A/N: Sorry for all the delay. I had to send my laptop to get fixed, and I had some problems with writer's block afterwards. On a side note, I don't normally do insert songs for fics, but I strongly recommend putting on Powerwolf's In the Name of God for the first half of this chapter.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Darkest Dungeon belongs to Red Hook Studios while the Trails franchise belongs to Nihon Falcom.
Reynauld and his two companions were surrounded by the hated enemy, the smell of decaying flesh and the moans of the damned filling the air. It was a scene they had relived countless times during their campaigns in distant, accursed lands. For every undead they cut down, five more seemed to take their place. He had encountered this before, where the enemy necromancers had used seemingly endless swarms of the risen dead to wear down even the most skilled of fighter. The attacks were often devastating, especially in the aftermath of pitched battles where victory was seemingly at hand.
"Steady, brothers! We must advance!" Reynauld commanded his men, just like back during their crusading days. Yet the undead horde refused to budge, trapping them in place. He prayed for strength and clarify of mind as he tried to think of a plan to break through, but sight of the flesh golems trampling towards them made it no easy task.
"We are surrounded! There is no way out!" Almaric said. "Is this the end?"
"Nay! The Light did not bring us this far only to desert us!" Balian said, his bravado clearly wavering as his sword arm shook.
Protect and preserve us, but if this is our time, then give us the strength to die in glorious combat! Reynauld silently prayed as he cut down two reanimated brigands while the flesh golems continued their approach. One of them started to tear down the balcony Estelle was on while the other continued towards their position. When the horrendous amalgamation of human and spider started pelting Estelle with rubble, Reynauld knew they were left on their own to deal with the swarm and the other flesh golem.
"Come, fiend! I shall banish thee to the abyss from whence you came!" Reynauld called out as the enemy closed in, fully prepared to fight to the death alongside his comrades. Suddenly, the stygian throne room blazed with a blinding light that reminded him of the sunshine which had evaded him since his arrival at the Hamlet. He caught a glimpse of what seemed like a gigantic bird of prey made of fire sweeping down from Estelle's former perch towards the Necromancer Lord's throne.
"WHAT?" The Necromancer Lord's grating voice rang out, followed by a deafening explosion that rivalled the impact of a thousand cannons. A shockwave rippled through the throne room, knocking down all those caught in their path. The undead, not known for their balance and agility, clattered to the stone floor in droves with a lot of them outright shattered. The two hulking flesh golems were sent on all fours, and even the Crusaders were knocked down. Amidst a rising dust cloud, debris rained down from the ceiling that shattered anything in their way. The Crusaders shielded themselves as much as they could, even crawling underneath the bodies of their enemies to do so. A deathly silence followed, and they cautiously started to get up.
"Rise and steady thyselves!" Reynauld said. "Any wounds, brothers?"
"Nay, we are both fine, but what was that?" Balian asked as he and Almaric regained their footing.
"I do not…know…" The answer died in Reynauld's mouth. Time seemed to slow as he surveyed his surroundings with the eyes of an experienced veteran, taking in as much detail as he could despite the slowly setting dust cloud.
Large portions of the undead army laying on the floor in pieces, with sluggish survivors struggling to stand back up.
The two flesh golems turning their attention towards the Necromancer Lord's general direction, completely ignoring the Crusaders.
The dark altar was gone, replaced by a smoking crater clearly caused by some kind of heavy projectile.
"Come and get me, you freaks!" Estelle's voice rang out from said crater.
She's luring them all towards her, and the Necromancer Lord has no choice but to marshal everything he has to protect himself! Processing every detail, Reynauld's mind quickly came up with a new battle plan. Inspired by Estelle's actions, he raised his sword in the air and readied his next command.
"Brothers, charge! Onwards to glory!" Reynauld roared as he dashed forward, cleaving off a reanimated brigand's head with a swift stab from his sword. Balian and Almaric let off their own warcries as they followed. While still outnumbered, Estelle's demolition of the dark altar had significantly weakened the Necromancer Lord's magic and weakened the undead army. The charging Crusaders shattered any unfortunate foe in their way with their swords and armored forms. This time, any enemy that had been felled simply stayed down. With the entire enemy army single-mindedly focused on reaching Estelle, none of them fought back even as the Crusaders cut them down or trampled over them.
