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CHAPTER 3: THE LONE WOLF ALONE

Boy?

A voice calls out to Lordan. He shifts his head on the desk he currently rests on, turning away from the source of the voice.

Boy? What are you doing?

Lordan shifts once more. A frown appears on his face with his eyes closed. His sleep was disturbed by the voice again.

Boy? Boy?

The voice gets closer, but Lordan continues to ignore it. Sleep was the only thing on his mind now.

"Boy!"

A first slams the desk. Lordan currently rests his head. It causes him to jerk up awake. A little shout escapes his mouth from the shock.

"Huh?! What?!" Lordan looks around in panic from the desk he currently sits at. He stops his movement upon laying eyes on his left, where Vagram stands presently with an annoyed look on his face. Vagram was dressed in a leather gambeson from his usual Exiled Wolf armor.

"Master Vargram! I! I was jus-"

"Sleeping while I asked you to read the books I brought you to study?" He lays out his assessment of Lordan's actions with a deadpanned tone. Displeasure was written all over his face.

Lordan looks down at the desk from the lecture, thinking of what to say to Vagram to avoid his wrath. He knew the rules, made a mistake, and then paid for that mistake with equal punishment.

"I... did read the books... Master Vargram..."

"Oh?" Vargram leans against a wall near the desk, intending to test Lordan on his knowledge of the information within the books laid on the desk. "Name of the ruler in the First Age of Fire."

"Gwyn, the Lord of Sunlight."

Vargram nods from the correct answer. "The Weapon used by King Allant?"

"Soulbrandt or its counterpart, Demonbrand."

He nods again, appearing more relaxed from the correct responses. "Name of the region found and settled by the Northmen in the far west? Across two oceans?"

"Vingland, founded by Elrik Lefson."

Vargram stops leaning and places his hand on the edge of the desk, prepared to ask his final question. "Name of the demon that a person becomes when hatred becomes their weapon as told by the Reedlanders?"

"Shura." Lordan answers the final question. All four were correct as written in the books. Books that he spent the last night reading till the sun breaks the dawn.

Vargram sighs, clearly relieved from the fact that Lordan had followed his instructions. "So you have been reading... Why didn't you speak up then?"

"I did..." He states the fact from earlier. "I just fell asleep after finishing the last one of this batch."

"Finished? Lordan, I asked you to read some, not all." Vargram asked surprisedly, not expecting him to read the entire set.

"Oh? Did I make a mistake? Shit..."

Vargram waves his hand from the response. "Forget it. You did extra... That's fine." He removes his hand from the desk and stands with his arms folded. "But watch your language, boy. You are only nine this year. I don't expect that word to leave your mouth."

"Yes, master." Lordan looks down at the desk again, worried that he was caught falling asleep. "I'm sorry. For slacking off... Again..."

Vargram closes his eyes and sighs once again. While displeased from catching Lordan sleeping again, he was also happy with the outcome of Lordan's studies. He walks to the door of the study room they both were currently residing in and gestures for Lordan to follow.

"Get yourself ready and dressed proper for the day. I will meet you at the gate stables. You have 45 minutes." Vargram speaks and leaves the room. Lordan gets up from the desk while gathering his books in his hands. He follows along and goes to reach his room to prepare for the day.

Lordan moves on from the barracks his room was in, dressed in his gambeson, with a short sword custom made for his current height and size as a child. He moves around the fort to navigate his way to the front gate where Vagram instructed him to meet.

The fort they were currently staying in was a training and mustering point created by the local kingdom for the mercenaries guild, as a place for their many members and freelancers to gather and meet to take jobs for the local lords or nobles.

Vargram and Lordan had stayed there as a pit stop from their current travel route, intending to move on once Vagram decided that he had earned enough gold from this region.

It was common to see child recruits around the barracks, children who were orphaned by war, or any other circumstances training to be the next generation of mercenaries. Most children here chose this path, recruited from orphanages or retrieved for battlefields. They were given a choice in the new parentless world that lies ahead of them, let the world decide their fate, or choose to fight on their own accord.

Vargram and Lordan we're a rare sight though, as there had only been a few instances of a sellsword taking a ward. Most of the time a ward was considered special to be following a mercenary, but in Lordan's case, he was a ward due to him lacking behind compared to the other children in training. Vagram had requested Lordan to come along on his latest tour to survey the state of the known world and report it back to the guild's leaders, despite them offering him better choices for wards.

Lordan was reminded of this fact every day, as he would engage in duels with the other children in training. The majority of these duels result in him losing, often by disarming or knockdown. He tried his best but was ultimately unable to master a single weapon as Vargram had tasked him to train to use all available weapons.

Training him to be a Jack Of All Trades rather than a Master Of One.

After making his way through most of the fort's areas, Lordan finally reaches the stables. Vargram was already there, equipped in armor with two longswords sheathed on his back, one made from black steel and the other made with silver. He was adjusting the saddle of his horse to ensure all his supplies were ready for travel.

He spots Lordan and gestures him over while walking towards the gate of the fort, leading his steed along the way. "43 minutes... An improvement, boy."

"Yes, master. I had to take a detour to avoid... The crowd." He mentions the large number of people that were within the fort, most of them working during the day on forges, stables, and training sites.

Vargram looks to Lordan for a moment to see if he was lying. He stops after a while. "Fine. I will be leaving for the next three days, boy. And you are not coming, so stay in the fort until I come back."

Lordan looks up with disappointment and surprise. "What? But I thought we were going to" He was stopped mid-sentence as a stare from Vagram was delivered to him, reminding him of Vargram's condition for taking him on this tour. "Yes... Master. I understand..."

Vargram sighs from Lordan's response. It's not that he did not want to take Lordan along on his jobs, it was his safety was a concern. The last time he brought Lordan along resulted in him almost getting maimed. Until Lordan was older or more well trained, he would not be bringing him on any jobs that he assessed to be dangerous.

"Look... I get it. You are restless. Most kids are your age." He walks over and stops in front of Lordan, slightly bending down to address him. "But you remember what happened last time? What you went through?"

"Yes..." Lordan answers with a soft tone. Remembering the last incident that required him to stay with healers for a week.

"Then, do you want it to happen again?"

"No..." Lordan replies. Now softer than before.

Vargram nods with his eyes closed. He bends down further to reach Lordan's height, meeting face to face. "Good. Then I expect you to carry out your own training. Everything that I told you to use and practice, you are to carry out on your own. No slacking, Lordan. I will know if you do." A small warning was given at the end of the request.

"Yes... Master..."

"Also, I have informed the quartermaster that you will be visiting the dueling grounds for the recruits. In your own time, visit the grounds and participle in duels with the other children. After, you finish your training, of course."

Lordan nods, not speaking a word. The action causes Vargram to frown, a minor concern shows on his face. "Do you hear me, boy?"

"Yes, Master..."

Vargram stands up straight and returns to his horse. He inspects it one more time before attempting to mount it. Lordan interrupts him as a request comes to his mind.

"Master? Can I... Practice more with a sword and shield instead?" His request catches Vargram's attention. He stops his action and looks to Lordan, not showing a hint of emotion. "Because... I feel like... I should be practicing to master one weapon rather than all at once... Because I..." Lordan begins to stop as Vagram's stare continues, he prepared himself for another scolding coming his way.

Vargram sighs again, as this was a request he heard before. "Lordan... What is the reason I ask you to train with all weapons?"

"You want me to be able to use any weapon that I may find on a battlefield... If my weapon breaks or is lost... And I will be able to fight with many styles. If required."

This explanation was told to Lordan many times, it did not help that he was still a novice to many of the weapons available in the fort. This resulted in him losing many duels, as his opponents were experts with a single weapon type compared to him.

"Yes, boy. That is the exact reason you are training everything at once. You need to be able to adapt to a changing fight. Without the knowledge of other weapon types, you will be dead weight on the field when your main weapon is lost."

Lordan receives his lecture as he anticipated. Vargram moves towards him again to bid him some final words before leaving. "Listen, whatever the other boys are taunting you with... Just keep in the dueling grounds. Please don't get into any unnecessary fights while I'm gone. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, master..." Lordan looks down to his feet. Vargram uses his hand to make Lordan face him by holding his chin.

"But if you are forced to fight. Win." Vargram advises him, his tone serious to indicate its importance.

Vargram lets Lordan's chin go and gives him a rub on his head, ruffling up his bronde hair. Lordan looks on as Vargram mounts his horse and gives a wave goodbye. He moves on from the fort through the exit, leaving Lordan behind himself. Lordan looks on for a few moments at his departure until his figure is out of view.

He decides to return to the barracks and begin his training for the day. His mood was slightly down from the disapproval of his request.

Lordan hits the training dummy with another series of strikes with his training sword, each one getting more clumsy due to his exhaustion. He had been practicing with multiple weapons for hours now, as instructed.

He thinks back on the early day as he had taken part in five duels on the grounds. He lost them all, as usual.

He was just too weak.

He hits the dummy a few more times before his final strike causes him to lose the grip of his weapon due to his sweaty palms. The sword flies back and hits the ground.

Lordan looks at his hand, shaking from the impact of his last strike; It was bleeding and bruised from the constant stress he put himself through to become stronger.

Why I am... So useless? He thinks about the constant setbacks he faced today alone, not wanting to count the previous days and weeks as the number would be too high.

