Elden Ring is the property of FromSoftware and Monster Girl Encyclopedia is the Property of Kenkou Cross. I do not own any of these properties.
Chapter 20: Reunion
Isaac was currently not having a good day. It had all started fine at first; he's finally arrived in the northern forest after a few days of travel, he's somewhat figured out how to properly ride a horse, and he also had a pretty filling breakfast. If you could consider a bit of stale bread and soup a filling breakfast.
'So how the fuck did I end up here?' He thought to himself. Isaac found himself on the ground, a foot placed atop his head as his face dug deeper into the dirt. He looked up to see his assailant, a black-haired man with orange eyes, his head looking down on him with scorn. He furrowed his brows, eyes narrowing and teeth gritting.
He looked up to see where Koyoi and Doon were, their arms drawn, and Koyoi was in a stance, ready to fight off against their employers. That was awfully brave of them… but also pretty stupid. It wasn't worth getting into this much trouble for his sake, not when it could cost them their careers here in Lescatie.
He recalled the events that got him in this situation in the first place.
…
Isaac stood by in a corner as both Doon and Koyoi finished the registration. It had been a simple affair, his presence was only there to confirm the existence of a third mercenary to split the money with. After that, Doon told him to stay outside and let them handle the rest. All he had to do now was to sit in a corner and wait.
He sighed, sitting underneath a rotting tree; he leaned his head back. Isaac decided to use this time to do the one thing he never really did: do a little introspection. He looked up at the clouds, looking on at their whitish hues. He recalled his time spent in his village, of his parents, Luciana and her family…
Mikhail…
He narrowed his eyes, feeling a grunt leave his lungs before he shook his head. Their grandfather, Leopold, believed that he still lived. Isaac had called him an idiot, called him senile. After all, it's been over a year since he went missing, and left no trace for him to follow. It was the natural assumption, and Isaac had felt the sting of hope enough to learn not to get his hopes up.
Or at least, he thought he did.
Here he was, chasing a rumored wolfman who possibly wasn't even Mikhail. It was just a rumor, an unfounded sighting. Things like these permeated through the outskirts often. But it looked like he was just as foolish as his grandfather. Possibly even more so, because at least that old man didn't go on a mission to fight a vampire just because of a rumor.
Isaac sighed, leaning back and eyes wandering around. He pulled out his dagger, unsheathing it as the blade reflected light back on his eyes. He blinked, running a finger on the blade before he flinched and moved it back.
He looked down at his finger before a frown formed on his face. 'What the fuck were you doing, you moron… what else did you expect would happen?' He thought.
His finger was now bleeding from a small cut. Despite its somewhat aged appearance, the dagger was still sharp enough to cut something that just lightly touched it. If Isaac knew the intricacies of blacksmithing and craftsmanship, then he would've appreciated it more. Alas, all that he cared about was that it was an effective tool for him to use.
He looked back at where Doon and Koyoi were, his eyes narrowing as he saw that they were still off registering themselves. He sighed at that, his form leaning back before a thought formed in his mind.
'They wouldn't mind if I explored a little bit, would they?' He thought, his eyes turning to the Order of the Ice-Flower section of the camp. He sheathed his dagger back and got up, ensuring that his greatsword was still firmly attached to its strap.
Finding no real signs of it falling off, he moved his way towards the other encampment. Was he allowed over there? Most likely not, but Isaac didn't know that or care. Besides, it's just a quick stroll; how much can happen over that short period of time?
He passed through tents, spotting various soldiers moving around and doing their own things. Some were training out in the yard, others were moving equipment around. He caught a few stares here and there, but aside from those they didn't really pay much attention to him.
Still, he probably shouldn't stay out here for too long. He clicked his tongue, he needed to get back just in case Koyoi and Doon were done. Turning around, he was about to leave before he suddenly heard a few of the soldiers nearby.
"What's all this talk about a wolfman?"
That caused Isaac to pause, his form turning to the source. His eyes narrowed at the sight of a few soldiers just a fair bit of distance away from him. All of whom were standing around a makeshift wooden table, cards spread around as each played a quick game. They all wore a distinct uniform, wearing clothing and armor of much finer quality than his own.
"You didn't know? The villages around here are all talking about some scary wolfman that's apparently terrorizing the populace."
"So a werewolf then? There's plenty of those lying around, so what makes this guy so special?"
They continued their conversation, drawing Isaac's attention more and more as they spoke. He turned his eyes up, trying to find a spot where he could eavesdrop on their conversation. There, he spotted it: a tree. A tree whose branch overlooked the group.