Amidst the din and chaos of the three-man charge, the sound of a raging battle could be heard up ahead. Reynauld made out Estelle's furious grunts as she was locked in what must be a battle for her life. He banished any concern about her odds of survival from his mind as he focused on cutting and knocking down the enemies in front of him. There can be no doubt! The righteous shall triumph!
"Phoenix! WAVE!" Estelle's glowing form slammed into the dark altar in a humongous fiery explosion, peppering the unfortunate undead surrounding it in glowing-hot fragments. Coupled with the scorching shockwave, the Phoenix Wave decimated the ranks of the Necromancer Lord's bodyguards. The bone defenders who raised their shields in time were "merely" splashed with their own molten equipment while the bone spearmen were outright incinerated. Seizing the element of surprise, Estelle jumped out of the crater ready for action.
"Come and get me, you freaks!" Estelle shouted at the top of her lungs and charged at the Necromancer Lord, who was busy retreating back behind what bodyguards he had left while frantically trying to douse the flames eating away at his robe. Her progress was impeded by the undead general, still standing despite his scorched and half-melted armour. Better make this quick.
Estelle charged to meet the general as the latter raised his mace. She deftly sidestepped, and the mace shattered the ancient stone floor. Before the general could free his weapon, Estelle shattered his elbow with her staff before taking another swing at one of his knees. Her strike bounced off his scorched greaves, leaving a crack in the ancient forged metal. A backhand came, forcing Estelle to deflect it instead of continuing her offensive.
"Out of my way!" She shattered the general's other arm and took another swing at the cracked greave, finally shattering it and bringing him down. Not giving him any reprieve, Estelle slammed one end of her staff into the general's skull and put an end to his undead existence. She turned her attention to the Necromancer Lord, only to find the remaining bone spearmen and guardians trampling towards her. To make matters worse, the bulk of the surviving enemy army plus the flesh golems were rapidly closing on her, their combined footsteps causing the ground underneath her feet to quake uncontrollably. The enemy leader himself was backed into a corner, behind his bodyguards. With his robe having burnt away in several places, Estelle could see the pallid, rotting flesh beneath. So he's just another walking corpse? Great. Just gotta take him out, and hopefully the rest will go down easily.
Suddenly, she was assailed with visions just like during the battle with that prophet when she had first arrived. Except instead of Joshua, the visions were about herself dying in various ways, ranging from being devoured alive to flesh sloughing off her body as she was horrifically burned. Estelle shrieked as the hallucinations assaulted her while she tried to deflect the enemy's axes and lances. Bastard's buying himself time.
"Damn you! And your dirty tricks!" Estelle shouted as she delivered a spinning strike that shattered several skeletons. Unlike earlier, the enemy stayed down and allowed Estelle to focus on the next set of foes. "I'll make you pay! Not just for giving me nightmares, but for all the misery you caused the Hamlet!"
"I would love to see you try, interloper." The Necromancer Lord chuckled darkly and simply stood in the corner, practically radiating with an obnoxious smugness that reminded her far too much of the late Georg Weissmann.
Estelle saw that the two flesh golems had caught up to her as well, and she quickly stepped to the side to avoid a punch from the fully-human flesh golem. The hulking brutes quickly converged on her, lashing out with their arms as fast as Estelle could react. As she dodged and parried their blows, she kept trying to land a hit of her own, but it was all she could do not to get surrounded. She had to backpedal to keep her enemies in front of her, and slowly — rege by rege — they were forcing her further and further from the Necromancer Lord. Beyond the undead horde, Estelle could hear clashing swords and shouts from the Crusaders which seemed to be getting steadily closer. Yet the sheer number of enemies ahead of her eliminated any hopes of her just smashing straight through. This is gonna be hard, but I've fought worse! Aidios, give me strength, and let my friends make it on time.
The putrid stench wafting off the flesh golems and all the walking corpses reminded her far too much of the filthy Warrens which the Swine somehow called home, but Estelle did her best to tune it out. In addition to the combined assault of the two hulking brutes, She also had to contend with all the skeletons and corpses trying to get a cheap shot at her. She yelped and grunted as she dodged and parried, striking back whenever she could. Yet even in the face of all the chaos surrounding her, she kept her cool and fell back on all her training and experience.