He walks back to discarded sword and picks it up along with the rest of the training weapons he borrowed from the quartermaster. He returns the weapons and retrieves his shortsword in exchange for the borrowed weapons.

"No luck today, kid?" The quartermaster asks Lordan as he was the last one in the dueling ground for the day, most of the trainees left hours ago and it was now nightfall. "Ah... Sorry kid. Maybe you will get them tomorrow, yeah?" He offers some words of encouragement to Lordan to make him feel better with no effect.

Lordan makes his way to the fort's battlements and sits in one of the quiet sections to gain some peace. He thinks of what he needs to do tomorrow while looking to the night sky, the moon providing him with some light to keep the area lit.

He looks at the stars and wonders about his parents, thinking about who they were and what they used to look like. No matter how many times he imagined or tried to remember, he could never truly how they looked like. He was the only thing they left behind before their deaths.

"Mother... Father... If you can hear or see me up there..." He prays silently to the sky, hoping that maybe they would hear him. "I hope... I'm not a disappointment to you... I... Wish... We could have met."

A small tear escapes Lordan's eye and he quickly wipes it off. A slight breeze passes through him that resembles the feeling of a hand stroking his head. He pretends it was a gesture from his parents from any heaven or afterlife they currently were resting at. He continues to observe the night sky, alone.

Sleep soon overtakes him and his eyes start to close, he clutches his sword close to his chest as support.

THE ROUNDTABLE HOLD

The guestroom of the hold was lit by the nearby fireplace, it's light created an orange hue that gave the room a warm but comfortable setting.

On the bed of the guestroom lies Lordan. The blanket covered his body up to his chest to keep him covered. His state of slumber was soft and calm, his breaths slow and steady to indicate he was peacefully resting.

He begins to move with his head making small turns on the pillow he rested on. His eyes turn while closed and he makes a soft sigh from his mouth as he begins waking up.

He opens his eyes slowly to see the ceiling of the room, his vision still blurred as it adjusted to the lighting of the room.

"Huh... What..." He murmured a few words from his woken state and turns some more. He begins sitting up from the bed in a slow and calm matter.

He looks down at his body to see himself without a shirt, his upper body exposed to reveal his toned and muscled lightweight body with scars he got during his previous jobs outside the lands between. He feels his body to find any new scars he might have gotten to no avail.

What happened? Where is? He questions the current state and how he got here. His previous encounter with the invader was the last memory he could recall. He grips his head and rubs his hair to awaken himself more, more sleep was the last thing on his mind now.

Melina? What happened to Melina? Worry begins to develop as he remembered what caused him to throw himself off a cliff with the invader in the first place. The sight of the blue knight burning Melina was a horrible sight that remains in his head.

"Ah. You have awakened. Gideon will be most pleased." A soft feminine voice speaks out near him, very near him. He turns to his right to see the source.

It was Fia, laying on her side. Her long blonde hair was down to reveal her face in its entirety from her usual hooded veil. She was elegant and beautiful as Lordan suspected, a sharp contrast to the dark dress he recalls seeing her in.

She was completely undressed. Her exotic body on display. Sharing a bed with him.

"What!? GAH!" Lordan recoils to the side, falling off the bed in the process. He gets up and sees her again on the bed he was resting. He quickly turns and averts his eyes as he feels blood rushing to his head and lower area, lustful thoughts coming to the surface from the sight of her naked body.

"What?! What the fuck?!" He speaks from a state of shock as he processes the position he woke up in. He looks down to see that he was still dressed in pants despite the fact that he was topless. A small relief fills his worries that he was not fully undressed like she was.

Fia begins to move off the bed, wrapping the blanket around her body to cover up as she stands. She moves to take a seat at the desk with a mirror, beginning to do up her hair with the comb in one of the drawers.

Lordan finally turns to Fia where she sits, questions begin to fill his mind to ask Fia, who seemed unfazed by the fact that they shared a bed with minimal clothes.

"How did we?! Did we?! I-you?! Did we?! Did I?! Did you?!"

Fia continues her combing without a concern. She speaks calmly with her next words. "Do not worry. You did nothing inappropriate to me. And nothing happened between us. You were cold after we removed the flames and on the verge of death. I was asked to provide you warmth and borrow you some of my strength granted by other champions."

Lordan shakes his head from the reveal, not being able to process the fact that Fia had slept with him to save his life. "You... You can't be serious."

"I apologize, Lordan. If you feel violated by me. I did not mean any harm." She continued to comb her hair. "Gideon was desperate. He wanted to employ all means to save you."

Lordan sighs in relief from the truth, they did not engage in sexual acts. He looks around the room and finds his inner shirt laying at the nearby drawer. He picks it up and wears it, intending to leave the room.

"Hewg is repairing your armor from the fall. It should be ready by now. And Gideon has asked for you to meet him when you awaken. Take your time, Lordan. Do not strain yourself." Fia informs him as he moves towards the door.

"Uh... Thanks, Fia." He awkwardly speaks due to the situation.

"It is alright, Lordan. You were very... warm. I enjoyed our exchange of heat." The comment causes him to almost slip as more dirty thoughts fill his mind again. He moved into the room quickly to hide his embarrassment.

Fia finishes combing her hair and prepares to tie it to her liking. A small smile develops as she muse from the exchange with Lordan.

"You have picked well, Melina... You have picked very well."

After retrieving his armor and equipping it, Lordan made his way to the study room where Gideon usually resides, Ensha was still leaning against the doorway of the room and continued to pay him no mind.

Gideon stands behind his desk in the study, his focus was currently on a new scroll that was not previously seen on his desk before. He inspects the scroll closely, his face close to the table to read the smaller words. Lordan gets his attention by clearing his throat.

"Ah. The wolf arises from his slumber." Gideon comments on Lordan's previous condition. "So... How are you feeling? Any particular anomalies that you experienced?"

Lordan twists his neck to create cracking sounds that stretch it, making himself more comfortable to answer. "No. Only a dream about a time long ago."

"A dream? Was it a dream or nightmare?"

"Dream. I can tell the difference between the two."

"Interesting..." Gideon takes a quill and notes down words on a notebook at his side, adding it to a list of other notes pertaining to the facts about the frenzied flame.

"Well... I suppose you intend to understand what happened. Would you like the whole explanation or a summarised one?" Gideon asks Lordan, having two versions ready for him.

Lordan didn't have the patience to sit through a whole explanation as there were other things on his mind. "let's keep it short, what happened to me?"

"Very well. You were attacked by a very dangerous individual and exposed to a deathly curse, one that almost cost you your life as you lost grace from its effects. And you also laid with a deathbed companion." Gideon states the last fact that causes Lordan to winch from embarrassment. "Both were dangerous in their own way. It was only because of the efforts of some volunteers in this hold that you survived. You are a very lucky man."

It was not a short explanation that Lordan understand as he was not familiar with the two dangers he faced. "I suppose I am. Still... Did I really have to sleep with Fia? To recover?" The part about laying with Fia still bothers him, despite them not actually doing anything.

"I am supposed to believe you didn't enjoy yourself? Sleeping with a naked woman?" Gideon has a hint of accusation in his voice. "Based on what I heard from Fia, Nepheli, Melina, and Roderika you stood rather straight for a half-dead man."

"What?! They didn't?! They- Saw?!" Horror spills from Lordan voice as he understands the meaning of Gideon's words.

"Oh yes, they saw. As if you were an art piece on display. You are well-sized, based on what Nepheli said." Gideon sighs from the reveal while Lordan facepalms with both hands. The idea that four women had seen him at his most inappropriate form was humiliating. "Don't worry. None of them touched it."

"But enough about that nonsense, Lordan. You must be wondering why I stepped in despite my previous words to you." Gideon's actions were a curiosity that Lordan wanted to understand.

"Yeah. You made it pretty clear I'm on my own."

"And you continue to be. I have no use of you until you gain the audience of the Two Fingers." Gideon reminds again, his tone serious from the insistence. "But circumstances have forced me to ensure you survive."

Lordan rolled his eyes from the statement. "How bloody convenient for you..." His thoughts suddenly shift to the knight that attacked him. "Who was the knight that attacked me?"

Gideon pauses for a moment while looking at the table. "His name is Vyke. A knight for the Roundtable Hold long ago. He was the closest to mending the Elden Ring in his own timeline. Before he turned to a different path... A shame really. I had hoped he would succeed."

"You knew him?" Lordan notes the tone of recognition in Gideon's voice, and he confirms it with a nod. "He had flames coming out of his eyes. They were... Yellow in color."

"You mean this?" Gideon reaches under the table and pulls up a metal lamp, he opens the front latch to expose the same flames within the lamp.

Lordan looks to the flames and cannot turn away, voices call out at the back of his head to keep staring into the lamp. He feels a headache beginning to develop in his head, the same one he experienced when fighting Vyke. The flames start blazing more from his point of view, his head begins to twitch as he feels more pain developing in his mind, and his eyes glow with a minor hint of ember matching the flames.

LOOK. LOOK. LOOK. LOOK. LO-

He was snapped out of the stare when Gideon slams the latch shut to cut their connection, Lordan grabs his forehead as the pain begins to fade away.

"Careful, Lordan. We don't want to go through all that again, do we? Stare too long into the abyss and it starts to stare back." He gives Lordan a moment to adjust while keeping the lamp back under the table. "Took us a while to extract these flames from your mind, nasty little thing. Has a mind of its own, despite being severed from the Three Fingers."

