Disclaimer: I own nothing. Trails in the Sky belongs to Nihon Falcom while Darkest Dungeon belongs to Red Hook Studios.
Ruins
The derelict chapel exploded into a flurry of chaos as the team of four scrambled to land hits on the prophet. While Reynauld was uttering curses at the unholy soothsayer and hacking his way through the rows of wrecked pews, Dismas took potshots at the enemy with his pistol. Further back, Paracelsus lobbed globe after globe of grenades at the prophet in an attempt to cover him in as much corrosive blight as possible to wear him down, and Estelle used her orbal arts to further strengthen Reynauld and slow down the prophet.
"Was he this much of a pain in the butt last time?" Estelle asked as she cast a fire art to help burn up the rows of wooden barricades so Reynauld could get through.
"He is indeed quite a resilient specimen! His autopsy shall be a fun one!" Paracelsus replied, her voice muffled by her beaked mask. "Alas, our Hellion is out on a vision quest. Our battle would be much easier otherwise!"
"Whatever you say, Doc." Estelle was a little creeped out but she couldn't afford to get distracted. She got ready to cast another fire bolt when she noticed the prophet's outstretched arm, the disembodied eyes somehow turning in his bloody hand to look at Reynauld. Two pillars of red unearthly light shone on Reynauld and Dismas.
"I see it! Something shall fall soon!" Reynauld said as he carved into the second row of pews, his previous bravado wavering somewhat. "Fiend, I shall weather your rain of masonry!"
"Oh, great!" Dismas grunted in frustration as he took cover behind the ruined pews. "Here we go again!"
"What's he doing?" Estelle asked, more than a little worried about Reynauld and Dismas.
"A deadly parlor trick," Paracelsus replied. "The prophet is announcing which targets he's intending to drop the ceiling on."
"What?" Estelle turned her attention to the companions ahead of her. "Reynauld, Dismas, get moving or take cover! You're gonna get hit!"
"You think we haven't tried before?" Dismas fired another shot at the prophet, striking him in the chest and drawing dark gel-like blood. "The bastard just uses his eyes to track us!"
Just then, the prophet's eyes glowed, and debris from the stone ceiling struck Reynauld and Dismas with pinpoint accuracy. The two grunted and tried their best to weather the pain, and Estelle winced as their plight struck a chord with her. Wasting no time, Estelle shook her head and instructed the two to bunch up together before casting Breath to heal them both, leaving the crusader and the highwayman good as new.
"What's this? A new interloper in my sacred domain?" The prophet's eyes pivoted with a sickening squelch and bore holes into Estelle's soul. "Newcomer or veteran, it matters not. I see the souls and fates of all!"
Estelle found herself frozen solid as the prophet's unholy magic drew out memory after memory and flashed them before her eyes. To Estelle's dismay, the more painful ones stayed for a few extra seconds before disappearing. Witnessing events such her mother's death, Joshua saying goodbye on top of Grancel castle, and the harrowing battle under the demonic fortress outside Crossbell left Estelle gasping and reeling.
"Get…out…of…my…HEAD!" She gritted her teeth and charged forward. "Guys, come on! Let's take care of this maniac!"
Her words filled Reynauld, and Dismas with renewed vigour and they continued their assault on the prophet. The Crusader broke through the second row of barricades leaving the prophet within sword tip range. Reynauld smiled under his helmet as he swung his blade, carving a trench across the prophet's hide, allowing some of the blight to seep into the muscle and bone underneath. Dismas was right beside Reynauld as he unloaded a point-blank shot into the reeling prophet's thick skull, causing the mad seer to howl in pain. His resounding cries, amplified by unholy magic, sent debris crashing down all over the ruined sanctuary. A pained scream sounded from behind Estelle, and she quickly turned around only to discover Paracelsus on her knees, tearing off her mask. Hacking coughs sounded from the plague doctor as bright frothy blood poured from her mouth onto the ancient stone floor.
"We'll take care of this nutcase!" Dismas called out to Estelle. "Go help the Doc!"
Estelle nodded and ran back to Paracelsus. With the severity of the plague doctor's wounds, nothing short of a Tearal, her most powerful healing art, would do. She took up position in front of Paracelsus before flipping open her ARCUS. Out of habit, she turned her head to check how Reynauld and Dismas were faring. The act, however, left her eyes open to the prophet's own severed gaze. More visions filled her mind, and Estelle screamed.
The prophet showed her only one thing: her beloved Joshua dying in various ways, from being skewered by Loewe's sword on top of Axis Pillar to him as an empty husk studded with crystals in an alien hellscape. Although the visions threatened to overwhelm her, Estelle took solace in the fact that none of the possible fates had ever befallen Joshua, and that they'd fight tooth and nail to make sure they won't meet their end any time soon.
