized as such by the people of Lands Between. First it was Lady Melina, then White Mask Varre and now even this merchant had called him such. Were Tarnished people so abundant that the common folk just assumed one was such? Or was it some sort of mark that was visible on him? Some sort of aura or something like that? "Yes, I can see it..." The man clad with the red cloak spoke, letting his instrument lay at his side. "…and I can also see that you are not after my throat. Then, why not purchase a little something?" The cloaked man pointed towards one of the many bags. "I am Kale, Purveyor of fine goods."
"I am Orion, the Good Hunter." Orion offered his customary greeting, placing his right hand over his chest and dipping his head respectfully. "Would it bother you if I called my companion over? I also want to peruse your goods, might find something of interest in there."
Kale shook his head, stretching a hand towards a stick hanging near the campfire that had some sort of meat impaled. "Nay, so long as you don't try to harm me, I'd say we're fine as runes."
Orion nodded. "Don't worry, no intent of harm from my part." After that, the Hunter called out. "OI Tarnished! Come over!"
A few moments later the armor-clad woman approached, her helm back on her head, although it was clear to see that she was somewhat subdued.
"Another Tarnished, huh? It is quite rare to see a group of you team up, most are content with being lone wolves." Kale commented, chewing on his food.
Orion sat near the man, but still distant enough so as to not intimidate him. He glanced backwards, finding the Tarnished woman to be leaning on one of the stable looking pillars. He shrugged his shoulders, turning his attention back to the so called Purveyor of fine goods.
"So, where are these fine goods?" The Hunter asked with a lighter tone.
"We will get right to it, but first, you got runes to pay up?" The merchant asked, making the Hunter take a few moments to gather himself; for a moment he forgot he was not in Yharnam or in the Hunter's Dream, where blood echoes could be used both as currency with the bath messengers or as a source of power for one's flesh. He could feel within himself the power of the blood echoes (for all living things carried those) and the power of the runes, but he was not quite sure that he could not draw those out like that.
"Can we barter? I come from a far land, maybe I've got something that catches your fancy?" Orion said, patting his hip pouches.
Kale nodded. "I'd much prefer runes, but business is business. Let's see what you got, Hunter Orion."
The merchant went to get his bags of items and began show the Good Hunter his wares. So far the Hunter noticed that most of what the merchant had, he also had something similar, the quality of said items being pretty much the same. There were a few different models of throwing knives and such, but so far nothing had really gathered the attention of the Hunter. He also wasn't one for archery, but he was in another land after all and practicing with other weapons would be easy enough.
What got the Hunter's attention the most were a few bundles of paper where he could spot bits of writing. Maybe some sort of recipe or a map? Information was something he was in quite the need of, so it was better to splurge; he also wanted to talk to people a bit more. Human interaction in Yharnam had been limited and rather chaotic, that with people going crazy after the Blood Moon. Orion found himself then asking.
"Say, Kale…what do you recommend in your wares?" The Hunter pointed to the many items presented to him.
The merchant became pensive, but answered soon enough. "You know, if you can spare the runes – or if your goods are equivalent – you should buy yourself a crafting kit." Kale grabbed a leather bag and began demonstrating the many items housed inside it. "A crafting kit allows you to make basic items on your own. Essential really, if you intend to survive out here for any duration." He explained. "The kit costs a bundle, and I admit, I do take my cut. But the important thing is that you survive. Every customer counts, after all."
Orion couldn't help but nod along. Every person had been important to help him stay the crushing loneliness during the night of the hunt. Even if some did lose themselves and died.
At some point the female Tarnished had approached the two men, sitting far from the Hunter, but still within eyesight. He looked at her and then back at the kit. It was not like he was going to hang around her the entire time, he had arrived here with a job of his own, but he had taken upon himself a request to teach her the basics, and by the needs of it – boy did she need it – so he took a deep breath and released it.
"Two of those then."
"I'm glady you took my warning to heart. You've made an excellent choice!"