Lordan shakes his head to recover from the headache. He finally looks back at Gideon when the pain fades completely. "How does it do that? Make my head hurt and causes me to think... Badly?"

"How does it, indeed. The flames we extracted will need to be studied, carefully. Do not worry, it's contained very well." The desk shakes a little due to a rattling from the lamp, Gideon gives it a little kick and it ceases. "Hm. Seems to like you. Still, not an excuse for it to cripple you for four weeks."

"Four weeks?! It's been that long?" Lordan exclaims from the duration of his slumber. "It felt like it was yesterday..."

Gideon write down another line on his notes from what Lordan had just said. "Yes, four days of screaming while we removed the flames. Three weeks of deathly cold that almost killed you. And eight more days of you staying unconscious until now."

Lordan sighs from the lost time. He had planned to leave the Lands Between within that period. He was now overstaying his welcome. No more delays. I need to move. He prepares to leave but had a final question for Gideon.

"So, Why did you save me?" He asks with doubt in his voice. "You made it clear that I needed to earn my keep before you helped. What changed your mind?"

Gideon looks up to Lordan, clearly not too happy from being called out. "A message. From the Two Fingers. The Greater Will's latest words gave me pause. And when I heard Vyke being spotted in Limgrave. I knew it was a matter of time before he pursues you."

"What message?"

"The words of the Greater Will. Its message was clearer this time." Gideon takes out a piece of paper and reads out the written note. "It told the Two Fingers this, word for word."

"He is the last one. Ever."

Lordan takes note of the message, clearly referring to his status as a Tarnished. "Ever?"

"Ever. It means you may be all we have got at this point. Conserving you is now a priority. And someone is needed to look after Melina. Especially from that madman."

Lordan takes notice of her mention. "Melina? Where is she? Is she alright?" Guilt and worry take hold of him as he did not see Melina around the Hold when he awoke. He was worried she might have gotten hurt, both physically and mentally.

"She is well. She will not be available for a while. Asked me to pass your this when you wake up." He passes a sealed letter that was addressed to him. "Also, I received this from a half-wolf. Says he is a friend of yours." Gideon passes another letter and a parcel, it was a bit weighted and felt like was carrying liquid.

"From Blaidd?" Lordan takes the parcel and letter, assuming it was from the only half-wolf he knows of.

Gideon takes out another item from his own enchanted bag and hands it over to Lordan. "Here. The flask that you lost. It has been upgraded to hold more and be more effective. Use it well."

Lordan takes the red flask and inspects it, it felt a little heavy compared to his previous flask. He keeps it in his quick pouch as he previously did. "So what happens now?"

"Now, we return to our previous state. Acquire a great rune and gain an audience with the fingers. Once that is done, speak to me. I may have use of you." Gideon returns to his reading and ignores Lordan as he usually did. "Be on your way then."

Seeing that he no longer wanted to converse, Lordan walks away annoyed once again by Gideon. Intending to return to his own guestroom to read the letters.

The desk shakes again due to movement from the lamp that contained the flames. Gideon gives it another kick, this time harder than the last. It ceases movement while Gideon looks at it directly.

"Behave, you damn pest. Or I will freeze you in a metal box like last time."

Lordan takes a seat at his guestroom's bed with the two letters in hand, placing one at the side while holding another.

The first letter was from Melina. It was sealed with a red wax seal with an Erdtree symbol on it. He open the letter to read her words, It was written with fine ink and elegant handwriting.

Dear Lordan,

If you are reading this then you must be awake.

If we have already spoken by the time you received this letter then please ignore it.

Firstly, I must apologize for not being there when you woke up.

There are matters that I must attend to elsewhere, matters that you cannot be involved in.

I hope you understand.

Secondly, I am ashamed of my behavior during our last conversion.

I froze and put you at risk.

I am sorry once again.

I never intended to put you in harm's way, not from Vyke of all people.

If you are angry at me for this reason, know that I do not blame you.

It is what I deserved.

And do not worry, I am unharmed.

Both in body and mind.

I have allowed you to turn runes into strength on your own.

Should you find the need to do so without me.

I wish you all the best on your journey, should you choose to continue without me.

Love,

Melina.

He closes the letter in half and sighs. Not happy with the possibility of Melina leaving him alone due to guilt. He never blamed her for the incident, he understood what it feels to be lost in fear. His fight with Margit proved that.

He would have to find her and speak in private. He needed to assure her that it was alright. That they were alright.

He puts Melina's letter in his enchanted bag for safekeeping. Taking Blaidd's letter and inspecting it as well, seeing a different wax seal that resembles two moons and some small stars. He opens the letter and reads the words, it's handwriting was rougher than Melina's.

Dear lordan,

Heard about your dance with Vyke.

Nasty business that one was.

Especially with the whole frenzied flame cursing you and all that.

Hopefully, you're up and running by the time this reaches you.

(Please don't be dead. Writing is hard for me.)

That parcel that came with the letter was from my mistress.

Thinks you might have a use for it.

Not that I know anything about alchemy, I just drink anything that helps.

(I think she might be interested in you. We might be in-laws soon, eh?)

Anyway, I heard you might be thinking of taking on Margit to claim a great rune from Stormveil Castle.

Got some info on an item that might help you out.

A magical shackle.

One that was used to bind him before.

Heard it was being kept by a bandit, he's bald so he's not hard to miss.

Around Lake Agheel, in a cave last I heard.

Well, I'm not good with words, but hope you get well soon, mate.

I still want to test your sword arm against me.

Might be a sick spar.

Cheers,

Blaidd.

A shackle? To bind him? He notes on the information Blaidd provides and remembers that there was a cave nearby the area where he and Yura fought the bloody finger. He takes out his map and marks the location, intending to find this shackle that could help him fight against Margit.

He opens the parcel to find a yellow flask similar to his other two. A note provided instructions to mix two different tears for various effects. Tears can be found at minor Erdtrees.

Looking through his map again, Lordan marks out several points on the island to the south called the Weeping Peninsula. He had intended to explore the area for more runes before Vyke's attack that caused him to delay his journey.

While moving back to the main hall, Lordan observed the table and could now see the grace clearly. He sighs in relief as he was now protected by the time loop again.

Checking on his equipment one last time to ensure he was ready, Lordan puts on his helmet once again. Ready to return to Limgrave. His first stop would be the cave Blaidd mentioned.

Stay safe Melina. I will see you soon. He thinks of the conversation he and Melina were to have. Thinking of the words he could say to comfort her.

LIMGRAVE, LAKE AGHEEL

Starting from the campsite Yura once resided at Lake Agheel, Lordan made his way to the last location of their fight with the bloody finger on Torrent's back.

Torrent had been happy to see him once summoned, It proceeded to lick him like a dog much to Lordan's dismay. He was lucky to be wearing a helmet, most of the saliva from Torrent did not even reach his face.

He reaches the gorge where the fight had taken place and ended, dismounting Torrent and letting it disappear. His current location had been correct as he sees the body of Nerijus still in the shallow water where the fight ended, beginning to rot with his clothes colors fading and flies hovering around.

Lordan takes out a firebomb and throws it on the body to burn it, the bomb sets the body ablaze despite it being wet due to the oil.

He looks to the side to see an entrance to a cave. Suspecting it was the one Blaidd mentioned. He places a lamp on his belt and draws his broadsword and parrying shield, noting that tighter areas like caves would hinder long and big-styled weapons as Vagram once taught him.

He reaches a large area within the cave after some exploring. Some time had been taken to reach this point as he had experienced an ambush by some bandits after he activated a noise trap that gave away his location.

Bandits came rushing out once they heard the trap. They had outnumbered Lordan ten to one but he managed to dispatch them all with ease as they were not very capable of fighting a trained mercenary, it did not help that their equipment had been in a poor condition as well with only blunt rusty swords and knives as weapons.

The area had a campfire set up with a pot over it, boiling soup with a mix of meats and herbs. The site also contained seats and improvised bedding. It was clear that someone was living here, very recently.

Lordan moves over to a nearby chest that was near the site and opens it. It had contain only clothes and supplies, nothing resembling a shackle or out-of-place catches his eye.

Nope. Not here. He closes the chest and sees another one nearby. He starts moving towards it while looking around the area, keeping watch for any traps.

" Well, well, well? Thought you did just help yourself to a man's personal belongings? " Lordan stops halfway upon hearing a voice from behind him, it sounded from high up. He turns around to see a man jumping down from a higher part of the cave. He was wearing leather armor with a tower shield and spear, his bald head was the main highlight of his appearance.

"You scheming little thief! The gods demand repentance! Cough out your runes! All of it!" He raises his shield up front and charges Lordan.

Patches The Untethered

Bald guy? Yep. Dead giveaway. He notes on the feature that Blaidd mentioned in his letter to confirm that this is the bandit that has the shackle. Lordan starts moving backward to create distance while Patches moves closer, raising his shield for cover.

Patches deliver several thrusts with his spear while behind his shield, the thrusts were easily defected by Lordan using the technique taught by Yura. He deflects all attacks in rapid succession which causes Patches to retreat.

With the distance created between, Patches downs a flask and spits out a murky gas that covers the area in front of Lordan, concealing himself from view. He rushes through the smoke with his shield for a ram but Lordan easily sidesteps to avoid the attempt, Patches soon trips on a rock and falls from his charging motion.