Moving quickly, he climbed his way up the three. Making use of the dagger he was given to help him up. Once he was up, he found himself moving through the branches before he heard it.
*Crack*
Isaac looked down, and lo and behold he found that the branch he was currently on couldn't support his weight.
Correction, it can support his weight. It could not support the weight of the giant hunk of iron that was strapped on his back; the fact that it didn't fall down yet was a miracle, to say the least. If you could describe Isaac in a few words, it would be a stubborn dumbass.
Emphasis on the dumbass.
Muttering a quick "Shit…", Isaac looked around to see if there was any way he could get himself out of this situation: he couldn't, he was stuck up in that tree. He found that any small movement he made just made the branch crack a little more.
He took a deep breath. 'Okay… calm down, Isaac. You've been in shittier situations before. Just… need to wait until they leave so I can just jump down from here.'
"That's the thing, apparently it's not just some normal werewolf. It hunts you down, like a shadow. Its yellow eyes would stalk you, hanging above you like a hunter preparing to kill its prey."
Isaac's eyes narrowed at the soldiers, his form moving to hang tightly onto the tree above them.
"It carries a massive blade, wearing a thick suit of metal armor. Fangs elongated and filled with a lust for blood."
"...Damn, are you serious?" One of the soldiers spoke up. His voice was getting somewhat tense, but he tried to play it off. It belonged to a man with pale hair and red eyes.
Emphasis on try. The other soldiers looked at one another before they laughed.
"What, you're scared or something, Corin?"
"What? No way! I mean… uh… it's just a myth, right?" Corin muttered, a hand finding its way onto his head before one of the men laughed.
"I'm surprised that you're scared of something like this, considering that you and Alameria are partners." One of the men stated before Corin shook his head in denial.
"First off… I'm not scared, secondly… I'm more of a servant than I am a partner." He uttered.
"Yeah, yeah… still, you better watch out, Corin." One of the men muttered, a grin forming on his face. He got up from his seat, his hand placed on the table before he spoke up.
"I also heard that the wolf man likes it when it smells fear…" He continued, leaning forward as he did. Corin gulped, trying to keep a straight face as the man leaned in.
"...The same way I smell VICTORY!" He suddenly yelled out, pulling out his cards as he showed them to the men around him.
"Haha! I win, you sons of bitches!" He stated, turning to the other men with a wry grin and causing Corin's eyes to twitch.
"All of that just for this? That was so lame, Nel." Corin deadpanned.
"Lame? sure, did I get all your money though… yes, yes I did." Nel stated with a wry look before he pulled in all the coins on the table.
Isaac's brows furrowed at that, he could feel for that poor guy. Still, now that they were done he assumed that this meant that they were going to go away now. Still, his mind wandered to the description of the wolf man. Yellow eyes, fangs, giant blade… it sounded familiar, all too familiar.
So lost in thought he was, that he failed to notice his branch break.
"You didn't have to scare me with that wolfman thing." Corin pouted, causing Nel to shrug before he spoke.
"Relax Corin, it's all just a rumor… there's no way that something like that could exist-" Nel began when suddenly a figure crashed onto their table. Dust picked up, both from the table and the dirt that sat below.
Reacting quickly, all the men moved back and drew their weapons. Nel pulled out a bastard sword while Corin pulled out his crossbow. They took a step back, holding their breaths.
Suddenly, a hand moved up and grabbed the edge of the now broken table. His form dazed, he got up slowly. He stumbled a bit, trying his best to regain his balance as he shook his head to clear it. Looking up, his yellow wolven eyes looked on at the group. His large blade sticking out like a sore thumb, and his mouth hung slightly revealing his fangs.
Yellow eyes, fangs, giant sword? They all made the connection as soon as they saw it, and Corin was the first to state what they were all thinking.
"It-It's the wolfman!" Corin stuttered out, causing the group to stand firm.
Isaac slightly groaned, which to the terrified soldiers came out as a small growl. He got up, his vision blurred as he looked on at the group of soldiers with his eyes widened. It only emphasized his wolf-like features, causing the men to widen their eyes.
His little act had gotten the attention of a few more soldiers nearby. Some of them drew their own weapons at the sight of him. With him slumping down, his eyes in full view, and his fangs on display, it wasn't hard to see why people mistook him for a monster.
It was already a hassle to deal with the villagers, but couple this with the surrounding soldiers and one would see why Isaac would grow up to have a somewhat ill-tempered personality.