"We make our own fates, pal!" Estelle yelled as she shook the images out of her mind, her heart still racing from what she saw. "Your visions don't mean anything to me!"
The prophet simply sneered as he thrust his arms upwards, invoking more debris to fall. Estelle heard a loud rumbling noise overhead and looked up only to see a piece of an arch on its way to crush Paracelsus. Time seemed to slow down to Estelle as she pondered a possible course of action. With the extent of the plague doctor's injuries, she would surely be killed by the fallen debris. There was simply no time for Estelle to cast a healing Art nor for her to carry Paracelsus to safety either. Estelle thought back to her mother's death, how the kindly housewife had used her own body to shield a six-year-old Estelle and sustained fatal injuries in the process. At that moment, she knew exactly what to do.
Mom…thank you, Estelle thought as she dove on top of Paracelsus, allowing the debris to strike her own body instead. The rocks cracked and crumbled as they struck Estelle's athletic frame, knocking the air out of the Bracer as well as cracking some ribs, making her cough up blood. Injured and despondent, Estelle briefly thought she would meet her end among the Ruins in the blighted landscape, never to see Joshua again.
Briefly.
Anger is power, and Estelle was fully intent on unleashing it. She was already frustrated at being sent to a realm far from friends and family. The prophet threw fuel on top of the fire by using Estelle's worst memories and one of her deepest fears against her. With a powerful roar and a clear mind, she shot up on her feet, shaking off the heavy rocks on her back. She took the time to heal Paracelsus and herself before turning her attention to the injured prophet, her burning red eyes boring into the disembodied eyes in his hand.
"That's it! Time for some ultraviolence!" she yelled as she took off on a running start. "Here I come!"
Estelle jumped up a short distance behind Reynauld and Dismas, making them briefly pause their assault to look up in wonder. She delivered a devastating blow to the prophet's skull, shattering what was left of his teeth and making him drop his eyes. Estelle aimed her boots straight at the eyeballs, crushing one them upon landing and kicking the other one away.
"No! NO! Blasphemer, what have you done?" The prophet yelled in a mix of rage and panic while he tried to fend off renewed strikes from Reynauld and Dismas, greatly weakened by his bleeding wounds and the blight which burned through his corrupted flesh. Desperate like a cornered rat on the verge of being devoured by a snake, he called for help.
"Come, o faithful! Heathens and acolytes of the False Light assail your prophet!" the prophet cried out as he scrambled backwards to try to get away from Reynauld, Dismas, and Estelle. A hidden door at the back of the chapel opened, spewing a menagerie of cultist brawlers and acolytes. Reynauld let off a resounding cry as he charged forward to meet the brawlers in battle while Dismas peppered the new arrivals with grapeshot, leaving Estelle and a rapidly retreating prophet.
"Wanna see what I got?" Estelle grinned as she took off from a running start and jumped over the melee between Reynauld and the brawlers. Some of the cultists looked up at the strange young woman's demonstration of athleticism, only for the crusader to seize the opening and lop off their heads with one fell sweep of his sword. Estelle's boots slammed into the prophet's back, causing him to collapse onto the ground. He tried to get up once more, only for Estelle to knock out one of his arms from under him, causing the prophet to collapse again.
"Too slow!" Estelle yelled before sprinting in circles around the prophet at a dizzying speed. His every attempt at getting back up was foiled by hits from her staff, shattering bones everywhere she struck.
"Come forth, Wheel of Time!" Estelle called out as she landed blow after blow on the prophet, every hit stronger than the last. The crescendo of strength built up to a final decisive pummelling that caused even the stony ground to quake, obliterating the prophet's thick skull. His body soared through the air and crushed the last of the cultists he had summoned for help.
The four adventurers finally had a moment of respite to survey their surroundings. Fallen rocks and ruined woodwork dotted the ancient chapel, littered with the corpses of cultists and their prophet. Estelle cast sad glances at the human corpses as she and the others walked towards the prophet.
What a waste of life, she thought as she turned her attention to the prophet's body, which still twitched as the remnants of necromantic magic flowed through it. Still, with their ringleader gone, the rest will hopefully come to their senses.
"We gotta do something about the big bastard," Dismas said as he searched the corpses for treasure. "He wasn't as tough when we fought him last time, and Reynauld even lopped off his big head for good measure."
"It must be the work of those foul necromancers," Reynauld said. "If we do not take the time to dispose of the corpse, they will surely revive this heretic to be stronger than before. I dread to think how our third battle will turn out."
"I've got an idea," Estelle said. She raised her orbment and a glowing runic halo appeared at her feet. "Strip what you can off of him and stand back."