Is the guy serious? Lordan thinks to himself as he observes what is possibly the worst attack attempt he ever saw. He moves to Patches fallen position with his shield at the ready. Patches from his laying position throw several knives at Lordan, all attacks were again easily defected with his sword and shield.

Really? Playing dirty? Lordan rolls his eyes at the attacks as Patches gets on his feet. Patches soon throw some sand onto Lordan's face to distract him, he approaches Lordan from his distracted state to try and attack with his spear.

Seeing Patches approach, Lordan delivers a front kick to his shield when he got close. The kick makes him lose balance and Lordan delivers multiple slashes and stabs combinations, making Patches block the attacks with his shield desperately as he was beginning to stagger from the constant assault.

Patches soon swipe his shield and stop Lordan's assault. He quickly runs away to a distance to avoid more attacks. The two fighters circle each other, with Lordan being completely unfazed and ready while Patches breathing heavily from the fight, he was not expecting the fight last this long.

"Well... You are... Quite... The fighter, eh?" Patches speak in-between his breaths, exhausted from the fight already despite it only being less than ten minutes. "Tell you what, friend... You just... Go about your way... And I... Will forget this minor... Misunderstanding..." He makes Lordan an offer of ceasing their fight.

"Nope. You started it." Lordan takes a battle stance with his sword and shield, taunting Patches to attack. "Come on, then. It's your move." He offers, hoping Patches would take the bait.

Patches laughed at the offer, amused by Lordan supposedly being too cocky. "Haha... Hehe... You are too kind my friend." He takes a moment and charges out of a sudden. "Now die! And give me your stuff!"

Got you. Lordan waits for the spear to land a hit. He swings his shield at the very last moment before a blow lands, parrying Patches to stagger him. He rushes and grabs the spear before delivering a hard knock with his bodyweight by his shoulder to disarm him. Patches fall backward from the knock, his spear now in Lordan's hands.

Lordan keeps the spear in his enchanted bag, intending to use it later as it seemed to hold a sharp edge. He moves to Patches slowly, his shield at the ready for any more tricks.

"Oh... Shit..." Patches raise his shield while on the ground and Lordan starts attacking. His blows were unrelenting, aiming to ensure Patches gets overwhelmed by his constant attacks. Each blow lands on the shield on purpose as a way for Lordan to exhaust Patches.

Patches start to falter under the constant stress created by Lordan's assault. He eventually speaks out in desperation for him to stop. "Wait, wait, please! I surrender! White flag and all!"

Not yet buddy. Lordan continues his attacks without care, intending to tire out Patches some more to ensure there would be no more dirty tricks from him.

"For Pete's Sake! I concede! No one likes a bull-headed brute, you know! I yield, yield! You can't harm a yielding man!" His tone was now more desperate than before.

Lordan finally decides to stop after getting in one final strike that knocks away his shield. He points his blade near Patches throat which gets him to raise his hands. "Alright, then. I win."

"Yes, you did... Yes... You did..." Patches reach behind his lower back and grab a dagger. He charges up in a last-ditch effort to surprise Lordan. "HA! DIE YOU SHIT!"

Completely ready for another surprise attack, Lordan simply grips Patches hand as the dagger thrusts towards him, stopping the attack before it makes contact. He then forces Patches onto his feet and punches him hard in the jaw, knocking him out cold.

ENEMY FELLED

"Hells, what a prick..." Lordan remarks on all the tricks and unfair tactics Patches employed to try and win. He sees some rope on the side of the campsite and takes a bunch to use, restraining Patches by his arms.

Lordan sits by the campsite and waits for Patches to reawaken, taking a nearby bowl and scooping himself a portion of soup from the pot nearby.

After two hours, Patches finally begins to wake up. "Hmmm... What... Huh?" He finds himself tied up in a sitting position. Lordan sits to his opposite nearer to the campfire, a bowl in his hand.

"What? Where is? Hey! Untie me, kid!" Patches shout out to Lordan, he ignores him while taking another sip of soup from the bowl, soup that patches made for himself. "And stop drinking that! Took me hours to get the meat to make that soup!"

"Too bad, baldy. Your soup tastes bland anyway." Lordan pours the remaining contents of the bowl to the ground and tosses the bowl aside. He stands with his sword at the ready, moving towards Patches. "You have something I need. Something important."

"Well untie me and we can work something out!" Patches suggested as Lordan shakes his head.

"After what you just pulled. Nope. You are staying right there."

"Come on! Seriously! This is a mistake! I mistook you for a thief. It happens!" Patches try to justify his actions. " Alright, I admit! I got little... Carried away. But what did you expect!"

"I expect a civil conversion? Maybe don't attack people on sight next time?"

Patches nod and agree to the comment. "Of course! Of course! Give a man a chance to change his ways, would you? As another fellow Tarnished in arms?"

Lordan rolls his eyes at the comparison, not convinced in any way that Patches won't try to backstab him. "Fine. You have something I need."

"Do I? Well, let's make a deal then. How much for this... thing?"

"Me not taking your head off. That's how much I offer." A threat is issued to Patches.

"Come on now! You can't expect me to give away my stuff for free! It's my livelihood!" Patches tried to talk his way out of the problem while trying to close a deal with Lordan.

Not being impressed by the statement, Lordan decides to make the item he needs to Patches known. "I'm looking for a magical shackle. One used to bind Margit before."

"Shackle?! Do I look like I have-" Patches stops midway when he figures out which item Lordan was referring to "OH! That shackle! Yes, I have it with me!" He looks back at the chest on the other side of the cave. "It's in that chest right there."

"That chest?"

"Yep. Stored it safely away. Got it cheap from a merchant up north. Said it was useful if the Omen paid me a visit." He explains how he obtained the shackle for himself. "Go ahead. Take it. Consider it a... Peace offering for my bad. Hehehe..."

Lordan looks to the chest and starts moving towards it. He takes a few steps before stopping upon thinking about something.

Traps. They were set up throughout this cave. The chest that Patches seem so eager to let Lordan open could be another one.

"Well? What are you waiting for? It's just-" Patches was interrupted when Lordan grabs him and drags him along to the chest. "Hey! what are you?! Hey!"

He places Patches right in front of the chest and draws his sword fully. "You open it."

"Me? How? I'm tied up!"

"Then I will open it behind you." Lordan pushes Patches closer to the chest and positions himself behind him. He was able to reach the chest and open it fully despite Patches being in front of him.

"Hey Now! There's no need for this! The shackle is in there! Just open it yourself and see!"

"Going once."

"Hey! Hey! Hey! There is no need for this-"

"Going twice."

"I'm serious! Just open it yours-"

"And open..."

"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! It's a trap! A trap! You got me! The shackle is in my bag! At the campfire, Alright! For Pete's sake! Don't open that chest in front of me!" Patches confess before Lordan could lift the chest open. He stops and throws Patches to the side, moving away from him to find the bag he mentioned.

He grabs the enchanted bag on the floor and reaches in while thinking of the shackle. He eventually grabs hold of an item that felt rough and pulls it out. It was a black stone with runes written on the surface, a faint golden glow was present on the shackle. He Lordan keeps the item in his own bag.

"Thanks." Lordan says absently while moving to the exit of the cave, leaving Patches behind still bound in his restraints.

"HEY! You just gonna leave me here like this?!" Patches call out to Lordan as he was leaving.

"Your still alive right? Then, you can take of yourself." Lordan gives his final words and leaves without looking back.

Patches struggle with his bindings as Lordan moves away. "HEY! KID! GODS, DAMN IT! WHAT A SHITSHOW!" He screams and curses as Lordan moves out of view.

WEEPING PENINSULA THE BRIDGE OF SACRIFICE

Lordan makes his way to the south by following the route shown on the map, he rides Torrent with haste to reach the bridge that separates Limgrave and the island.

A blockade was set up by soldiers he encounter earlier to stop any from crossing. Torrent manages to skid around the attacks from the soldiers with Its speed and agility while Lordan dispatches them on horseback. They made a good team while riding.

Upon reaching the other side, Lordan spots another site of grace to his right while a woman sits on a log near the main path to his left. He dismounts Torrent and touches grace to recover before moving over to the woman on the opposite side, looking around at the same time to ensure there are no threats in the area.

"Hello? Is somebody there?" She calls out upon hearing Lordan's footsteps. Her eyes were covered and she was not looking in Lordan's direction, indicating that she might be blind despite her attire of a noblewoman. "Might I bend your ear for a moment, please?" A request is made when she feels that Lordan was close enough to her.

"Sure. But are you alright?" He asked, noting that the area around her was littered with corpses of soldiers and mutant creatures that seem to have fought each other to a bitter end. He thinks that these soldiers might have been escorting her before they were attacked by the mutants. "You seem rather calm from what happened around you."

"I am well. Thank you." She clears her throat and sits up straight. "My name is Irina. I've escaped from Castle Morne to the south."

"I'm Lordan. I'm... New around here." She responds with a nod. "What are you doing here anyway? Are your eyes alright?"

"The servants there...have rebelled. I-I can't be sure what it is; my eyesight's been weak since birth you see... But I swear I heard frightful howling from all over."

"From these creatures your soldiers killed?" He points out the bodies around her.

She shakes her head. "No... They were from the castle, down south. My good father secreted me out but decided to stay. He says it's his duty, as commander." She trembles from what she just said, fearful of losing her father.