Taking advantage of her staff's length and blocking several strikes at once.
Dodge heavier hits and even redirecting them towards other enemies whenever she could.
Taking out several skeletons with one blow.
All of that came naturally to Estelle thanks to years of Bracer work and all the training her dad had given her. Yet even with all that, she soon started taking hits. A graze from a barely dodged blade here, a lucky scratch there, and they slowly began to add up. Estelle continued to strike with all her might, because she knew it would only be a matter of time before she got ground down by the enemy's numbers. The sound of the Crusaders' furious battle was growing ever louder, the three warriors fighting as hard as they could to break through; if she could just hold on a little longer, they'd be able to catch up. Another minute, another few seconds... But Estelle couldn't just rely on them coming to her rescue.
Her eyes frantically darted around the throne room, looking for anything she could use to her advantage. Her throat and lungs burned from all the dust she had sucked in as she breathed, her pulse thundered in her ears, and sweat trickled down her face as she stood her ground against the overwhelming assault. A quick glance towards the ruined balcony she had descended from gave her an idea. Yes! Just what I was…
A spear suddenly stabbed at her face in her moment of distraction. She parried it, but one of the spider golem's claws slipped past and nicked her left arm. She screamed, half in pain and half in rage, and swiped at the offending hand. A wet smack sounded, followed by a spray of venom and ichor. She barely paid any attention to her burning wound, taking advantage of the pain to stay focused. More ghastly visions assailed Estelle, distracting her from the battle as the flesh golems and several bone soldiers moved in for the kill. She roared and tried to fight past the hallucinations, parrying all their blows in the nick of time.
All but one: the spider golem's venom-tipped claws which tore at Estelle's left cheek. She let out a hoarse, almost feral scream as she felt the venom already starting to eat away at that part of the face. She wanted to pull out her ARCUS and cast a Curia to cleanse the poison from her veins, but respite wasn't coming any time soon because of the enemy's unrelenting assault. Her vision and strength were quickly fading because of the venom coursing through her body. This is it. Do or die!
"Supreme Comet!" Estelle swung her staff with all her remaining strength, sending a shockwave towards the balcony which shattered any undead in its path. Here I go!
Estelle dashed through the rapidly closing gap in the horde, smashing apart any undead that got too close. The ground shook from the flesh golems trampling towards her and probably battering more undead out of their way. Although the dash to the balcony's underside was a short one, Estelle was already feeling dizzy, her breath ragged thanks to the venom. She halted near her target, a supporting column that was weak from age and the shockwave from her Phoenix Wave. Come on…come on…
"Brothers! She's over there now!" Estelle heard Reynauld's shout above the din as the flesh golems quickly closed in.
"Supreme Hard Break!" Estelle shattered the supporting column and quickly dove to the right. From her prone position, she felt the twin impacts of the clumsy flesh golems smashing into the wall, followed by a violent rumbling as the balcony collapsed on top of them. She quickly got up, the world around her spinning and making her dizzier. To her dismay, the flesh golems were getting up as well despite their heavily battered state. No! Nonononono…
"You've got to be kidding me!" Estelle yelped as she raised her staff with shaking arms, only to for a wall of sticky webbing to smash into her and trap her in place. The battered flesh golems slowly approached her in a way that reminded her of predators playing with their food.
There's gotta be a way out! I can't die here! Not when I still haven't found Joshua! Come on, Reynauld. This is as close as I can get to you guys… Estelle spat at the flesh golems, drizzling them in a spray of blood and spit. The blighted cuts from the spider golem throbbed and burned, keeping Estelle teetering at the edge of consciousness. She grunted and thrashed in place, trying to tear free as she stared defiantly at her would-be killers.
Then three swords pierced through the flesh golems' torsos.
"Balian, check on Estelle! Almaric and I shall keep them occupied!" Reynauld cried out as he and the other Crusaders pulled out their swords and hacked away at the backs of the flesh golems with all their might, causing them to roar in anger and turn away from Estelle. Balian broke away from the fight and trotted towards her.