He looked up at the soldiers surrounding him, their arms fully trained on the wolven young man. His eyes furrowed, and he sought a way to try and defuse the situation.
"Fucking… okay… look, I'm not the wolf-" He began before he was suddenly cut off. A man, with speeds that he's only ever seen Elt accomplish came in from behind and kicked him in the shins. Because of this, Isaac suddenly found himself falling onto the ground as a foot made its way to his head.
The foot then pressed him into the dirt, the soil finding a new home on his skin. Isaac grit his teeth in response, his form twisting as he tried to throw the man away.
Alas, he found that he didn't have the strength to do so. His eyes turned upwards, his form catching the glimpse of an orange-eyed individual. Black hair sat atop his head, neatly combed to his side. He wore an elegant set of clothes, the expensive silk apparent on his form. He had a look on his face, one of contempt and utter disgust.
His face narrowed, but due to the pressure of his assailant's foot and because he recognized that look on his face. It was the same one he's seen from that hero that went to his village before. It was the same look that one would find on most heroes here in Lescatie.
It was a look of unrelenting arrogance and disgust on those they perceived as their lessers.
The Look of a False Hero.
"It seems as though a monster managed to find its way deep into this encampment…" He began, his tone prideful as it was slightly amused.
Isaac grit his teeth, looking up and glaring at the man. In response, the man dug his foot deeper in. The pressure on his skull was immense, and an intense pain invaded his mind.
The man simply looked on at him with a leer, "Even when under the heel of a hero, you still dare look at me with such scorn?" He muttered, sighing before he looked on at the crowd.
Isaac snarled in return, 'That false heroism is far more of a sham than your face, jackass!' He thought.
All of their faces had a look of unease on them, almost as if they feared the man more than they did the wolf. The man looked on with disappointment in his face, his eyes turning down before he shook his head.
"And what of you lot? You incompetent buffoons somehow managed to let a monster sneak this deep into our territory? Honestly, you shame the name of the Order of the Ice-Flower." He muttered as he shook his head.
"I-...I'm not a monster, you fucking moron…" Isaac let out, causing the man to turn to him with scorn before an amused look formed on his face.
"It speaks, how fascinating…" He stated before he moved his foot down onto his back, pressing into it and causing his ribs to get crushed under the pressure. That shut Isaac up, his lungs giving in to the hero's heel. He felt its pressure, even through the armor, he could feel the amount of power he had.
It was absurd, the disparity between himself and a hero was something that was made clear.
"...You claim not to be a monster, but if so… then what of these eyes…" The man began, his hand grabbing Isaac by the hair and pulling his face up to show the crowd of soldiers.
The man pulled Isaac's eyelids apart with his fingers, showing off his wolven eyes as he was forced to look at the faces of the soldiers. He paused, his form shaking as he tried to look away. Alas, the hero's strength was far too much.
He grits his teeth, both in rage and in shame. Unfortunately, that also had the effect of showing his fangs off to the soldiers.
"And these fangs, sharpened like a knife… you claim not to be a monster with these features on your face, how utterly idiotic." The man added.
An indescribable feeling formed in his mind after that. Was it rage? Shame? Hatred? Or something else entirely, he didn't know. What he did know was that he absolutely despised the man.
"L-Lord Frostiere, that might be a little-" the white-haired soldier began, Corin if he remembered correctly. Unfortunately, the only response he got was an unamused look from the hero.
"Are you defending him, Corin?" The man asked, his orange eyes turned to Corin who paused in response. He took a deep solemn nod, moving back slightly and unable to do anything about it.
Luckily for Isaac, help was about to come in soon. A small glass container was thrown in between the hero and the knights. A cloud of smoke covered the area, causing the men to move back with their blades drawn. Out of it, came Koyoi and Doon, the former in a stance while the other had his sword out.
The hero narrowed his eyes at that, his form turning to the two new arrivals with an insulted look on his face.
"What's the meaning of this?" He muttered, looking on at the two as he pressed his foot to the back of Isaac's skull. His face was once again reunited with the dirt, spitting out a bit of the soil from his mouth in the process.
"It's actually pretty simple, looks like you and that idiot got on the wrong foot here. So… here's my proposal." Doon began, turning to the man before he spoke up.
"You get off him, and we'll be on our merry way," Doon stated, turning his blade to the man who narrowed his eyes in return.
"...You want me to let go of a monster? Do you realize how heretical that sounds?" The man asked, his eyes narrowing as he turned to the man.