Moments later, a Heatwave erupted from the ground beneath the prophet's body, utterly consuming him. The gang stuck around for a few minutes and watched the flames turn the corpse into a pile of ash and charred bone.
"Guess we're done here," Estelle turned around, sick of watching bones crackle in the grim pyre. "Let's get out of here and report to Mr. Heir."
The other three trailed behind Estelle, backtracking their way back to the entrance. Some time later, they finally emerged, and Estelle took her first breath of fresh air in about a week.
"Finally!" She grinned widely. "Now, to the Hamlet!"
Derelict Chapel
While Estelle and company made their way back to the Hamlet, a tall hooded figure flanked by spear-wielding armored skeletons strode into the ruined chapel. The man walked over to the pile of ashes that was once the prophet and knelt down, a clawed hand wrapped in eldritch tentacles examining the ashes. He let out a long cry of rage as he swung his claws about, scattering the ash pile and tearing through several skeletal guards. They could always be raised later.
"Those ignorant barbarians! I cannot work with this…dirt!" His rasping voice rang throughout the room, resounding with dark magic. "First they slay my apprentices, and now they destroy my work beyond repair! No matter, I shall take care of that new lord's thugs myself."
With that, the Necromancer Lord stormed off back into the lightless halls of the Ruins, seeking more tomes to study in order to prepare himself for the inevitable battle.
Hamlet
Despite her bright and sunny nature, Estelle still felt more than a little shaken after her return. She collected her pay as well as an additional sum referred to as "de-stressing expenses", was shown her bunk in the adventurer barracks the Heir had constructed for his hires, and wandered the Hamlet looking for some kind of outlet for her troubles. She first glanced at the Abbey but felt it wouldn't be right for a follower of Aidios such as herself to show her face at a building dedicated to the worship of The Light. Estelle wandered some more and discovered to her dismay there wasn't a creek or pond where she could cast her line and forget her troubles. She finally headed for the Tavern and found herself meeting the owner once again.
"Welcome back. Dismas told me all about how you did," the owner said in greeting. "A warrior of your caliber is welcome at my place any time."
"Thanks," Estelle said curtly. She ordered some food, her stomach rumbling the entire time.
"I know that look. The bags under the eyes, the pale, haunted expression. Everyone hired by his lordship wears it after coming back from a run," the owner said, staring at her as he wiped a glass with a rag. "Luckily for you, my humble establishment can cure your ails. How about a few drinks with your meal?"
"Just a pint of beer, thanks. I don't feel like getting drunk alone." Estelle was the only person at the bar. As much as she looked up to Schera for being a mentor and surrogate big sister to her and Joshua, the older Bracer's drinking habits weren't something Estelle was keen on imitating anytime soon.
"A social drinker? I can respect that." The owner shrugged as he leaned closer to Estelle. "If you're into that sort of thing, this tavern has a brothel."
"Nah, I'm good." Estelle bluntly refused. "The only person I'll ever go to bed with is Joshua."
"That boyfriend of yours sure is something if you're this loyal towards him," the owner said. "How about taking a spin at the gambling hall then? We got cards, roulette, you name it."
Estelle's eyes lit up at the mere mention of a gambling hall. She had gotten into games of chance shortly after Joshua's first disappearance and managed to improve her skills thanks, at first, to some "coaching" from Olivier (or rather Prince Olivert in his Olivier guise), then through practice over the years. Cards were an easy way for her and Joshua to stave off boredom during their time wandering Zemuria, and Estelle always made sure to hit up a nearby casino when she travelled for Bracer work. While Estelle was careful with her money, and her skill with a rod far surpassed her skill with cards, she still enjoyed the thrill behind pushing her Aidios-granted luck to the limit.
She grinned. "I'm in."
After finishing her meal, the owner led Estelle to the gambling hall's door and ushered her inside. Estelle coughed a little from tobacco smoke as she looked around at the various stations. The setup was fairly crude compared to the other casinos she'd seen, and there weren't any slot machines, but the basics were the same. A grunt of frustration caught Estelle's attention, and she saw one of the Hamlet's inhabitants storming away from a poker table. None other than Dismas himself stood left of the empty spot, while a man wearing a jester costume stood to the right. Two villagers were also there, the forlorn look on their faces clearly indicating they weren't winning.
"Oh, hey." Dismas nodded at Estelle. "Care to join us? Spot just opened up."
"Sure, I'd love to." Estelle walked over and stood next to the highwayman.
"This is the girl I told you about," Dismas said to the jester. "Estelle, Sarmenti. Sarmenti, Estelle."
After the two shook hands, the dealer reshuffled cards and dealt them to the table's occupants, and Estelle chipped in her own bet in the form of some golden coins from her de-stressing allowance.