"I... I fear for my father's life. The servants are full wroth. Filled with hatred for every one of us. They've since come for every one of the companions I escaped with. They haven't spared a soul. I fear it's no different at Castle Morne..."

She reaches into her dress's pocket and pulls out a piece of cloth, a Gorgeous silken handkerchief, lightly stained with blood. Words can be made out within, her own handwriting despite being blind.

"Please, I implore you. Would you mind taking a letter to my father, at the castle?" She lifts her hand up to Lordan's direction that she assumes he was when he last spoke. "My sole wish is that he escapes, even if his honor should be the price. Please... I just want him to be safe..."

Lordan takes the letter and keeps it safely in his pouch, accepting her request as he was also headed to the southern castle. "Of course. I'm heading there anyway."

"Oh! Thank you! Thank you, Lordan!" She grabs his hand and hugs him as thanks for his acceptance to help, grateful that a kind soul was willing to help despite the difficult odds.

"Uhhhh... Sure." Lordan quickly stops her and looks around once more, noting that she was alone and appeared defenseless. "Why don't I take you someplace safe first? In case those things come back?"

She shakes her head and rejects the offer. "I appreciate the offer, Lordan. But I must stay here to wait for him."

"But... It's not really safe. If I take you to the Roundtable Hold, you can stay there safely and wait for him there. Trust me, it's much better." He makes the offer again but she shakes her head in rejection again.

"I'm sorry, Lordan. But I want to stay here. Please... Let me wait for him. He is... All I have left. And I am all he has."

Lordan sighs, clearly he was going to change her mind. Letting her stay alone was a big risk for her but I couldn't force her to leave. He reaches into his enchanted bag and pulls out a dagger, one fit for a none combatant to use.

"Alright... I not going to force you. But you should keep this just in case." He hands over his dagger, she reaches out to take it as Lordan puts it in front of her. " If anyone attacks you or approaches you that isn't your father or me, use this to defend yourself."

She grips the dagger closer, keeping it close like a lifeline. "Thank you. But... I don't know how to fight."

"Just stab and swing forward or in any direction that you hear." He gives his advice to Irina. He takes one more look around to ensure there are no dangers to her.

Lordan soon gets back on the main path to summon Torrent and mount up to travel south. He takes one last look at Irina. "Alright. Stay safe, Irina."

"And you, Lordan. May the stars guide you to succeed. I will pray for your safety and luck." He nods to her and moves off, his katana at the ready for mounted combat.

He rides for a bit before deciding the scout the area near Irina, intending to eliminate all threats to her before moving down south. A ride that may take him at least five days.

"Alright, Torrent. We are making a detour. A few detours." It huffs in acknowledgment.

"That's my boy." He pets Torrent's mane while riding as they advance forward.

CASTLE MORNE

ENEMY FELLED

The Misbegotten lets out a soft dying roar towards Lordan as it's greatsword was currently embedded in its shoulder, the blade had carved through its body halfway to expose its organs and bone from its torso. Lordan had disarmed it and used its own sword to deliver a downwards strike that was the killing blow.

It moves back slowly as it tries to make a final attempt to flee. The misbegotten soon falls to the ground from the blood loss, it goes limp after a few twitches and dies. Runes appear to float out of its body and move towards Lordan, disappearing upon impact.

Lordan takes out his red flask and sips on it to recover, his wounds heal and he feels lesser pain than before. He takes a look around the shore to find Edgar laying on his side, holding his stomach for the pain caused by the last blow the creature had inflicted on him.

"Edgar!" Lordan calls out while moving towards his position, he reaches to him and offers a hand. "You good?"

Edgar takes the hand and allows Lordan to help him up. "Yes... Young man. Very good. Seeing that beast fall was a miracle if I ever saw one." He gets on his feet and begins rubbing off the sand around his armor.

The pair approach the dead creature and Lordan pulls out the greatsword in its shoulder with two hands, the weight of the sword almost causes him to fall when it comes out of the wound. "Oof... Got a little weight on you." He remarks on the weight of the Grafted Blade Greatsword, a heavy and unbalanced Colossal sword made from the claimed swords of an entire clan of warriors.

He flips the sword slowly to point the blade towards the ground, offering its hilt to pass to Edgar. "Here. The sword you wanted, in exchange for the beast's Runes."

Edgar takes the sword and observes it for a moment, he passes back the blade to Lordan who takes it with a confused look. "You keep it, Lad. This sword was my duty. I was to make sure it did not fall into the wrong hands. But now it seems it has found the right hands, yours in fact."

"Me? You sure?" He questions Edgar's intent, knowing that the sword is an heirloom that is not easily replaced. "By right, it's yours. I just used it for a while."

Edgar waves in the attempt to return it. "No. You keep it. Do whatever you want with the sword. A gift from Godrick is no gift at all." Edgar sighs in a long breath of relief, one that he was holding in for years.

"I'm in your debt, Lordan. I'm no longer bound by duty to Godrick. Once I've rescued Irina, I will spend and devote my remaining days to her." He gives Lordan a small bow in thanks.

Lordan nods at the gesture and proceeds to keep the Colossal sword in his enchanted bag, its opening spreads out wider to fit the sword's width while its length disappears into the magical storage.

"Ok. Now... We should get back to the bridge where Irina is. It's going to be at least a five-day ride. Three, if we push it." Lordan makes a rough estimation of the time taken to travel back to the main bridge that separates the Limgrave and the island.

He hopes that Irina would still be there unharmed from when he last saw her. He had taken a few hours to scout the area around her for potential danger, these detours saw him taking out a dozen groups of Misbegotten that roam a bit close to her location. He only moved on to the south once he had checked on Irina one more time.

But that was five days ago. Things could be different now. Getting Edgar to Irina successfully was now a priority for him.

Edgar nods at the suggestion and they move to the gate that leads back to the castle. Intended to reach the stables for Edger to find a mount.

Upon reaching the stables, Edgar moves to the side and picks up a heavy object. "Here. This might be useful for your journey." He hands over a large weapon to Lordan.

The weapon was a Hand Ballista that was made to be handheld. An unconventional ballistic device modeled after a weapon used to besiege castles adapted into a portable form, perfect for reckless acts such as storming a castle or facing an entire army alone.

Lordan examines the weapon as he held it, it was heavy and required both hands to carry and fire. Useful for long-range but risky at close quarters.

"Damn. What did your people use this for?"

"Castle defense, at the main gates. Instead of bringing a giant ballista that requires three men to operate. We let one man carry this" He explains a short use case for the weapon. "The bolts it fires tear through almost anything made of flesh, especially up close."

"Up close, huh?" Lordan imagines how he could use this aspect of the weapon. An idea pops up in his head for possible use, he would need to visit Hewg later for it.

It was not the first time he sees a weapon that was adapted into smaller forms. The middle, eastern, and western lands of the known world had started using matchlock weaponry to replicate the usage of a cannon on a smaller scale, firing small marbles made of metal at a long range. The inventors of Yharnam were the pioneers of such technology.

He keeps the Ballista in his enchanted bag before continuing on. They found one horse for Edgar that was still alive and healthy enough to mount.

"Looks like we will have to ride on one horse. Hop on, Lordan." Edgar offers a hand to Lordan while mounted.

"No need. I got a ride." Lordan blows the whistle on his ring and jumps up to allow Torrent to be summoned below him, instantly mounting on his steed.

"Well... another surprise from you." Edgar looks to Torrent, noting that it was not a usual horse that one rides. The both of them move with their mounts to the castle exterior, facing the field in front of them.

"Alright. We ride hard, Lordan. No delays to reach her." The both of them soon charge off from the castle, with Lordan holding Torrent back to match Edgar's speed. They leave the castle behind, none of them intending to return.

WEEPING PENINSULA THE BRIDGE OF SACRIFICE

After four days of hard riding, they finally reached the bridge. They start slowing down on their mounts, letting their steeds rest a little from the long trek. Lordan looks to the area where Irina sits to find that she was no longer there.

Is she gone? Damn it... Don't tell me...

They reach the mid-point of the area and stop. Edgar looks around to see no one currently in the vicinity. "Well? Where is she? She's supposed to be here right?"

"Yes... She waited here... I even came back to check on her once." Lordan looks around as well, no one was around the bridge or the site of grace either.

Edgar dismounts and draws his weapon, moving to the site of grace. "I will check that side, Lordan. Be on your guard." Lordan dismounts Torrent as well to investigate the area where Irina used to seat.

"IRINA! IRINA! ARE YOU THERE?! IT'S ME! YOUR FATHER!" Edgar shouts around to try and get her attention.

Lordan moves slowly to the rock Irina used to sit, looking around for traces of struggle or clues as to where she might be. Upon reaching closer to the stone fence of the road he notices a foot that was visible to the side, it was the feet of a woman that they weren't able to spot just now due to the fence blocking it from view.

Oh no... No... No... NO.

He moves slowly to the other side of the fence to get a closer look. His worst fears were confirmed.

It was Irina laying on the ground, completely stripped naked with bruises on several parts of her body, her eyes and mouth were still open as if she was in shock and fear but completely lifeless. Bite marks made by human teeth were around her shoulders, breasts, and thighs. Large bruising on her neck indicates that she was strangled to death with great force that must have broken her neck. But the worst detail was the large traces of white dried-up stains that were around her mouth, chest, belly, and lower parts of her body.