Orion rolled his eyes at the Kale's tone, the man suddenly clasping his hands in the same manner that White Mask Varre had previously done.
[XXX]
[XXX]
It was night by the time the Hunter exited the building (Limgrave's Church of Ellen), a crest-fallen Tarnished in tow. She had remained silent for the entirety of the time he spent with Kale, the Hunter talking with the merchant and asking about small little things. It felt great talking with someone whose mind was not tainted with blood-frenzy, beast scourge or just madness in general. He enjoyed it grandly.
Nevertheless, it was time to go out and explore. Nighttime was bound to be a bit dangerous, but it was also time to start teaching his current companion the basics of the Hunt.
"Tarnished." Orion called, his voice losing the edge it had carried earlier in the day. He was in a good mood after having talked with someone in so long, so he would let bygones be bygones.
She stopped and stood still a few paces behind him, holding her halberd but not moving to attack.
"Look, we are grown people here, and can talk just like that." He stated, motioning for the armor-clad woman to keep walking while following him. The golden motes that fell from the Erdtree were a pretty beautiful sight, but the Hunter ignored it in favor of progressing through the road. He then pointed towards a few ruins that stood nearby, although the place was illuminated by some torches, the hunter spotting a few soldiers also holding torches to light their path. Orion could see with no problems, however the same could not be said for his companion, the woman stumbling on a tree root and almost falling down. The Hunter sighed and went towards her, offering a hand to help her. "I returned your medallion as promised – not that I needed or stole it in the first place – and even saved you from that golden knight guy back then, so I think that that earns me a bit of respect. I don't have bad intentions towards you, I just want to understand you a bit and help you out."
His words seemed to have made an effect. The female Tarnished was about to say something, but Orion held a finger up to his mouth. "How about we get out of the main road? I have a feeling those guys will patrol soon enough and I don't want to get ambushed."
The Tarnished nodded and followed along, the two resting a bit just out of the main road, under the cover of high bushes and a few trees. Limgrave seemed to be plentiful with forests, the Hunter having had spotted a rather varied number of wildlife around. Still, he sat on the forest ground while resting his back on a tree, the sheath-blade of Ludwig's Holy Blade resting by his side with the handle of the longsword connected to it.
The Tarnished also sat, lowering her pole weapon down and bringing her knees close to her chest.
"Well, how about we start introductions again? I'm Orion, The Good Hunter and also I seem to be a Tarnished now, whatever that means." He joked a bit on the end, hoping that some light humor would break the ice. It had no visible effect, but the Hunter did not let that disturb him. "I came from a very far land due to a call for help, and through meeting a certain lady I have been tasked with helping you during the start of your journey. Which is why I am here and why I saved you from the kni–…"
"Tree Sentinel." The woman cut him off, offering a proper name for their previous foe. She seemed a bit on edge, realizing she had cut him off rather rudely, but Orion merely nodded, thankful for her input.
"Right, Tree Sentinel. My contract was to…help you out here in Limgrave. Depending on my performance and how you turn out, my contract may be extended or terminated, so let's get along for now, since we are stuck together." He withheld some details, but then again, there was no need for the Tarnished to know everything just now. While she had caused him some headache, it was nice having company along his travels. He wasn't going to be tearing his hair out or cry due to loneliness out here, but it was certainly nice to have someone along for the ride.
"So, how about it? We call a truce and work together?" He offered, extending his right hand to her. She eyed it, trying to find the blood that should be stuck to it. She slowly began to extend her gauntlet-clad hand towards the hunter, unsure of herself. The female Tarnished lightly yelped when the Hunter lunged his hand forward, grabbing hers in a firm handshake that had the woman glaring at him, some of her fire back in her eyes.
"That was unnecessary, Hunter." She commented.
Orion smiled at her. He was about to say something else, but his head snapped towards the road's direction. The Tarnished heard nothing. Still, she remained silent, putting a modicum of trust in his word.