"I'm glad Paracelsus decided not to join us tonight," Sarmenti said after looking at his hand. "She keeps shoving science into the whole thing, always rambling about probability and whatnot. Just sucks the fun out of the game."
"Thing is, her scientific method means she's scary good at this," Dismas said. "The woman's gotten me beat more than I like to admit. Now, let's see what you got, Bracer."
Estelle's pile of gold fluctuated in size between rounds but managed to grow a little overall. While normally a very expressive person, the poker table was pretty much the only place she could rein in her emotions. Having an ex-assassin as a boyfriend meant she got some high-quality education on how to conceal facial expressions. Still, luck was on Dismas' side that night, and Estelle left the table with the third largest pile of gold overall.
"Not bad at all. What do you say we keep pushing Lady Luck?" Sarmenti said to his two fellow adventurers. "The night's still young, you know."
The three of them gambled until the clock struck midnight, with Estelle making a marginal profit from her casino escapades. The three of them called it a night and headed back to their residence together before bidding each other a good night. And so she was left alone with just her thoughts.
Estelle sat at her desk, the adrenaline and excitement from the gambling hall slowly wearing off. She took out her ARCUS and flipped open the cover, gently caressing the photo taped to the inner lid with a slender yet callused finger. The photo was taken shortly after she and Joshua returned from Crossbell with Renne in tow, and it showed Estelle planting a kiss on Joshua's cheek while he had an arm wrapped around her shoulders. Joshua had one of the widest smiles Estelle had ever seen on him while Estelle herself had closed eyes and a look of absolute bliss on her face. Another copy of the photo was taped inside Joshua's own orbment, a reminder of that happy day and a hope for even happier times ahead.
Estelle reflected on the last time she and Joshua parted ways, when Joshua had decided he was being a danger to the Bright family just by being around. It took her and her companions travelling through the entire Liberl Kingdom and Estelle being kidnapped before she finally saw Joshua's face again. Even after escaping from that monstrous crimson airship, Joshua made one last attempt to leave Estelle for good before Estelle showed him the light and the error of his ways.
I know you're out there, Joshua. And this time, you're trying to find me too. Estelle thought back to that moment on the beach, when she and Joshua had their first proper kiss and promised to each other they'll protect each other both as Bracers and as lovers. Just hang in there. We'll see each other again soon and go home together.
Out of sheer force of habit, Estelle found herself humming a tune. It was 'The Whereabouts of Light', an Erebonian folk song and Joshua's favorite piece to play on the harmonica. The gentle notes danced throughout the barracks, catching the attention of the other female adventurers who were bunked with her.
Estelle gently closed her orbment cover and clasped the ARCUS close to her heart, two teardrops rolling down her cheeks as she hummed along, clinging to the hope Joshua was still alive. The orbment suddenly started emitting a gentle shimmering glow, and Estelle knew exactly what that meant. The combat link between her and Joshua, forged by the bond between their hearts, was described by a veteran orbal engineer as one of the strongest in Liberl if not all of Western Zemuria. The glow meant that Joshua's own ARCUS was active and resonating with her own. After Estelle finished her song, she opened the ARCUS cover again and planted a kiss on the picture, right on top of Joshua's face.
Good night, Joshua. Wherever you are. And with that, Estelle turned in for the night, the late prophet's visions forgotten and buried in the deepest recesses of her mind, where they belonged.
Hamlet Residence
With his family estate nowhere close to safe for human occupation, the Heir resorted to setting up his quarters in a small house which had lain unused for quite some time. In a makeshift office, he examined the preservative-filled jar on his desk. Paracelsus managed to salvage the late prophet's eye, the one that wasn't crushed to a pulp by Estelle, and presented it to him as a grim trophy. After the much-needed break, he turned his attention back to the documents in his desk, sighing in annoyance at the ordeal of having to clean up after his relative's mess.
"Alfred, what do you know about this Farmstead?" the Heir asked his family's loyal and perpetually-grinning caretaker. "Recent reports from passerby have been quite…worrisome."
"The miller who administers those lands had approached the previous master some years ago, my lord," the caretaker replied, hands shaking as he rubbed them together for some semblance of warmth. "Like with many things, your Ancestor had managed to pervert it into another of his projects. While the worst monsters to occupy it have so far been men, I fear the meteor strike may have brought something far worse."
"I see. Unfortunately, we cannot mount a full expedition just yet with the limited resource we have." The Heir rubbed his temples as he sighed in frustration. "Still, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to send some of the newer hires to test the waters. Alfred, draw up a list of recent arrivals so I can determine who shall go."
"Does that include the Bracer, my lord?" Alfred asked.
"No, she's far too valuable for this mission," the Heir said. "I have other plans for her."