Compromise

Lorian was of half a mind to leave to hunt down the Demon Prince right then and there. He expected others, his father, Godwyn, even Lady Emma to an extent, to lie to him to manipulate him - but never Lothric. But in spite of his anger, he would not leave Lothric alone to deal with Pontiff Sulyvahn. Lorian couldn't place where his distrust stemmed from, but each word the man spoke seemed to be hiding his ill intent. Though he doubted Sulyvahn had any other business to accomplish before he left, Lorian would feel better being around to watch over his brother.

"Prince Lorian," came a voice. Lorian turned to see the man himself standing there with the same woman from earlier. "You seem rather tense. Would you entertain me with a spar? I've heard you are the most accomplished warrior in all of Lothric, and I did promise this one a fight before we departed."

Lorian sized up the woman beside him, and considered the proposal. He was still worked up from his encounter with Lothric; all his energy now had nowhere to go. He inclined his head, "Let us spar at the training grounds then."

"Excellent," Sulyvahn said, clapping his hands together. "Lead the way."

Together they walked through the castle beyond the courtyard to where Lorian spent most of his days. For whatever reason, whether it was due to the commotion with the wyvern, Sulyvahn's arrival, or his Father's departure, the training grounds were nearly empty aside from a few of the knight recruits whose scars on their necks from their initiation ceremony had not yet healed. When they saw his approach they quickly stopped their exercises and saluted. "Welcome back, Prince Lorian!"

Nodding to them, Lorian drew his blade. "You may stay and continue training if you wish, but I cannot guarantee your safety if you do."

They looked between each other before sheathing their blades and moving off to the side. It seemed they would have an audience. The woman took her stance across from him, only one of her blades drawn, ablaze with fire that had no source just like the Pontiff's.

"What is your name?" Lorian asked, as was customary before any spar or duel held between strangers. She said nothing, only tilting her head slightly as she presumably stared at him before shifting her focus to Sulyvahn. It was difficult to tell with her face covered.

Sulyvahn laughed, "You may call her Dancer of the Boreal Valley or Outrider Knight. Whichever pleases you."

Lorian couldn't be sure what had led her to this position, but judging by the cruel smirk on Sulyvahn's face, he imagined it couldn't have been anything pleasant. He bowed low in respect of the duel as the outrider reciprocated the movement.

She made no immediate move to pursue him, moving languidly to the side with her burning sword held loosely in her hand. Her movements were unlike any that Lorian had seen before; her grotesquely elongated limbs allowed her to take longer strides than a normal human would be capable of. Lorian counter strafed, moving clockwise towards her left side, waiting for an opening.

The outrider suddenly swayed forward, lurching towards him with her blade arcing over her head. Lorian raised his sword to block when she took another step and the blade was suddenly aiming low for his side. Barely able to switch his stance in time, Lorian staggered back from the blow, but the outrider was already moving again, slashing towards him with another low angle.

Though her strikes were not terribly hard, they were relentless. Each time he blocked a blow she followed through with more, never giving him a moment's rest to counter. Lorian blocked blow after blow waiting for the strike from above and when it came, rather than blocking it, Lorian dodged to the side and followed through with a blow to her back.

It connected, though just barely and she swayed out of the way, placing distance between them. The outrider reached down and pulled forth her other blade and moved back toward him. She slowly stood upright the closer she got, blades poised behind her and ready to strike. When she started collapsing forward, Lorian started to step back. She was still too far away to hit him at the distance, so if he kept moving back he would be able to dodge it.

He watched her body contort low to the ground extending her reach far beyond what he had anticipated and her blades crossed on either side of him, lacerating his sides as she pulled them closed. Lorian continued trying to move backwards, but her terrifying control of her body allowed her to pursue him as she spun with her blades, bringing attack after attack down on him.

"You anticipate too much like a warrior, Prince Lorian. She does not fight like a warrior." Sulyvahn called out when Lorian finally managed to place some distance between them. Dancer of the Boreal Valley he had called her. In a sense her movements were like a morbid dance; it was a fitting name. "Feel the rhythm of her dance."

This time he watched carefully as she approached him, watching her feet and her arms, and tried to predict when she would strike. With his tutors, they had always moved aggressively but mostly straight forward, each move indicating the next move to follow. With the dancer, she telegraphed each move with the movement of her feet. Lorian took the time to block another flurry of her attacks as he watched her footwork, while also trying to ignore the burning of his sides where he was losing blood.

Left foot forward, right foot stepping to the side, Lorian saw her move before she made it and parried her blow. The dancer staggered back as he followed through, hitting her on her right side then following through with a blow to her left side. It was petty payback but it was effective.

And then everything he had just observed no longer mattered. Frenzied by the blow against her, the dancer came after him with a renewed vigor, and Lorian lost the ability to anticipate a single blow. They were back to where they started, with Lorian barely blocking each blow sent his way.

He needed to end this quickly if he was to have a chance at all, but at the pace the dancer was moving at, Lorian was at a loss for an opening.