True enough, after a few minutes of silent waiting, a man clad in a surcoat and carrying a torch passed nearby, all the while grumbling to himself about guard duty. Only after he passed them by did the female Tarnished poke her head out of her bush to see if she could identify him; nothing stood out, except the green shield banner that hung on his back. Godrick's banner. The pathetic demigod. She was about to call to the Hunter for them to leave the area, her ambitions to follow the call of grace ready to be snuffed out. Yet, it was clear that the black-clad Orion had other plans.
She had not heard him stand up, pick his beast of a greatsword or even move. She could barely see a couple of feet in front of her in the night, but she could hear some things. The leaves rustling against each other, the crackle of the flame on the torch and a strange gurgling…
*Thud*
"Ack–!" The Tarnished was spooked when suddenly a body fell by on the bush, but she managed to hold a hand over her mouth before anything truly loud left her. Then, she curiously inspected the corpse, only to find out that it was the soldier that had went by. The Hunter soon was near her too, munching on something.
"This Rowa fruit is quite good." He casually commented, the body that he was using as a footrest seemingly not conversation-worthy. "Wonder how they would taste roasted…"
She removed her helm and laid it aside for a moment. Then she sighed and grasped the medallion she had recuperated.
"Audrey…"
Orion turned to her curiously, wondering what she meant.
"My name, Hunter…you asked for my name, did you not?" She specified, Orion widening his eyes and nodding. "Very well, you earned that much when you saved me from the Tree Sentinel. My name is Audrey, previously a knight under the house of Carter, though now I'm no more than a common vagabond." There was a rather obvious self-deprecating tone in the woman's voice and a bit of untold history there, but the Good Hunter was well satisfied with now being able to put a name to her face.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Audrey." Orion said with a smile. He stood up and offered her a hand. She grasped it, allowing the Hunter to pull her up with ease. "Now that we are on friendly terms, how about a bit of exercise?"
The female knight raised a brow in curiosity, one hand firmly around the shaft of her polearm.
Orion seemed to either not notice or he was unbothered by her gesture. "We both are Tarnished, right?" He waited for her affirmative nod to proceed. "and we both can feel the call of grace, this certain…longing to fix the shattering and restore the Elden Ring?" Once more he waited for an affirmative nod before proceeding. "Well then, I guess it is a Hunt then!" He said with a friendly tone, although the intonation of the word Hunt seemed to resonate deep within the man.
"Let's begin our Hunt then, my little apprentice!" Orion said, reaching out towards Audrey. She wondered what he was doing, a bit weirded out once his gloved hand settled atop her hand and began rubbing it.
She felt self-conscious about it and it felt weird to have him messing with her hair like that, so the female Tarnished quickly smacked his hand away from her head. "What sort of foolishness is this, hunter?"
Orion chuckled a bit, not answering her. "First things first, we need to get you in a different mindset! We are Hunting here, not dueling or any of that nobility fancy stuff you are probably used to." He pointed out, the two resuming their way even while under the dark night sky. "What that means is: there is no honor or shame in a deadly fight! You fight to survive and to fight another day. Sometimes that means admitting when you are outclassed and outmatched." He said to her, the female knight placing her helm back to avoid showing him her embarrassed face.
"Okay, okay, I get it. You are clearly the superior fighter, stop rubbing salt on the wound, would you?" She muttered.
The Hunter hummed, seemingly amused at her change of attitude. "Is that so? Well then, we proceed onto the next thing, which means using your head to think ahead and plan."
"That much is obvious, is it not?"
"Weren't you the one that tried to tackle me without noticing the hole behind me back on the cave where we first met?" He lightly rebuked her, tilting his head to the side to avoid the wooden end of her halberd.
"Let it go!" She exclaimed, huffing a bit.
"I certainly will not." He returned, chuckling at her expense. "I'll show you what I mean when we reach those ruins."
Audrey rolled her eyes at him. What was he going to do that was so special anyways?