"You're a hero, Aren't you?" Koyoi spoke up, her eyes turning to the man before she crossed her own arms. "I've been led to believe that heroes had a natural affinity to know who is and isn't a monster."
"If that's the case, then you would know that the boy under your heel is nothing more than a simple farmboy… albeit, one that somewhat lacks intelligence," Koyoi added, causing Isaac to sputter.
'Fucker, you didn't need to add the last part!' Isaac thought with a deadpanned expression,
"And how would you know that he isn't? My senses keep telling me that the… thing under my foot is a monster, a foul one at that." The man retorted.
Koyoi's eyes narrowed, her form turning to the man. "If I remember this correctly, you are Ars Frostiere… son of Marriette Frostiere…" She began, causing the man to look at her with narrowed eyes.
"A hero of great renown, but also one with a few… undesirable rumors…" She added, causing Ars' eyes to narrow in response.
"...What are you trying to imply here…?" He asked, face wrenching as his hands twitched.
"I am not implying anything, merely that your actions here do nothing to aid your… frankly, poor reputation… so I would suggest letting him go," Koyoi added, her eyes narrowing in response. The infighting and cutthroat politics were familiar, too much so.
It very much resembled the intense political situation in Zipangu. Rival warlords vying for control, and infighting between clans on various other issues. It was one of the reasons why she had left them, it saddened her to see that this land was not free of intrigue, if anything it might be even worse here.
The man's eyes furrowed in response, obviously insulted by the audacity of this far-eastern monkey. "You're not from Lescatie, are you?" He asked, his hand moving to the blade on his hip before Koyoi readied herself for a potential fight.
"There are things here that you don't seem to understand… don't they teach you to respect your betters back in that backward country of yours?" Ars stated with gritted teeth as he readied himself for combat.
Doon and Koyoi readied themselves as well, the former sighing at the latter's actions. "Koyoi, you didn't have to provoke him."
"Sorry, it was simply a slip of the tongue."
Before a fight could break out, however, a wall of ice moved up in between the two. That caused them both to move back, their eyes turning to the newest arrival. There stood a familiar blue-haired heroine, blade drawn and pointed at the spot where the wall of ice formed. From the looks on her face, Wilmarina Noscrim was not amused.
Accompanying her was Luciana Sausare, her form pausing at the scene. Her eyes turned to the young wolf whose head was dug deep into the dirt, his eyes furrowing as he tried to struggle out of the man's heel.
"Explain," She demanded, her eyes turning to Ars who suppressed a glare and bowed respectfully.
"Forgive me, Lady Wilmarina… I was simply taking care of a monster that had somehow managed to get deep into our camp."
"...Not a fucking monster you- Gakh!" Isaac began before Ars pressed his foot hard onto the boy's skull. This caused the boy to be knocked out, his consciousness fading as his face went limp.
"Stop it, you'll hurt him!" Luciana yelled out, her form standing in front of the hero who furrowed his brow in response.
"He needs to understand that when speaking with his betters, he needs to learn how to stay silent," Ars added, turning to Wilmarina who crossed her arms in response.
"Get off him, Lord Frostiere." She ordered, her eyes glaring at the man who gulped in response. He looked down at the wolf, his eyes narrowing before he stepped away.
"My apologies then, Lady Wilmarina." He added with another bow.
Wilmarina recognized the boy, while she never really had a meaningful conversation with him, she at least knew that he was the village elder's grandchild. Isaac, if she could remember his name correctly.
Luciana turned her eyes to Isaac, moving forward she kneeled before his unconscious form before she lifted him up. Only to find that the oversized blade on his back made it difficult for her to help him.
Sighing, she turned to Wilmarina.
"What are we to do with him, Lady Wilmarina?" She asked,
"Send him to the infirmary, and get him a healer," Wilmarina responded, Luciana, nodding in return.
"With all due respect, Lady Wilmarina… tending to that boy might not be the best option for us. You've seen his fangs, and you've seen those eyes." Ars disputed,
"And what of it, Lord Frostiere? As far as you and I could feel, he is no monster now, is he?" Wilmarina retorted, a hand finding its way on her hip as Ars bit his lip in return.
"You and I may see it that way, but the rest of the Order may not… for our safety and reputation, it's best that we refrain from sheltering someone like… him…" Ars stated, causing Luciana to glare at the man and for Wilmarina to give him a cold look.
Despite her personal feelings, he had a point. If the Order of the Ice-Flower was seen associating with Isaac, it could very much ruin their carefully crafted reputation. Wilmarina cared little for her reputation, but she knew that if it ever took a hit, her comrades would be affected as well.