His vision went white, and suddenly Lorian felt weightless, something he had not felt since-

Ah.

He raised his blade, and as his vision returned he was behind the dancer. The blow connected, striking her shoulder, and Lorian watched as she moved to get away, but he was already being moved again. She would be on his left, he predicted, and surely enough she was there, and his next blow connected with her leg.

Blow after blow, the dancer was unable to avoid his strikes and she fell to her knees. From where he watched, Sulyvahn clapped his hands. "Enough!" Lorian lowered his blade, breathing heavily as he tried to ignore the sharp pain from the wounds in his sides. "An excellent fight, Prince Lorian, though it appears you had help."

"As did she, Pontiff." From the barracks, Lothric approached the training grounds, hands clasped behind him. "She has long since had her powers, her abilities, and even her body altered by you. Am I wrong?"

"You are correct." Sulyvahn smiled, wicked and cruel. "You fight well together."

"We have always complemented each other, your Eminence. Though in this instance my help was merely to ensure no further harm came to my brother in this spar. He has already sworn to take leave to fight another, more powerful foe. For that, I need him in peak condition." Lothric waved his hand and several hooded figures in robes, chimes in hand, rushed forward to the dancer's side. "My servants will tend to your knight in the meantime, and I will see to your departure at first light if that is still your intention?"

"It is." Sulyvahn bowed, "I am grateful for your hospitality, Prince Lothric."

Lothric approached Lorian's side and nodded to the Pontiff before teleporting them both away. Lorian looked around, realizing they were in Lothric's room, before gazing down at his wounds. "Your carpets will get blood on them."

"It will do well to serve me as a reminder, to watch you more closely when I foolishly speak out of turn." Lothric began to roughly pull at Lorian's armor, discarding it to the side without a care. "You are a fool."

"I am the fool, brother?" Lorian spat as he ripped at the buckles of his own armor. "Perhaps I am, given how easily you believe you can lie to me."

"I admit it, it was foolish! Had you not stormed out I intended to apologize. Though it seems I need not have bothered as you are determined to get yourself killed."

"It was a spar!"

"As always brother, you fail to see the larger picture." Lothric cast the last piece of armor aside and hesitated as he stared at Lorian's tunic which he knew was drenched in blood. Lorian was fairly certain he was still standing by the grace of pure adrenaline and anger.

"To what end would the Pontiff benefit from killing me? He had seemed rather pleased to see me arrive earlier."

"Precisely," Lothric reached forward and ripped Lorian's tunic open to reach the wounds. "Are these the only wounds?"

"Yes."

Lothric nodded and placed his hands on Lorian's sides and soon the light found its way into the wounds, searing them as it never had before. Before him, Lothric stood, brows knit together in concentration as beads of sweat collected in his brow, and Lorian almost felt guilty. His wounds slowly closed, though the skin came together loosely, and would likely scar.

"What were you thinking engaging in a duel with the Pontiff's knight with none as witnesses except for recruits? Had I not intervened, she would have slit your throat, Sulyvahn would have called it an accident, and the recruits who know nothing of how the world works would have agreed. You are a fool, Lorian." Lothric repeated as he moved a step back, leaning against the side of his bed. "You asked what benefit the Pontiff would gain by killing you, yet you sat in the same room as I did when he told us his plan. Think."

"He thinks by killing me, it would convince you to do as he desires and extinguish the First Flame." Lorian frowned, all his anger quickly evaporating as he stared at his brother. "Would it?"

Lothric turned away. "I would… hesitate."

"You align your life so closely to mine, yet still treat me as though I am inferior." Lorian stepped closer, towering over Lothric.

"I hold nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for you." Lothric stared up at him defiantly, and Lorian could feel his anger on the rise again. "Why can you not understand that?"

"Perhaps because you cannot find it within you to be honest with me. First the deception on the hunt, now this."

"Lorian-"

"I do not ask much of you. Only that you are honest with me."

"Then I ask your forgiveness, Lorian. It was never my intention. Things are dire, perhaps more than I led you to believe," Lothric sighed and cast his gaze aside, "I only wished to keep you here longer. It is… lonely. When you are not here."

Lorian sighed, "If that is what you wish, then you need only ask."

"It is not only what I wish. We are equals. I will accept nothing less."

Lorian felt a swell of pride at the statement, even if he did not believe it to be true. His brother was still destined to be the Lord of Cinder after all, not Lorian. "Then if we are to be equals, I ask that you respect my decision to leave in the morning."

"I-" Lothric started to protest before falling silent. "Very well. Then I should leave you to rest."

Lorian nodded and turned to leave the room, "Thank you, Lothric."

x

As dawn broke, Lorian had just finished dressing in his armor when there was a light knock on his door. He opened it only to see Gertrude standing in the doorway. "Prince Lorian, forgive the intrusion, Pontiff Sulyvahn will be departing shortly. Prince Lothric asked that I escort you to meet him in the courtyard."

"Thank you, Gertrude, but I can manage my own way there."