…
…
…
"Arghhhhh!"
The last knight of the platoon groaned and fell to his knees before face-planting, his body falling with a dull sound. Orion was but a silhouette behind the man, his small double blades dripping with the blood of the soldiers bearing the banner of Godrick, even his gloves stained with crimson fluid. He reconnected the blades with a quick sleight of hand, the flick cleansing most of the fluid from the blade. He approached one of the torches hanging on the crumbled walls and picked it up, waving it on the main road for a few seconds before he heard the footsteps of his companion.
She had a wry expression at seeing the corpses of the soldiers. "What are you, a Black Knife?"
Orion shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea what that means. A Hunter doesn't need to announce his presence to all his enemies. They would certainly be more than happy to gang up on me if given the chance."
Audrey could not retort, since that was likely the truth. Godrick's men cared little for fairness or honor, much like the man himself. She heard the tales of his grafting, and that was truly the stuff of nightmares. How could one man do such barbaric practices?
Orion felt the wish to sneeze.
"Over here, let's rest a bit." He called out, touching upon the site of grace near the ruins and feeling it resonate deeply within him. Audrey approached, but the Hunter noticed that she was staring a bit back at some of the big carriages that were sitting by the encampment of dead soldiers. Well, it wasn't like they or their (dead) pet wolves would need any stuff, and Orion himself wasn't exactly above looting the dead if need be. "Go on, get what you want and come back. We will rest a bit and then proceed."
Audrey was quite quick to rush to loot, the Hunter shaking his head more in amusement than disappointment. It wasn't long until she returned with a new sword on the scabbard at her hip, a few provisions and a small leather pouch that clinked with something akin to coins inside. Orion let his Tarnished companion sit down, the Hunter appreciating the dusk.
The Hunter then noticed a presence around them. It was invisible to the common eye, but it would be hard for anything to truly hide from his senses or insight; without giving his intentions he laid out the bag of his crafting kit on the ground, opening it and retrieving a small rag from it. He took the Blades of Mercy that were hanging from his hip and began wiping the remaining blood away them, his act no more than maintenance of his weapons to the naïve. After that, he grabbed a rough paper from inside his coat, and with one swift motion he rubbed it along the body of the weapon.
It sparked with lightning, the hunter charging at the presence that was hiding from view with a quickstep, surprising Audrey who fell backwards in a heap.
[XXX]
[XXX]
Melina had been observing the duo from the Spectral Realm, a layer that rested between the worlds and was only accessible to those skilled in the arcane arts, and so far the results were pleasing. Torrent had remained restless while she followed the duo, always whining and signaling that the so called Hunter was dangerous. The kindling maiden could sense strength in him, the runes he seemed to be holding quite numerous, yet the spectral steed had not entertained for even a second the possibility of switching to side with Orion.
Melina could not claim to fully understand the steed, but he paid heed to his warnings and decided to err on the side of caution when dealing with the self-proclaimed Good Hunter of Beasts and Nightmares. She figured out a few things about him: he seemed to be an easy-going fellow, who had rather keen senses and outstanding combat proficiency; the way he dashed around was proof of mastery of the [Bloodhound's Step] Ash of War, but the man was from a far land (according to him) and thus was unlike to know about such powerful skills. As such, it had to be something from his homeland.
He carried strange weapons and dressed in a foreign attire; the Lands Between was no stranger to rare fellows from other lands far from the home in the fog, but so far he seemed to be the most unique. Everything about Orion was a mystery, one that Melina wanted to understand, if only to ease the worries in her mind that Torrent's chosen Tarnished would be able to help her carry out her mission.
If the price to pay was to withstand some unique quirks from another Tarnish– no, he specifically told her that he was a Hunter. If the price to guarantee the success of the female Tarnished, then she would pay it gladly. Although he could stand to be a bit more couth and she would not complain if he were to stop aiming his attacks at sensitive areas on his enemies. She knew that attacking weakpoints was vital when dealing with tough foes, but the man seemed to love targeting areas with high blood flow.