As such… another thought hit her, a compromise that would be in the interest of both parties. "In that case, he shall be placed under Luciana's watch." She stated, causing Ars to pause and turn to her with a confused expression.
Luciana did the same, her eyes widening as she turned to Wilmarina.
"Lady Wilmarina, please reconsider this… while I have undoubtedly have faith in your deputy, I do believe-" "My decision here is final, Lord Frostiere." Wilmarina added, causing the man to back down in response.
Luciana silently thanked Wilmarina, her eyes turning to the boy before she gave a small sigh.
She then turned to the soldiers, her eyes looking on with a stern look before she commanded them. "As for the rest of you, carry him onto the infirmary to get healed." She added before she then turned to Ars.
"Return to your station, Ars. As far as I can remember, you're not even allowed to be out here." Wilmarina stated coldly, her eyes turning to Luciana before she spoke.
"Luciana, tend to the man. I have some more business to attend to," She commanded, causing Luciana to nod before her eyes turned to Isaac.
She knelt next to him, brushing his hair and moving it away. Luciana couldn't help it, she smiled slightly at his face. He changed a little, he was bigger now and taller than even herself. But even with these changes, she could feel that he was still the same as he's always been.
Ars stood there, his eyes glaring at his captain as she left.
There was little he could actually do against her. Not only was she stronger than he, but her influence and power was beyond anything he could touch. He clenched his fists before he turned and moved, his eyes turning to Isaac and Luciana before they narrowed.
With that, he left.
Koyoi and Doon looked on at the exchange, their eyes turned to one another before he spoke up. "So… That's one way for two childhood friends to reunite," He joked, causing Koyoi to deadpan.
"So what now? Do we leave, or…" Koyoi stated before Doon shrugged. "Nah, we'll stay and fight. Besides, he's in good hands now so we don't have to look after him anymore."
"..." Koyoi merely nodded at that, a sigh escaping her face before she turned to move back to the mercenaries' area.
Doon followed behind, his eyes taking one last look at the scene before a smile came to his face.
"My Lord," A voice called out,
It came from a boy, his features covered by a blue cloak. His blue eyes peered out, turning to his lord as he watched the red-haired man look around the forest.
"Lucas, you're here… good," Elt stated,
The boy nodded in response, "Master is on her way, I assume that we're simply waiting for the rest of the group."
Elt nodded in turn, his eyes turning to the forest before he spoke up. "Wilmarina can't come, she's out on an expedition." He added, causing Lucas to pause and tilt his head.
"Ah, I see… then should we postpone? It would be better if all of them were here, that way we could do the explanation in one fell-swoop rather than doing hers separately." Lucas suggested, Elt shook his head in response.
"No, it'll be a hassle to cancel it now that everyone's on their way. Besides, it's best that we do this right here and right now. That being said, I've decided to let another person know…"
Lucas tilted his head in confusion, his eyes turning to Elt before he opened his mouth. "And who would that be, My Lord?"
Elt didn't answer him, rather he simply let her explain herself instead. "That would be me,"
Another voice chimed in, her voice coming from deep into the forest. Out of it came Sasha Fullmoon, her form covered in a cloak and eyes turning to Elt and the little boy next to him.
"...M-My Lord… are you sure?" Lucas asked, turning to Elt in the process.
"I'm sure, Lucas." He stated,
She's already shared with him her greatest secret, it would be unfair if he didn't do the same. Sasha deserved to know, there was just no way she didn't. Was it foolish? Perhaps, but Elt didn't care. He already put them through enough pain, the least he could do was show them all why it was they suffered.
Besides, this way they could be even.
"I'm assuming that this has something to do with the whole… uh… Lord, thing…" Sasha stated, her form turning to Elt as he nodded in turn.
"Don't worry, everything will be revealed soon enough. Right now, we just need to wait for the rest."
"You better have a good explanation for everything, Elt." A voice cut in; from above a certain green-haired half-elf dropped softly onto the ground, as if she's done this multiple times before.
Primera dusted herself before she looked up with wide eyes, "Sasha? Why are you here… wait, then who's watching the kids?"
"Worry not, I have that area covered," Lucas stated,
A temporary illusory ward was placed in the orphanage. Compared to the one Ranni cast within Raya Lucaria, it was primitive and it wouldn't hold a candle to it. Even still, it should be enough to last a few hours. Enough time for Elt to explain everything to the group.