Irina was killed and her corpse defiled by an unknown attacker.

"Fuck..." Lordan falls to his knees and places his palms on the eye openings of his helmet, letting out a rageful shout at the display. "FUCK. FUCK! FFFFUUUCCCKKKKKK!"

He had made a grave error. Thinking that Irina would have been safe alone after he cleared the area of enemies that were close to her location. This mistake cost her life and honor.

"GODS! HEAVENS! HELLS!" He punches the ground in his raging state, not caring for the pain it caused. His constant shouting and actions cause Edgar to notice, prompting him to move closer.

"Lordan? What is the mat-" He stops his question when he reaches near Lordan. His eyes were now on the body of his daughter. He drops his weapon and had his mouth agape, not knowing how to process the state he found her in.

Lordan looks up and finally notices Edgar. "No... Edgar... Look... Look away..." He ignores Lordan's pleas and moves to Irina's side, taking both knees as he slowly picks her up in his arms. Tears began welling up in his eyes.

"Irina... How could this be..." He speaks in disbelief and despair as he helplessly holds her close. "My daughter deserved better..."

Lordan slowly gets on his feet with regret and guilt hindering his movements. "Edgar... I'm sorry. I... Fucked up." He should have insisted to bring her to the hold.

Edgar sobs softly. "The fault lies...with me. I chose duty over my daughter's safety. And that is how fate has answered..." His sobs soon become harder and were replaced with anger and hatred instead.

"I'll find them. The foul wretches responsible for this. I'll hunt them down, and exterminate every last one of them! Rest assured, Irina. It will be done."

Lordan could not find the words to say at this moment. No amount of apologies was going to make this situation better. He watches on helplessly as Edgar picks up Irina's body and moves to his horse, using his cape to cover her up in the process.

"Edgar... I..."

Edgar stops him halfway with a raised hand, not wanting to hear any more from Lordan. "I must... give her a proper burial... Besides her mother."

He begins moving off without a care in the direction of the castle. "For your sake Lordan... I hope we never meet again. I don't know what I would do if that happens." He issues a warning with a hint of regret, partially blaming Lordan for Irina's death. "Please... Leave us be. Never come to Castle Morne again."

Edgar rides off with Irina's body back south. Lordan watches on as he slowly moves of view. He sighs and moves back to Torrent who allows Lordan to pet it for comfort.

"Damn it... Why am I so fucking weak... And stupid..."

LIMGRAVE, AGHEEL LAKE NORTH

Resting at the site of grace in the north of Lake Agheel, Lordan sits by the light with a notebook and pencil to sketch out a diagram of the ballista he was given at the Weeping Peninsula. It had been two days since the events back at the island which he was still mulling over, stressed and hurt from his failure to save Irina.

He sketches the details of the ballista's parts and inner workings. Making some notes on the design and functionality of each component. He identified the significant parts that make up the weapon's usage, drawing them out in detail. He had learned the basics of weapon engineering and forging during his travel with Vargram years ago, understudying under a few blacksmiths in between.

"So four reinforced springs create the stopping power to match an actual ballista's power. But what if I decrease it to two... " He ponders on the design a bit more, making new notes for each change or alteration that could be made. He would have visit Hewg soon to discuss the idea he has.

He decides to finish up on his sketches and keeps the notebook in his bag. Lordan soon lays down flat on the ground and lets out a breath, his muscles and bones ache from the travel in the last few days. He observes the stars in the night sky, wondering how many stars populate the sky.

Lordan ponders on his current failures in the lands between so far. One involving his failure to stop Vyke from harming Melinda and the other being Irina's death, the latter could have been avoided if he took the steps to ensure she was in a safer place. He wonders about the other failures he once faced in the past, some of which caused the lives of people that he considered friends.

He raises a hand to reach out to the skies above, blocking some of the starlights from view. He turns his hand to examine his gloveless palm, it was rough and calloused from the constant stress and usage of weapons. He can't actually remember the last time he took a break from any fighting, his whole life he had held a sword as a way of living, he had no other purpose at this point.

Even with all the skills and knowledge I have. I'm still useless... He sighs from the thought, the guilt from Irina's death was taking its toll. Sleep was not going to be an option tonight.

Lordan gets on his feet and moves closer to the sight of grace, reaching out the light to feel its warmth. He decides to gain strength from the power of runes that he currently possesses. Thinking of the aspects that he wanted to improve, he finalized his decision and feels his runes imbuing into his body permanently.

He soon decides to move on to his next location, referring to his map once more to check on the direction to move. Once he had his next area decided he left the site of grace and step onto the main road.

Torrent was summoned with his whistle and he mounts up. He starts riding north and eventually reaches a bridge. Torrents starts to slow down on its own near the start of the bridge, as if aware of something that was amiss.

Lordan checks on Torrent due to its sudden stop. "Torrent? What's wrong boy?" Torrent makes a movement with its head to signal forward towards the other end of the bridge. Its behavior was now defensive as if preparing for a fight.

Following the direction Torrent gestured to, Lordan looks up to the front and spots another rider with a much bigger horse at the other end. The rider was dressed Chad in black cloaks and plate with his horse wearing a matching color, blended with the darkness of the night.

Lordan draws two swords from his bags as the rider follows suit by preparing a giant flail that was spiked and heavy. He rides towards Lordan slowly with each step picking up speed, his flail dragging along the ground to create sparks on the bridge's floor.

Wait. Is that? Lordan takes a close look as the rider approaches at a distance. Realization soon hits him as he recognized the rider from before, anger and rage soon built up within him from the memory.

This was one of the riders who attacked the mercenary band he traveled with a month ago. This was one of the culprits who cause his whole situation here in the first place.

Night's Cavalry

"Son of a bitch..." He charges forward at full speed with Torrent towards the cavalry, no hesitation was displayed by Torrent as it follows its master into battle. "Son of a bitch!"

The Cavalry begins turning his flail in circles above his head to prepare a heavy attack. The two riders close in on each other and were about to exchange blows.

The Cavalry takes a swing with his flail that misses as Lordan ducks while riding by. He takes a few swings at the Cavalry as he passes to Little effect as the plated armor protects the Cavalry greatly. They ride away from each other in opposite directions before turning back again for another exchange of blows.

They meet in the middle of the bridge at great speed and clash once again, They take swings at each other as their steed circle around to keep moving.

Lordan dodges many of the attacks from the Cavalry's flail by ducking or dashing away with Torrent, facing many near misses that see the flail missing him by an inch.

The Cavalry on the other hand is struck many times by Lordan with his dual swords. His plated armor was efficient in protecting him against the slashes of the swords, with many blows bouncing or sliding out upon impact.

On horseback, they were more or less equally matched, with Lordan able to dodge many of the attacks from the flail and the Cavalry able to take many of the hits delivered by the dual blades.

Lordan dashes on the side of the Cavalry to ride off behind him, keeping his swords and taking out his katana. He makes another turn and charges towards the Cavalry again with a new weapon in hand. He passes the Cavalry several times with Torrent dashing through each time and delivering single slashes swiftly with each pass. The katana was not able to cut through the plate of the Cavalry but was able to create larger dents as compared to his swords.

Noticing the damage caused by the katana, the Cavalry changes his tactics. After they make another pass, the Cavalry decides to chase Lordan down. His steed was able to keep up to Lordan and Torrent even with its larger size.

Once side by side, the Cavalry begins his attack with a series of smaller swings with his flail. Lordan was surprised by the move and quickly tries to create distance by moving away but could not as the Cavalry persists and stays to his side, not letting him catch a break.

He decides to make a risky move.

Lordan changes the direction Of the Torrent back to the bridge, with the Cavalry following closely to his side. He charges towards the side of the bridge that leads off the cliff. Lordan continues on with the Cavalry slowing down slightly as he hesitates to follow.

The Cavalry eventually stops midway by braking his horse hard. Lordan follows through with his intention with Torrent jumping off the cliff edge at the side of the bridge. Torrent then followed up with a second jump in mid-air back to the bridge, allowing Lordan to land at the bridge safely. He rides Torrent to the end of the bridge, with the Cavalry on the other end.

Lordan then keeps his katana and changes to a spear. He points the spear forward and charges forth towards the Cavalry with Torrent's best speed. The Cavalry also charges forth as fast as his steed could, swinging his flail faster and harder. The both of them close in and eventually make contact.

The spear pierces the Cavalry's plate armor in his shoulder and injures him, breaking in half upon contact. While the flail hits Lordan's chest with great force to knock him off Torrent's back. The Cavalry moves on with a spear in his shoulder to a safe distance and Lordan falls to the ground of the bridge in the middle.

The Cavalry removes the half-length spear from his shoulder, blood spews out from the wound. He makes another charge towards Lordan with the best speed from his steed without swinging his flail. His intention was to simply run Lordan over while he was laying on the floor.

Lordan feels the pain from the hit he suffered earlier, assessing that a few of his ribs must have been broken from the impact. He sits up and sips on his red flask and the pain disappears almost instantly. He bears the steps of the Cavalry's horse closing in on him and realizes he was going to be trampled by a giant horse once again, like his previous death from the Tree Sentinal.