She saw him rescue the Tarnished from the Tree Sentinel and while he somewhat pitied the Tarnished, Melina could find no fault on the Hunter's words. He was not wrong when he stated that the Tarnished's recklessness was unnecessary; just because one would yet live after death it did not meant that they should throw themselves onto death with such disregard for their lives. Death taketh its toll upon the mind, even more so for all the Tarnished, Torrent's chosen one no different.
Although she would have preferred that the Hunter did move faster, she could not exactly be too demanding on him. Melina knew not if all his words about their contract held true, but her payment could prove to be unsatisfactory for the Hunter; a man of his skill would be tire and troublesome to kill. Still, she was glad that he was true to his terms and did began to teach the Tarnished. His teaching could do with a tad more…gravitas and delicacy, but the results remained the same at the end of the night.
They cut more distance than she expected, since they were close to the entry gates to Stormveil Cliff. It would be a pretty hefty challenge to ascend the route, especially with a certain Omen guarding the proper entrance to the castle, but forewarning would do little for the duo.
Once Orion rested at the site of grace, Melina decided to talk with the duo. Torrent was already impatient to meet his new master and possibly gallop with her away from the Hunter, but considering the budding friendship/mentorship that was beginning to form between Orion and the Tarnished Audrey of Carter, Melina was sure that the spectral steed would have to swallow his frustrations for a longer while.
The kindling maiden waited until the female Tarnished returned from her looting to show herself. And then she found herself suddenly subdued, two extremely sharp and wicked looking blades ready to carve a second smile for her. Instead of joy, however, said second smile would only display despair, considering it would be carved on her throat instead of her mouth. Not a moment had gone by between her appearing from the spectral world and the Hunter's rapid advance and mount over her. She would consider it impressive, had she not been the target of the mounting submission.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"H-hunter…"
Orion retracted the sparking blades away from her neck, but still remained mounted atop her.
"…"
"…"
"…"
"Well, how do you do, Lady Melina?!" Orion jovially greeted her, almost as if the killing intent he displayed was an illusion. And he was still atop her!
[XXX]
[XXX]
"Greetings, traveler from beyond the fog. I Am Melina. I offer you an accord." Lady Melina greeted, a cold expression painted over her face as she did all she could to pointedly ignore the Hunter. Said Hunter was lying on the ground, resting with his face covered by his feathery hat and arms crossed – the man looked to be asleep with not a care in the world. The gall!
Still, the maiden calmed herself and directed eye contact with Audrey the Tarnished. The female knight had an awkward expressive smile, unsure if she should simply not mention anything about the previous occurrence.
"H-hello Lady Melina, I am Audrey, a Tarnished warrior."
"Well met, Tarnished you heard of the finger maidens?" Melina asked the other woman.
"Just about what everyone else knows. Not much outside of folklore and baseless rumors." The answer led Melina to sit on her knees by the site of grace. Audrey followed, only her seating manner was akin to that of a man.
"They serve the Two Fingers, offering guidance, and aid, to the Tarnished." Melina continued. "But you, I am afraid, are maidenless. I can play the role of maiden. Turning rune fragments into strength. To aid you in your search for the Elden Ring. You need only take me with you. To the foot of the Erdtree." The accord was laid out, the Hunter too deep in sleep to try and interrupt with any other nonsense; or so the maiden hoped. He was far too perceptive to simply lie there without any preparation or plan. Yet, he hadn't intervened, so maybe…
Nonetheless, Melina waited for an answer from the female Tarnished.
"I suppose I accept. Any boon is useful, right?" Audrey spoke aloud, and although she seemed a bit hesitant on the matter, what mattered was that she had accepted. The armor-clad woman kept sending questioning glances at the Hunter, but he made not a squeak, the only sound being emitted was the light noise of his breathing.