Primera merely narrowed her eyes at that, she would've pushed for a more concrete answer from him but Elt decided to speak in. "Don't worry about it, they're safe and sound. I won't let anything like that Baphomet hurt them,"
That calmed Primera a little, but it certainly didn't ease her confusion, worry, and paranoia.
All she could give in response was a simple nod, all will be explained soon enough. Still, her eyes narrowed at the events that lead here. He summoned a sword out of thin air, one that frightened her more than any monster she's faced in her tenure as a hero.
It all happened so fast, just a few seconds when Elt summoned that… that thing. She felt a chill in her spine, he better had a good explanation for that.
"Well, looks like the gang's all here," another voice chimed in.
Turning to the source, the group found the familiar face of Elt's one-eyed captain coming in. She moved her hand up, waving to them before she stopped by Elt and the rest of the group. "I'm guessing Elt told you about his… special circumstances."
That caused Primera and Sasha to arise their brow, the latter turning to Elt confusingly. Out of everyone here, Sasha was the one who knew the least about the situation. She's had an idea, after all, Elt managed to fight off a Baphomet with the help of Primera, Mimil, and two other combatants.
But other than that, she was left relatively clueless about the events that had unfolded.
Primera too was left clueless, but unlike Sasha, she personally bore witness to what had occurred. Out of everyone, Elt was the one who fought the Baphomet the most and was the one who dealt the final blow with that… inhuman blade.
It scared her, what secrets could he have hidden from her all this time? She thought that he was just a human, a stubborn, kind, and idiotic human… one that she found herself falling for. But after seeing everything, her mind's been cast into doubt.
Primera felt even more inadequate now, at least before she could take comfort in the fact that she could be needed to protect him. But now, from the looks of it he didn't even need protection.
Seeing this, Merse paused. She turned to Elt, one brow raising. "You didn't tell them?"
"Why do you think we're here?" Elt answered, causing Merse to pause before she turned to Elt.
"You're acting… a little different," She muttered, causing Elt to scratch the back of his head.
"I'll explain the reason why, we just need to wait for Mimil…" He answered.
"I'm right here," A high-pitched voice answered, causing the group to turn to the source. There stood the familiar sight of a 12-year-old magical girl, a cloak over her shoulders as she dusted herself.
"Why do we have to do this all the way out here? We could've done this somewhere a lot cleaner," She complained, causing Lucas to turn to her before she spoke.
"All will be explained in due time, master."
"And by due time, he means right now," Elt stated, turning to the group. With Sasha, Primera, Merse, and Mimil here, he could finally tell them all about it.
"So… before we do this, I need you all to promise me that you won't freak out… and that by the end, you'll all still treat me the same way you did before." Elt stated, causing Mimil to tilt her head.
"You want me to keep insulting you?" She asked confusingly, causing Elt to laugh awkwardly. Scratching his head, he turned to Mimil before he spoke.
"I always just thought of it as childish banter, so…" He shrugged, causing Mimil to puff her cheeks and sigh.
"Even now, you're still an idiot… big brother," She stated before a small smile crossed her face.\
"Alright, I promise you," Mimil stated,
Primera looked away, despite what he said there was just no way that things would remain the same after what she's seen. Even still, she nodded in turn… afraid of what's to come, but standing firm for his sake.
The other two had no complaints, Merse just giving a thumbs up as her answer and for Sasha to nod in turn. The latter was worried, but she wouldn't treat him any differently. He had done the same for her once he found out her biggest secret, she'd be a hypocrite if she changed her perception of him now.
"In any case, in here." He began, turning to the dark cave that sat inside the forest. The rest paused, their eyes looking at him confusingly before Mimil spoke up.
"I-In there?"
"Yes, in there," Lucas answered, turning to Mimil who looked on at him with twitched eyes.
"Can you explain to us why?" Mimil pressed on, a hand finding a way to her hip as she leaned forward.
"It's easier if you see," Elt answered in turn, causing Primera to cross her arms. "And how are we gonna do that?"
Lucas looked on at the group before he raised his staff, mostly to cast a light for them to see. But Elt stopped him in turn, moving his hand up to push the staff down gently. Turning to the group, he raised his left hand before a golden glow covered it.
Opening it, a flame appeared on his hand. One that illuminated the dark forest around them. That caused the group to all widen their eyes, turning to Elt who sighed in turn.
"So I wasn't seeing things that night, you can do magic now…" Mimil muttered, Elt nodded in turn.
Technically, its proper term is incantation. Sorcery and Incantations were two distinct sets of magic, and both were further divided into different types. He was more in tune with the latter than he was with the former, but he was capable of doing the former if he wanted.