"Estelle! Praise the Light you are still alive!" Balian said as he pulled out a bottle containing a green liquid, which Estelle recognized as the anti-venom that every expedition had to carry. "You look like you're almost at death's door! Drink this!"
Balian uncorked the bottle and stuffed the opening into Estelle's mouth before tilting it upwards. Estelle downed the bitter mixture as quickly as she could, eager to get back into the fight. A sense of relief washed over her as the burning in her veins died down and her vision cleared up. Meanwhile, Balian cut away at the webbing wrapped around Estelle with his sword and made short work of it.
"ARCUS, activate!" Estelle returned the favor by first casting a Breath and then a La Forte to heal and strengthen the party. "Balian, go help Almaric! Everyone, I need you to keep them in place! I'm gonna put down these freaks once and for all!"
Estelle took a few steps away from the raging battle and used her staff to gauge whether the two flesh golems were along the same line. She sighed in relief when she saw the Crusaders had the clear upper hand, judging by the deep gashes on the flesh golems. Reynauld had slowed down and was barely keeping up with the spider golem because of the webbing sprayed on him, but it would be a moot point soon. Time for a Spark Arrow.
"Eat lightning, maggot sacks!" An arc of electricity shot from Estelle's ARCUS, catching the flesh golems off-guard. The fiends twitched uncontrollably from the high-voltage shock as smoke rose from their bodies, the air filling with the stench of scorched carrion as entire sections of their bodies sizzled and charred. The lightning bolt soon disappeared, leaving two collapsing heaps of burnt meat. For good measure, the Crusaders hacked off their limbs and heads. Estelle scanned her surroundings and saw that the Necromancer Lord was trying to escape and that there were still some surviving undead amidst all the shattered bodies. She whistled at the Crusaders and pointed at the fleeing sorcerer before taking off after him.
Catching up to him was easy. Without his tricks and minions, the Necromancer Lord was just a weak maniac. He desperately swung his claws at Estelle, but she shattered the bones with ease. He howled impotently as he tried to escape, only for her staff to connect with one of his knees in a thunder-like crack. He fell on his face, and Estelle delivered a forceful stomp to his back. Keeping one foot planted on him, she grabbed him by his hood.
"Got anything to say for yourself, scumbag?" Estelle shouted as she slammed his skull into the floor with such force that the stones cracked. "Why are you terrorizing and murdering innocent people? As a Bracer, I won't let you get away with it!"
"The pain of the living means nothing to me. No matter how long one may live, all will join death's unfeeling embrace." The Necromancer Lord strained to get the words out as Estelle got ready to smash his face into the floor again. "You are not of this plane of existence, so why do you throw in your lot with the Betrayer's progeny?"
"Who the hell are you talking about? Mr. Heir?" Estelle asked. "Why should I tell you anything? Helping out the Hamlet is a lot better than being your slave."
"You lot and that whelp are all but pawns in a grander scheme, a scheme that even I do not fully grasp," the Necromancer Lord replied. "It makes no difference in the end. The wall of reality has weakened since your arrival, and soon both —"
"Estelle!" A triumphant shout came from behind her, and Estelle turned her head to take a look. She was greeted with the sight of the three Crusaders striding towards her, the dismembered flesh golems laying in a pile behind them. They soon surrounded the Necromancer Lord's prone form.
"Thou hast done well preventing this rat's escape. Allow us to render judgement." Reynauld turned towards the Necromancer Lord. "By the tenets of the Church and the laws of the land, I find thee guilty of countless acts of murder and necromancy. Thy evil shall cease by my hand."
"So this is it. I meet my end at the hands of The False Light's slaves," the Necromancer Lord said weakly. "Go on, then."
"Estelle, let go," Reynauld said, and Estelle quickly got out of his way. Balian grabbed the Necromancer Lord's hood and violently yanked up until the undead sorcerer was on his knees. With a mighty roar backed by a vindictive rage, Reynauld swung his sword at the Necromancer Lord's neck. The hooded head was hacked off in one clean strike and clattered to the cold stony ground. Reynauld then pulled off the Necromancer Lord's spiked collar from his robe and used it to pound the severed head until it was nothing more than a rotting paste smeared on the ancient stones.