"Oh... For fuck sa-"

Torrent leaps over Lordan from behind and lands in front of him. It turns around in rapid succession and delivers a high kick with two of its back legs, the horse runs into the kick at the right moment of impact. Its neck breaks from the kick instantaneously due to the combined force of Torrent's kick and the full speed of the Cavalry's horse. The horse slowly goes limp and falls to the side with the Cavalry falling off as well.

Lordan looks at the display with glee as Torrent had even the playing field. "HA! Well done, Torrent!" He praises his steed while it moves back to him. Lordan then recalls Torrent back to safety and it disappeared as he intended to finish this fight on foot.

The Cavalry now on foot gets to his feet with his flail in hand while Lordan draws his katana that he used earlier. The two fighters size each other up and clash once again, this time on foot without steeds.

The Cavalry delivers many swings and slams with his flail in wild motions without restrain, attempting to hit Lordan with the flurry of strikes. Lordan side-steps and dodges many of the swings with ease as they were slower and easier to read as compared previously.

On horseback, the Cavalry was the superior fighter. On foot, the tables are turned greatly.

Lordan soon counters with his katana by performing swift slashes and stabs in between the Cavalry's swings. His hits land most of the time but could not penetrate the plate armor.

Lordan and the Cavalry soon create distance among themselves. Each taking time to recover from their dance of weapons. Lordan sips on both his red and blue flasks to regain himself while looking at the armor of the Cavalry at their stand-off distance.

He notices the dents in his armor caused by his katana were not in any way close to making an opening to actually hit him, so his previous strikes were useless. But he also notices gaps in between the moving parts of the armor that allows the Cavalry to maintain mobility.

Those gaps are exposed but small. I need to be more precise in my strikes.

He allows the Cavalry to move first and take a few swings at him, which he dodges with ease. He eventually makes his first move with a swift slash to a small opening in the Cavalry's armor.

The Cavalry makes a grunt in pain and swings his flail to deter Lordan. He swings his flail a few more times before Lordan gets another hit at one of his armor's gaps, causing him actual damage.

Lordan continues his attacks, in the same manner, allowing the Cavalry to attack and damage him using his katana to strike gaps in his armor. This process continued for a good ten minutes with Lordan managing to deliver dozens of hits on every available gap in the Cavalry's armor.

The Cavalry was now badly injured and overwhelmed by pain, the gaps of his armor leak blood from the wounds within. His attacks and movement were becoming sluggish and slow, creating more openings for Lordan to attack.

Lordan holds his katana close with both hands and prepares a stabbing attack on a smaller gap he sees, intending to end the fight. The Cavalry delivers a downwards strike with his flail which misses as Lordan backsteps before it lands.

He returns to his original stance and stabs forward with his katana, aiming for the Cavalry's head. The katana stabs through the left eye slit of the helmet and through the Cavalry's head, with the tip going all the way through. It was a killing blow.

"Feel that? That's for me. And everyone you murdered." Lordan pulls the katana from the helmet and slashes the throat of the Cavalry with all his strength. Blood gushes out from the throat and eye of the Cavalry as he goes limp and falls forward.

A few more twitches come from the Cavalry's body before they cease.

ENEMY FELLED

Lordan swings his katana lightly to shake the blood off the edge. He keeps the sword back to its sheath and lets out a breath of relief as the runes from the Cavalry are absorbed by him.

He looks at the body of the Cavalry and inspects the armor, impressed by its build and quality. He begins removing the armor set to keep for himself.

Once the armor was kept, he summons Torrent with his ring, it appears instantly and moves towards him. Lordan gives it a stroke on its neck and feeds it some berries, thankful for Torrent's assistance in the fight.

"Ok... You are the best steed. Ever. No more horses for me." Torrent huffs in agreement and Lordan laughs. His mind is now cleared from stress at the moment. The victory was a great motivation for his quest, allowing him to forget his failures for a brief time.

Melina watches from afar at the aftermath of the battle between Lordan and the Cavalry. She smiled brightly at his success, one that seemed to be common these days. He was developing a reputation around Limgrave for falling many great adversaries in the region.

He was doing this all without her help or guidance. She had been following him secretly to observe his progress over the last few days, hoping he would be able to continue without her due to her uncertainties to face him after the last incident.

She got her answer in the form of a yes. He was making way to becoming strong enough to face Margit in an equal fight in both skill and strength. He was winning more battles and becoming used to the lands between, all without a single advice or word from her.

While pleased at his progress, a small part of her felt sad, as it was now evident that he doesn't need her at all.

Melina sighs knowing that their last encounter with Vyke may be the last time they speak, should he choose to continue without her. An option that was now on the table and looked more obvious with each passing day.

Well done, Lordan. You are the one we needed after all. I wish you all the best.

She observes him a while longer as he starts to ride off on Torrent's back, moving to his next location as it seems. She worries that he was not resting enough and pushing himself too hard in this endeavor.

A blue mist forms beside her and the snow witch stands to her side. Observing Lordan's departure with her.

"Greetings, Melina." The snow witch offers a greeting.

"Ranni."

"Int'resting. He seemeth to be progressing well." Ranni compiments as Lordan move out of view. "Thou art not speaking to each other? didst thee has't a falling out?" She questions the lack of conversation between Lordan and Melina.

"No. I... cannot speak to him at the moment." Melina folds her arms in discomfort. "I... I have failed him."

Ranni looks at Melina with raised brown on her projected face. "Truly? How so?"

Melina closes her eyes and lets out a sigh, ready to confess her troubles to Ranni as she often did in times of doubt. "He faced... An old enemy of my... And nearly... Lost his life for good. All because I was too scared to fight." She rubs the scars on her hand for comfort.

Ranni pauses and begins questioning her doubts. "But has't thee did betray him?"

"No." Melina responds to the question immediately.

"Hast he hath shown signs of resentment 'gainst thee?"

"No."

"Then doth thee still careth about him?"

"Yes." Melina responds to the question immediately as well. Surprisingly even herself.

"Then what is thy worry? Speaketh to him and asketh if he is well." Ranni makes a suggestion to Melina. "He cares about thee too. Enough to respect thy wishes and waiteth until thou art ready."

Melina ponders at the suggestion for moments in silence. She eventually makes a decision in her mind.

One more day. One more day and I will speak to him.

"Thank you, Princess Ranni. For giving me insight on this matter." Melina thanks with a small bow. Ranni responds with a bow as well, despite her status as a royal.

"T'is alright now, sister. You will always have my adviseth at which hour thee require it. T'is the least I can do, for thy mother."

The two women stand together for a while longer, thinking about the Tarnished warrior that they are guiding and the great challenge that he faces ahead. All while enjoying the company of friends, as they used to do since they met as children a long time ago.

1998 YEARS BEFORE THE SHATTERING

"Fuck."

"Balls."

"Cunt."

"Cum."

"Cock."

"Bollocks."

"Arse."

"Tits."

"Cum... No wait! I meant Shit! AH, Shit!" Marika facepalms from her mistake. "ARGH! Gods I'm out."

Rags marks another streak in his notebook, indicating the score between him and Marika, he was currently in the lead with Marika not winning a single game.

"Six to zero, Maiden. Six night watches. That's what you own me." He keeps the notebook in his bag. "Why are you so obsessed with cum anyway? " He asks about the word she keeps using that cost her a few games already.

"I AM NOT OBSESSED WIT-" She raises her voice at the accusation before stopping herself, remembering that was no reason to lash out over a game. "It's the easiest word to remember, Rags. I don't have an obsession with... IT." She folds her arms and faces the other way while they walk, hiding her blush from the embarrassment.

"Sure... " Rags remarks with a frown, not convinced by the reason she provided. He lets out a laugh and displays a small smile, one that catches Marika's attention.

Rags... Smiling? That's a rare sight. And... Rather handsome too... Marika thinks to herself at the sight of his smile.

The game they were playing was simple. Each would speak a swear word after the other says one during their turn. One would only lose on two conditions, repeat a word spoken by one earlier or not speak a word within five seconds.

They had started this game two weeks ago, Marika had suggested they do something to pass the time. And so Rags decided to teach her this game that was often played among the commoners, as well as all the swear words usable within it.

It was rather improper for her to learn such vulgar and uncivilized language, but she did not care. She was going to have as much fun as she could before time runs out.

Time. That was currently what Marika was running out of, time with Rags. They had recently received information from a traveler that an envoy force from Leyndell was waiting in a location up north, awaiting the arrival of any empyrean candidates that were traveling to Leyndell.

This means she would be escorted to Leyndell by its own forces, a measure that was now employed due to the Dragon Order's increasing attacks against all regions that refuse to bend the knee. It was only because of the uneasy truce made by the two Elden Lords of Leyndell and Farlam Azula that another great war was not ongoing between the two superpowers of the known world.

The truce, however, does not apply outside of their borders. Meaning the Dragon Order was free to pursue anything it wants outside of the Golden Order's protection, including anyone outside their borders.

Marika knows what it means when she reaches the envoy force. It means her journey with Rags would effectively be over. He would have fulfilled his end of the contract he has taken.

Meaning Rags would be leaving her. Alone.

The thought makes her uneasy and sad, the idea that she was going to lose the only companion she had for the past year. Rags had only recently begun to open up after the incident, and now he was going to leave once they reach their destination.

It was an eventuality, he had his own life to live, one that does not involve her and does not suit her. She was potentially going to be the new ruler of Leyndell beside the Elden Lord and he was just another mercenary for hire, their paths do not match.

But she doesn't care. She would follow him forever if fate permitted.