It just wouldn't be to the same extent that Lucas could do it.
"It's a long story, which is why we should get moving." He added, turning to the cave before he walked inside.
"Come on, I'll show you something." Elt finalized as he waited for the group to move. Hesitantly, the group all moved into the cavern.
…
Eventually, the group made their way through the caverns and into an opening. It was a large spacious cavern, with a few bits of light shining through. Water dripped down the cave, causing puddles to form down below.
Elt's flame was the only thing that truly illuminated the cavern for the group. Its incandescent light shines through the darkened depths. He moved towards the unactivated waygate, his eyes narrowing as he turned to the group.
Primera's eyes caught the stone formation, her eyes widening as she watched Elt caress its top. "What is that?" She asked,
Her question caused the group to turn to Elt, their eyes widening as he got up and turned to them.
"It's what I wanted to show you, all of you…" he began, moving his hand towards Lucas who handed him a stonesword key.
"I wanted to make sure that there were no doubts about what I'm about to tell you. Hearing it from me is one thing, but seeing it for yourself was another." Elt continued, placing the Stownsword key in its place.
"Please… one more time, promise me that you won't see me any differently after this." He muttered, the group collectively widened their eyes.
His voice was vulnerable, increasingly so. He was afraid of doing this, but he knew that they had to learn sooner or later. Sasha, ever the kind soul, moved forward and took one of his hands. With a small smile, she reassured him.
"I promise you, Elt… nothing you do or say will change how we feel."
Mimil nodded in return, crossing her arms as a childish smile came to her face. "Worry not, Big Brother. No matter what, you'll always be my idiotic big brother."
"You're getting all sappy for no reason, Elt. Relax, you know me enough to know that I won't treat you any differently."
Primera however, stayed silent. Unable to really reassure him, and unable to reassure herself. She had her doubts, but for his sake she nodded in response.
Satisfied, Elt let go of Sasha's hand and moved it to the stonesword key. He took a deep breath, eyes turning to the group before he spoke.
"Stand back,"
Doing as he told, the group took a step back before Elt suddenly twisted the key. The stone formation shifted, and a mass of blue swirled at the center as Elt turned to the group.
The group all widened their eyes, Mimil most of all. She's never really seen anything like it before. She knew what it was, it was some type of portal… but as a human she's never really seen one before. It was high-class magic, one that she herself had dabbled in before.
She's heard how monsters had something similar, allowing for instantaneous travel between two largely separate places.
"...Word of advice, the first time might be a little nauseating." He muttered with a small smile, Lucas just deadpanned at that, turning to the group he moved towards the portal.
"If you feel like vomiting, hold it in. I'd rather you not stain the floor." Lucas added before he placed a hand into the waygate. Suddenly, he was sucked into it. His form bent and moved through onto an unknown space.
Elt moved his hand over, his eyes turning to the group before he spoke. "Alright, don't worry… it won't kill you."
"...That doesn't really help, Elt," Primera muttered with a deadpan, causing Elt to scratch the back of his head.
"I'm sorry, I don't really know how else to convince you," Elt stated before Merse came forward,
"If I do this, you'll owe me a drink." She stated, causing Elt to laugh slightly before he nodded, "Sure thing, Merse."
With a satisfied look on her face, she turned to the group before she spoke up. "What are you? A bunch of heroes or pansies," She teased, moving her hand forward as she was suddenly sucked into the portal.
Mimil's eye twitched at that, the indult getting to her as she moved forward. "You owe me a sacred parfait, big brother." She muttered.
Elt just awkwardly laughed at that, his wallet was going to take a hit but… it should be fine. With that, Mimil placed a hand into the waygate, her form once again getting sucked into the bluish portal.
Sasha came forward next, her form slightly hesitant but in her mind she trusted Elt completely. Looking at Elt, a small smile graced her face before Elt sighed light-heartedly. "Alright Sasha, what are you gonna ask for in return?"
Leaning in, she moved to her ears before she whispered. "Just look after the kids and Merridith for me,"
Elt blinked, that one he already intended to do. So with a small smile, he nodded. Satisfied, Sasha placed a hand into the waygate.
Turning to the last person, Elt saw that Primera made no moves. She stood there, still as a statue. Her form fidgeted slightly, causing Elt to worry. "...Primera, is… is something wrong?"
"I-..." She muttered something, but it was too soft for Elt to hear. Moving towards her, Elt placed a hand on her shoulder before he spoke.