Whether out of fatigue or sheer anger at the enemy, Estelle didn't even bother holding Reynauld back. She simply stood back and dispassionately watched the execution unfold. There was a small part of her that recoiled at the death and wished things could have gone differently, but she knew better. Reynauld's story, coupled with her experience during the graveyard uprising, convinced her the Necromancer Lord deserved nothing less than the brutal execution he had received. She took solace in the fact that the Necromancer Lord's demise would serve to prevent more deaths among the Hamlet's populace.
"It is done. We have avenged our brothers and the innocents he hath terrorized and murdered over the years," Reynauld said quietly after stepping back from the maimed corpse. "Come, let us head back."
Estelle took a couple of steps forward, but her knees soon started to wobble, and a wave of nausea washed over her. She fell on her hands and knees, her limbs heavy with fatigue from the harrowing battle. Moments later, she started to retch and gag until she heaved up her stomach's contents onto the floor. After she finished, she felt two sets of arms gently picking her up and lifting her arms over their shoulders.
"Rest easy, Estelle. The last of the poison hath finally been purged from thy body," Reynauld said reassuringly as he and Balian helped her walk. "Thou hath suffered much in securing our victory. Allow us to pay thee back for thy valor."
Estelle mumbled her thanks as the group began their trek out of the Ruins, eager to leave the cursed castle behind. She pondered what exactly the Necromancer Lord had meant when he talked about the wall of reality, but she was far too tired to make heads or tails of it. She relaxed her body and limbs, letting the Crusaders help her along as she drifted in and out of consciousness.
Hamlet
Their return was greeted with resounding cheers from the Hamlet's residents, even if Estelle and her companions were too tired to return the enthusiasm. After a quick checkup by the Sanitarium's staff, Estelle collected her pay along with the others. She then went straight to bed, only stopping to strip off her filthy clothes. When she woke up, she was greeted by the sight of Audrey smiling at her.
"Finally awake, dear? Good, I thought we might have to delay the feast."
"What are you talking about?" Estelle asked groggily as she sat up. "How long have I been out for?"
"The feast to celebrate our victory against the undead, of course! And you are one of the guests of honor!" Audrey replied. "As for your question, you slept for an entire day! That expedition must have taken a lot out of you four. I heard something similar happened to the Crusaders."
Estelle was about to say something when her stomach grumbled violently, accompanied by hunger pangs.
"Ugh, I'm so hungry I could eat a cow." Grunting, she got out of bed and put on some relatively-clean clothing. before following Audrey out of the barracks. Although it was nighttime, the streets were lit with torches and lined with beer kegs manned by servers from the Tavern in addition to the stalls of food vendors. Passersby of varying sobriety greeted her with cheers and whistles, with a few of them even bowing or kneeling. Feeling a bit creeped out, she politely nodded and went along her way. Okay, this is seriously too much. Hope Reynauld and the others can talk some sense into them.
The crowd thickened as the duo approached the town square, yet they didn't have any problems making their way through. The villagers all parted respectfully, making a path for them. In addition to more bowing and kneeling, the Bracer noticed that some of the younger women and girls had styled their hair in pigtails just like herself. Said girls were also the ones who cheered the loudest.
"Looks like you have fans," Audrey teased Estelle, who smiled and waved at the crowd.
"I never expected this, but you know what? I'll take it," Estelle said, the whole thing reminding her of the royal feast in Grancel after the fall of Liber Ark. "Bracers don't hunt for fame, but it's nice to be appreciated."
Soon they reached the statue at the center of the town square, where Mr. Heir stood along with the other Crusaders, Dismas, Junia, and Missandei. Audrey gestured towards them before joining the crowd around the statue. As Estelle walked over, she noticed the Necromancer Lord's collar was hanging off the statue's neck by a thick rope. A victory trophy, huh? I would have done the same thing.
"Bracer, it's good to see you awake and well," Mr. Heir greeted Estelle as she joined the others at the foot of the statue. "This night of celebration would not have been possible without your heroism."
"What's this about?" Estelle asked.
"Celebrating the harvest, what else?" Dismas chuckled. "I jest, I jest. The boss is feeling generous tonight because of what we did."
"I would rather the ceremony be a church service. All victory is granted by the Light," Reynauld said. Junia and the other Crusaders nodded in agreement.