"Then it's settled. Summon me by grace to turn runes into strength. Ahh, another matter. I bequeath to you this ring." Melina presented a ring to the other woman, who looked at the rather ornate piece with curious eyes. "Use it to traverse great distances. It will summon a spectral steed named Torrent. Torrent has chosen you. Treat him with respect." Melina instructed, leaving the ring on Audrey's open and waiting palm.
"As for you, Good Hunter," The sarcasm was as thick as thick coldblood dew. "please do keep up your work. Very soon you will have completed your side of the contract and I'll bring you to the All-Knowing." Melina stated, putting on her hood and disappearing in motes of blue light.
Orion did not shift from his position nor gave any signs of having heard the message. Yet, Audrey was sure that that was far from such.
"Eh…" The female knight wanted to say something, but the hunter suddenly stood and approached the site of grace. "Hunter?"
Orion said nothing, more focused on the flickering blessing, almost as if he was staring into a key of revelation. And then, he clicked his fingers close to the blessing, his mouth opening and speaking something, yet Audrey did not understand it, the word causing a dull headache to sprout in her brain.
She closed her eyes and tried to hold the throbbing at bay, but it was clear that it would remain. Opening her eyes and blinking a few times, the female Tarnished focused her eyes on the Hunter, noticing that just beside the grace lay a fancy lantern. And that was the Hunter approached his hand to the pale blue light that shone from it, something rose from the ground in a spectral manner, much akin to that in which Lady Melina had vanished with.
Emaciated beings flickered in and out of existence right before Audrey's eyes, the sight intensifying the pain in her brain. She noticed the sudden emergence of previously unseen white flowers around Orion, together with the arrival of a strange scent that reminded her of the moon somehow. And soon, soothing (yet frenzy-inducing) words echoed around them.
"Ahh, Welcome home, Good Hunter."
"You initiated another Hunt in another world? You are insufferable, boy…"
"Hoonter, you never listen to your seniors, do you?
"My dear consort, I long for thy return. Our chamber grows cold without your heat and your moon scent wanes. Will you not return, but for a moment? Dregs of blood will never match your seed."
Orion smirked, the splitting of his lips a savage sight. Who is maidenless, you foul-scented, degenerate-looking, fake-god-worshiping bastard?
[XXX]
[To Be Continued]
AU END NOTES
I planned on writing until I reached the Morget Boss fight, but it felt right to stop here. Besides, Orion (anyone spot the reference yet?) will carve his mark in the world, of that you can be sure. I'm still trying to get the flow of the ER NPCs since the OCs (Orion and Audrey) are fairly easy to write (being OCs for the MCs of their respective franchises), but I'm still studying the personalities of just about everyone to make sure I write a decent story.
What are your thoughts? I won't make Orion OP all of a sudden since while he is quite powerful, at his current state he would get killed by people like Malenia (who is the Blade of Miquella BTW, and she has never known defeat, never forget that) or Rahdhan. He would mess their shit up even more than they are, but he would be defeated.
There is also the development of our (now named!) tarnished lady, who is a banished knight! Plot and backstory, uhhhhh! Anyway, one comment seemed to have read my mind of a rather interesting thing and it is a good choice for fight scenes. The Tarnished (cannon) is someone who I always pictured as a mix between defense and offense, as opposed to the Hunters in BB (especially our Orion) who are all about offense and staying almost glued to your opponent while hack and slash and bash them.
At most Hunters dodge and back off to heal a bit before they jump back in the fray of things, ferociously going for it even while at death's door. That will be Orion, except that with all his experience, that mofo will be ducking and dodging and side-stepping to avoid getting hit, but cowering behind a shield? CRINGE!
Chads hit their enemies back for that sweet sweet HP returns, baby! Wanna see offensive shield usage? I'll show you crazy!
Enough for now, let me eat something. Later, Ryujin maou out!
PS: If you want to help me fuel my addictions to coffee and rule34, go on ko-fi and search /ryujinmaou
PSs: You might or might not find me, but then again what is life?