"Of course," she said with a bow before heading off back into the halls of the Keep.

True to her word, he could see Lothric's hooded form standing in the center of the courtyard, gazing at two figures not far off that Lorian recognized and Pontiff Sulyvahn and the dancer. Lorian approached, calling out, "Ready then, brother?"

Lothric took his arm and nodded. "Ready to be rid of the Pontiff. Not nearly as ready to watch you leave again."

"If all goes well, then I pray this will be the last time I leave for a long while."

The Pontiff and the dancer each bowed low as they approached after Lorian arrived.

"Prince Lothric, I thank you sincerely for your gracious hospitality. I do hope you will consider our discussion."

"I assure you, I will. I am grateful you came all this way to personally deliver the relic." Lothric inclined his head. Lorian wondered how his brother could handle dealing civilly with such detestable people like the Pontiff on a daily basis.

Sulyvahn turned to him, and Lorian hardened his face, determined not to give any of his emotions away. "Prince Lorian, perhaps we will meet again and I might spar against you myself."

"I look forward to the day, Pontiff Sulyvahn. Safe travels back to Irithyll."

The Pontiff turned back to Lothric, smile still plastered on his face. "If you require anything at all, you need only say the word. You are only a few days travel away after all."

It was as much a true offer of support as it was a threat, Lorian realized. A reminder of how close their borders were, and how simple it would be to overwhelm them if he deemed it necessary. He watched as they departed, waiting until they were well out of sight and earshot before turning to Lothric.

"You said the most recent demon to emerge was outside Farron's Keep?"

"Nearby, yes, and headed towards our borders it appears."

"There are several entrances underground in that area; it could have come from any of them. But it is a good place to start, though its proximity to the Abyss Watchers and the supposed location of the Profaned Capital is not a welcoming coincidence."

"My alliances with those regions are in relatively good standing at the moment. You should not face any difficulties in the area. Because if you do," his voice grew darker, "I will not hesitate to order their lands razed to the ground."

Lorian placed a hand on Lothric's shoulder. "Then let us hope it does not come to that. The world is crippled enough with the dying flame as it stands."

"How long will you be gone?"

"It is difficult to say. Not a satisfying answer, I am well aware, but it is an honest one."

"Allow me to send someone with you," Lothric said. "They do not have to assist you in your fight, but should the worst come to pass, they will be able to return with the news."

"Who would you have accompany me?"

"The knight who took your final wyvern away; Wynfrith I believe her name is." Lothric turned behind him, summoning Kamui who was standing nearby, though clearly trying to be discreet. It was common for the two of them to have various members under the command of the Black Hand tailing them.

Kamui approached them, "Your orders?"

"Fetch the knight called Wynfrith. Bring her here along with two horses and enough supplies to travel."

"As you command." The hunter said before vanishing.

Lothric turned back to Lorian. "Return swiftly to me, dear brother."

"If anything should happen in my absence, send word and I will return at once." Lorian said. He doubted his brother would do so even if something were to happen, the last few years had proven that time and time again - Lothric was stubborn and selfish to a fault. But then, Lorian supposed, so was he.

"The most dangerous plan I have is an attempt to put someone in place to keep an eye on Father and send back reports."

"Try to find out what his plan is for the wyverns," Lorian said. "And make sure the creatures and their riders are taken care of, Gods forbid the wyverns begin to starve."

"Easier said than done, as you well know."

Lorian grunted in agreement. Though he wasn't aware of all the intricacies involved with keeping the Kingdom running, he knew at the rate of the hollowing and the interference of the Evangelists in the outskirts that they were rapidly losing whole villages that had been providing crops and livestock. Perhaps it was something he could help deal with. A short detour to a few of the villages to temper the Evangelists and the hollows may help sustain them for a while longer.

Dragged from his thoughts by the sounds of hooves on stone, Lorian turned to see Wynfrith approaching. Her face was flushed and her armor seemed to be hastily thrown on - it appeared she was not expecting to be called upon so early. "You summoned me?"

Lothric beamed at her. "Yes, excellent of you to make yourself available on such short notice. Thank you, truly. I am sending you to assist Prince Lorian on his next journey."

"But my Lord, he only just-"

"I am well aware he has been back for less than a day."

"This is a pressing matter." Lorian offered. "I insisted."

"You would be doing me a great service by accompanying him." Lothric said.

"The honor is all mine!" She smiled at Lorian, all too eager to please and he couldn't help but remember Romund's words.

You're an inspiration to us, you know?

"Lorian. I have but a single order for you." Lothric said, suddenly serious. "Return to me. Alive."

Lorian stared at him before kneeling. A pose used by knights to pledge their fealty. "As you command."

He felt Lothric's disapproving gaze; they were supposed to be equals after all. But Lorian knew that would never quite be true. He stood, giving Lothric one last look, as though to commit his every feature to memory, before mounting the horse beside Wynfrith.

Nothing more needed to be said. He rode out of sight, unsure this time if he would return after all. But he knew one thing for certain - he would die trying.