"Come now, no need to be so tense," Missandei said. "There is nothing like a night of libations and merriment to commemorate a major victory. You can go pray later."
"May I have your attention, please? It was a scant few days ago when we mourned the loss of our neighbors and loved ones, who were murdered by the living dead," Mr. Heir said, his voice raised. "Yet now we have turned our sorrow to cheer, for it is through the efforts of these eight intrepid heroes that the one responsible has been brought to justice."
The crowd went wild as Mr. Heir gestured towards Estelle and her companions. Estelle herself said nothing and simply smiled and waved, allowing herself to bask in the good cheer. Mr. Heir raised a hand, and the crowd quickly hushed.
"It is through the valor of these men and women that we have broken the back of the undead menace that has plagued this Hamlet for years, if not decades. It is our first major victory since my return last year, but this will not be our last," Mr. Heir continued. "Though there are other foes we have not yet vanquished, let it be known that we shall prevail through our courage. This victory does not belong to me, nor does it merely belong to these brave eight. Do you know who it belongs to?"
Mr. Heir paused, letting the crowd whisper among themselves for a few moments before gesturing towards them.
"This victory belongs to all of you, the people of the Hamlet! It is through your tireless toil and unwavering commitment to your home that we may wage this righteous campaign, so that we can one day restore the beauty and glory of these lands," Mr. Heir continued as Alfred appeared out of the shadows, holding an ornate box. "Now, let us take a few moments to express our thanks to these eight heroes."
Alfred opened the box, revealing eight bronze medallions with iron chains. Each one had a raven engraved with great care on the surface. One by one, Mr. Heir hung them around the necks of Estelle and her companions. Estelle could not help but grin and blush as she accepted the award, not used to being so openly praised for her efforts.
"I hereby decree that everyone shall feast and be merry tonight, for it is your night! A night that we have liberated from the forces of darkness which has assailed us for far too long!" The crowd erupted into more cheers at the conclusion of Mr. Heir's speech. They quickly dispersed, eager to sample the spirits and food that were being served in the streets. However, Mr. Heir and Alfred halted Estelle and her companions before they could go anywhere.
"My finest libations await at the Tavern, where the staff have worked tirelessly to prepare a magnificent feast." The normally stoic and dour Mr. Heir could barely contain his excitement and joy. "The eight of you deserve nothing less. Should you wish, you are of course free to wander the streets afterwards."
Tavern
When Estelle had first woken up, she'd mused that she was hungry enough to eat a whole cow.
She did.
The feast was truly magnificent, with all sorts of meat, fish, bread, and roasted vegetables. Even the combined appetites of Estelle, all the adventurers hired by Mr. Heir, Alfred, Mr. Heir himself, and the Tavern staff wasn't enough to devour all the food. Not willing to let the delicacies go to waste, Mr. Heir summoned runners to deliver the leftovers to the town watchmen on duty and, when they had gotten their fill, started dragging drunken revelers off the streets in for a free meal. It wasn't until after midnight that the last of the feast had finally disappeared off the tables.
In the meantime, Sarmenti the Jester plied his trade by thrumming his lute with great expertise and gusto. The guests, including Estelle herself, danced and sang along to some folk ballad about the supposed inventor of beer (which was in no short supply) and eventually other songs that Estelle could barely make out. Drink after drink came her way, ranging from beer, wine, to more exotic fares that Estelle wasn't sure even existed back in Liberl. Her skin flushed and her senses comfortably dulled by a buzz, Estelle sat contentedly at the bar sipping on yet another stein.
"Estelle, I have something to ask of you!" Balian called out as he joined her at the bar. "Back during that battle, with the glowing raptor made from fire. What was that?"
"Hell, this is probably as good a time as any to tell you. Okay, so my dad who's this goofy doofus who turns out to be this super badass. He just sat me and Joshua, that's my boyfriend by the way, down one day and started telling us about this weird Eastern myth called 'Chi'," Estelle began to explain. "Said it's some kind of force that every living being has but only those who got enough training can use. Then he pointed at himself and said he was one of them, but then he told us to not take that idea seriously. Anyway, he used that as a guideline to help me and Joshua channel our fighting spirits into our moves. One of them was Phoenix Wave, which was that burning bird thing you and the others saw. I don't even know how or why it works. It just does, and it packs a mean punch. Really useful for getting me out of a pinch."