They continued walking in silence side by side before Marika decides to ask the dreaded question that seem to plague her.

"Rags?" She begins to slow down a bit from their matching pace to lag behind him.

"Hm?" He responds while walking.

"Are you... Leaving once we reach the envoys?"

The question makes him stop while his back was turned to her. He lets out a sigh from the question and slowly turns to her.

"I think I am. That was the agreement in my contract." He responds truthfully while minding his words, knowing that the fact might hurt her.

Marika shifts on her foot, getting the answer that she expected but did not want. "Oh. I see... It's just that... "

"Just what?" Rags asked to get a reaction out of her. She swallows some courage and begins making a request. One that he might not accept.

"Just... Would you... Consider staying? With me?"

She realizes the words she just spoke and quickly begins to panic, noticing that Rags had a small reaction to what was just said. She asks a rephrased version of her question.

"I mean! um-I... I... I meant with the Golden Order. There is room for someone like you. The Golden Order is always in need of warriors with your talent and skill." She comes up with another version of her request, one that sounded less personal. She looks down to the ground and closes her eyes, hoping for a positive outcome

Rags remain silent on the request. Carefully considering a response. "Marika... I don't think that's a good idea."

Marika looks up to him with a disappointed look, clearly not understanding why he would reject such a privilege.

"But why?" She asks as he turns around to look away. Rags look to the sky and sighs, knowing that he has to tell her another harsh truth about why he cannot follow.

"Because I'm not suited there. And because you can't be seen with me." Rags explain while Marika feels the hurt from his words. "You are the candidate for leadership over a whole religion. If I'm there by your side... You will never be chosen."

Marika thinks of all the reasons to tell him that he could be wrong but couldn't. What he said was the truth. He cannot be seen by her side, It would hurt her chances of being selected greatly.

"So... That will be it then?" She asks in a resigned tone. "You... will leave once we reach the envoys?"

Rags stay quiet for a moment before continuing on. His decision was made, leaving Marika was the correct choice. Even if she didn't want him to.

"Yes. I'm leaving." His answer creates sadness in her. She turns around to look away from him, not wanting him to see her on the verge of tears.

"I'm sorry. There's... no other way."

"I know, Rags. I know." A single tear falls on her face but she quickly wipes it off.

"I can change myself in many ways. But I can't change the world."

But I could. If given the chance. She thinks about the ways she could solve this if she gets selected.

Rags start walking on the path again, with Marika following close behind. She catches up to his pace and walks beside him, taking his hand as they walk. Rags soon hold it back as they walk together with their hands joined.

So they make their peace with this situation. Both knowing that their time together will be coming to an end.

They traveled for another three days before reaching close to the meeting place. It was to be on an open field outside a forest.

Rags check his map to ensure that they were in the right direction, with Marika also helping him by the side.

"Ok... So we are currently at the location and we need to travel... eastwards a bit more."

"Are you sure, Rags? We seem to be in the wrong location. We aren't even seeing the field yet." She points out the current view in front of them which lacks the field they were looking for.

"You are right... But the map say-" Rags narrows his eyes at the map as he spots an error. He flips the map to the other side and spots his mistake.

"Oh. My bad. It's eastwards." The mistake causes Marika to roll her eyes as this was not the first time he led them in the wrong direction because he read the map wrongly.

They correct their direction to the east and finally find the field that was mentioned. In front of them on the field was a convoy of soldiers that were dressed in golden accents with royal surcoats and armor. Their banners display a tree beneath an orange sun, the banner of the current Elden Lord for the Golden Order.

Rags and Marika stand together at the view to take a moment, understanding that this is where they depart. Marika takes his hand again and grips on harder, not ready to let him go.

"Ok. This is it." Rags look at her and give her a moment to calm down. "You good?"

Marika softens her grip and let's go, looking back at him with a smile. She was not ready to let him go but accepts it anyway. Grateful for their time on the road.

It was not lasting but she treasured it anyway.

"Yes. Rags. I am ready." Rags nods and offers her his hand to hold. She takes it and they approach the convoy together.

Their presence was soon acknowledged by the convoy and its soldiers stand at attention. A gold-plated knight walks toward them alone and stops at talking distance.

"Greetings, mercenary. Are you here to deliver the maiden?" He asks the pair.

"Yeah. I am." Rags look around to notice that the other soldiers had begun to move around differently as if taking positions to surround them.

Something is wrong. Very wrong. He thinks to himself.

" Ah. Well done then. You have fulfilled your contract. " The knight takes out a bag of gold and passes it to Rags while turning his attention to Marika.

"And it is a great honor. To stand before an empyrean, my lady. We have waited a long time for this moment." He takes a kneel on a single leg towards Marika. "We are now your humble servants. Here to escort you to Leyndell, for your chance to stand before the Erdtree."

Marika bows at the knight to return the gesture. "Thank you, brave knight. It has been a long journey."

"Of course, my lady." The knight soon turns to Rags again. "And thank you for your service. The lady is safe now. You may leave her to us. She will be safe. I assure you."

Rags looks around again, noting the positions of the other soldiers and the fact that they were all holding their sword hilts that hangs on their waist as if preparing for a fight. These actions were red flags in his eyes.

Marika notices his silence and gives him a poke to try and get his attention. Confused about why he was so silent and tense.

"Rags? Are you alright?" She whispers to him and he turns slightly to her.

"Marika. Do you see the soldiers to the right and left?"

Marika looks around the field to the soldiers he mentioned, also noting their positions as weird. "Yes. Why?"

"Get ready to cast your spells. When I move." His response confuses her as Rags talks to the knight.

"So... You are taking her to Leyndell to the west? For another five-month travel period?"

"That is the plan, yes. Travel by foot is the safer way at the moment due to the recent attacks." The knight responds with a confident tone, perhaps too confident.

"That's funny. Because Leyndell is supposed to be in the east. And the travel time is four months from here." Rags point out the mistake by the knight which causes him to tense up, clearly not expecting Rags to call him out for the lie.

The other soldiers soon ready their hands to draw their weapons as they slowly move closer to the pair. Marika notes the move and takes out her seal and places a hand on her dagger.

"Rags?" Marika whispers as he stands a bit closer to Marika in front of her while looking around.

"What gave me away?" The knight asks with a low tone, clearly not caring about his disguise any longer.

"Hmmm. That helmet seems pretty tight." Rags respond sarcastically to the question. "There's also the small bloodstains and cuts on all your uniforms. And... I also happen to spot some undressed corpses on the way here."

The knight scoffs, knowing that his trick is up. "You are clever, sellsword. And much smarter than the previous escorts. Their oversight allowed us to capture many empyreans without resistance."

"What have you done to them?!" Marika asks with anger in her voice.

"Whatever our Elden lord demands. As a vessel or binding." The knight moves his hand to his sword-hilt. "For he and the One Great are the true masters and power of the known world. Not the Golden Order. Not Elden Lord Solras."

Rags moves his hand to his claymore's hilt and grips it, prompting the knight to grip his sword hilt as well.

"Step aside. The Dragon Order's business is with the empyrean. Not you. You may leave." The knight makes an offer of peace to Rags. "This is your last chance."

"And if I don't?"

"Then you die. And the crows can have you."

The soldiers move closer slowly and begin drawing their swords. Marika draws her dagger as well. She looks to Rags and he nods to her, understanding that she was ready. He lets out a sigh at their situation.

"Yeah... Fuck it, let's fight."

Rags pulls his claymore into a downwards slash towards the knight. He raises his sword to block but the claymore breaks the sword, carving into his shoulder to kill him instantly.

Marika raises her seal to cast lighting that strikes from above on multiple soldiers around them at once. They get shocked to death from the strikes that conducted electricity on their metal-plated armors.

The rest of the soldiers let out war cries as they charge Rags and Marika from all sides, their swords and shields raised to battle.

The pair stand back to back and defend themselves from the assault. With Rags's claymore carving most them easily and Marika's incantation spells doing damage at long range with lighting or golden conjured dagger that she throws.

They soon separate and begin taking on multiple soldiers on their own. Marika summons a golden sword on her seal to fight the soldiers head-on, her speed and use of spells allow her to match their raw strength. She also switches between a golden spear for long-range attacks, a golden hammer for heavy attacks, and her dagger that creates golden projectiles in the form of energy waves to cut through limps and their bodies.

Rags on the other hand was a pure force of strength and carnage. His claymore combined with his unrestrained strength from the power of runes allows him to cut through their armor with ease. And even while holding a bigger sword, Rags could maintain a speed that allows him to dodge and move around the fight with ease. Most of the soldiers he fought were killed off rather quickly.

They eventually kill off the entire convoy of false soldiers to the last man. Rags and Marika were both bloody from the fight that ensured, most of the blood that stained their attire was not even theirs.

"The Dragon Order... Here? How did they know about this convoy?" Marika says loudly while breathing hard from their fight.

"I don't know. But we need to-" Rags was interrupted as an arrow strikes his back shoulder. A few more arrows soon fly past, forcing them to take cover by laying on the ground.

The arrows stop and they get on their feet to see more men coming out of the forest, a small army with a few hundred at least. All dressed in the grey colors of the Dragon Order.

"Do we run or fight?" Marika asks Rags who pulls out the arrow from his back. He grips his claymore harder and takes a battle stance beside her as the army approaches them.

"Both."

FIN