"Perhaps it is another miracle of that Goddess you worship!" Balian laughed and clapped Estelle on the back. She figured he was just as drunk as she was, if not more. "The Light. The Goddess. Maybe this great evil Reynauld is hunting is so sinister, that the two decided to come together to stop it."
Balian suddenly paused and stopped speaking long enough for Estelle to wonder if he had passed out on the spot. Her fears were dispelled when a grin spread over his face.
"From a Crusader of the Light to a follower of the Goddess! Let us toast!" Balian clinked his stein against Estelle's. "To friendship!"
Estelle took a few big gulps, then held up her stein once more.
"To our victory!" Estelle toasted Balian this time around. Moments later, Balian excused himself and went to get more food. The empty seat left behind was soon taken by Reynauld.
"I saw thy toast with Balian, and I would like to propose one of my own." Reynauld paused for a second before raising his own stein and continuing. "To our fallen comrades, both the ones who fell here and the ones who now rest amidst those searing dunes. May they all rest in peace."
Estelle nodded solemnly as she returned Reynauld's toast and finished off her remaining beer.
"Estelle, I confess that I was not entirely truthful with thee when I had told thee of my return from the Crusades," Reynauld said. "I had indeed seen a vision, but it was not the only thing that drove me to this accursed place."
He took a deep breath and took a deep swig before continuing.
"Thou hath seen the evil wrought by necromancy, the same evil which my brothers and I had battled for years amidst those unholy sands. When we returned in triumph, one of the places we had passed was my home. My wife had not aged a single day since my departure, but my boy…he was well on his way to becoming a man," Reynauld said as tears welled up in his eyes. "When I saw their smiles and the innocence in their eyes, I realized something: I could not bear to taint that peaceful home with the horrors I had witnessed and the blood I had spilt. With our order directionless after our return, my brothers and I spent the following months as nothing more than sellswords, chasing bandits and assisting nobles in their petty squabbles. All that changed when His Lordship approached me for his quest.
"I wanted to die in this place as a martyr so that the Church could look after my family. The presence of that foul necromancer coven had only reinforced that idea. But now? Now I'm not so certain," he continued. "Over this past year, I have witnessed this withered Hamlet slowly coming back to life and hope flaring up again among its people. Perhaps I could bring my family here when all this is over."
"Sounds like a great plan, Reynauld. I'd love to meet your family some day," Estelle said. "As the only Bracer in the Hamlet for now, I promise I'll do the best I can to make this place safe for everyone's families."
"And I shall hold thee to that promise," Reynauld chuckled as he raised his stein. "The struggle shall continue tomorrow, but let us rejoice on this fine night!"
Farmstead
ESTELLE
Joshua knew full well that carving her name on the walls was a fool's errand. The chaotic, shifting, hellhole he was trapped in would just erase it sooner or later. There was no guarantee she would see the carvings. Even if she did, there was no way she would be able to reach him quickly.
ESTELLE, WHERE ARE YOU?
But Joshua couldn't stop. Playing his trusty harmonica aside, it was his only way to stay sane in this realm.
ESTELLE, I'M HERE.
Mildred never answered a single word, just kept staring at him with those wide glowing holes where her eyes used to be.
I MISS YOU ESTELLE
At least she didn't keep trying to kill him like her husband did. Every time Joshua wanted to get a few words in, he always had to resort to cutting off the poor soul's head. Until the head inevitably disintegrated into those accursed blue crystals, that is.
ESTELLEESTELLEESTELLE
He cursed under his breath. Out of all the people from his past, why did it have to be Loewe and Weissmann? Why not Karin? Because Karin was too pure to be stuck in this hellhole.
ESTELLE
He never felt tired nor hungry, and his blades would never dull no matter how much he carved. With no way out and no mood for battle, Joshua just kept carving and praying that somehow, some day, Estelle would find him.
A/N: Huge shout out to my beta for making this fight scene work, especially for an arc's climax such as this chapter. In case anybody wonders what I meant by the phrase "rege by rege", the Trails universe has its own system of measurement where a rege is equal to one centimeter. Hence I use that phrase as a substitute for "inch by inch".