"You can tell me, Primera." He stated with a small smile, causing Primera's eyes to narrow as she looked away. Red colored her face, her teeth gritting in response.
"I'm scared, Elt…"
Looking on, Elt's features softened before Elt spoke up. "Prim, don't worry… it's perfectly safe-" He began, only for Primera to turn and yell at him.
"Not That!" She spoke up, causing Elt to pause and widen his eyes. Taking a step back, Primera collected her bearings, taking a deep breath before she spoke up again.
"I'm scared… of what you're going to tell me… to tell us…" She corrected herself, looking away as she clenched her fists.
"I've seen you fight a Baphomet head-on… I've seen you pull out a sword that- that…" She didn't finish the sentence, her mind trying its best to keep itself together.
"I can't do what you made me promise, I'm not sure if things would be the same after everything…" She trailed, off her eyes turning to Elt as he looked on slightly stunned.
She took a deep breath, a part of her wanted to continue. To talk to him about everything that's been plaguing her mind. But in the end, she couldn't bring herself to do that. These problems were hers alone to face, no doubt that Elt would've butted in to try and help her if she told him.
Primera didn't deserve to stand next to him, she didn't deserve to love him.
She was an abomination, a half-breed, and not only that she felt as if she was useless when it came to the one thing she was good at. She couldn't do anything against the Baphomet during their original battle, she couldn't help him when they gathered information, she did the bare minimum during their final battle with the Baphomet, and she even screwed up her throw when he dealt the final blow.
That's how she felt, at least.
Elt's features softened, his eyes turning to the ground as Elt tried to think of what to say. He wasn't good at this, Sasha was far better at this than he ever was, but he still had to try.
"I'm… I'm sorry, Primera…" He began, his eyes turning to her before he moved forward.
"I'm scared too, but… it's something that I have to do." He continued on, giving her his hand as he waited to see if she'd take it.
"I'm not sure what will happen after this, I'm not even sure if things would remain the way they are."
"But I at least want to still have you here, Primera… we all do," He continued,
"What do you say?" Elt asked, waiting for her answer.
Primera paused, her eyes turning to Elt before she looked on at his hand. She was scared, of course, she was and from the looks of it so was he. He was afraid, afraid that he'd lose her too the moment he revealed whatever it was he was about to.
She bit her lips, she didn't want to hurt her closest, and frankly, only friend like this. It honestly kind of warmed her heart, to see how precious she was to him. Primera sighed, taking his hand as he gave a warm smile in return.
"...On one condition," Primera began, causing Elt to look on at her before he listened intently. He nodded, just another thing to add to his list of things to do.
"Sure, what is it?"
Primera took a deep breath. A part of herself protested on what she was about to ask. That part of her told her that she was stepping out of line, that this was something she couldn't cross. But a more selfish part of her ignored it, opting to just have this much at least.
"I want to see Lescatie," She began, Elt raised his brow at that.
"You want to… what?" "Look, I've spent most of my time in the forest. I just… maybe, I just wanted to go and explore it." She continued,
"O…kay… but what does that have to do with me?" Elt asked,
"... You know Lescatie better than I do, so figure it out for yourself, you idiot..." She stated, her face slightly flushed. That caused Elt to tilt his head a little, mostly out of confusion.
As far as Elt knew there were little places where he could actually freely go to. The deeper parts of Lescatie were off-limits to him, and so going anywhere near the center would've been unrealistic.
Still, he did still have access to the slums and the poorer parts of the country. But if this is what she wants, then so be it. "If that's what you want, Primera." He stated with a kind smile, one that Primera returned with a softer one.
With that out of the way, they both entered the waygate.
…
Mimil Miltie honestly didn't know what to think when she first came here. Lucas had just interrupted one of her study sessions to tell her to go to an obscure area in the forest one moment, and the next thing she knew she was following Elt deep down into the cavernous depths.
She prepared herself for anything. After all, these past few weeks were hectic and so she believed that she was ready for whatever revelation Elt was to grant her.
By the look on her face, she was in fact, not ready. Her eyes bulged out of their sockets, her jaw fell into the floor and her staff had been unceremoniously dropped onto the ground. Looking at her other companions, it was clear that they too were too stunned to say anything.
If she had to describe the place she was transported in, it would've been magical. From the large stony structures of the buildings to the vast open area that moved as far as her eyes could see. The skies were nothing like anything she's seen before, a flurry of clusters, stars and the chill night that covered the horizon.
It was as beautiful as it was haunting, that much she could attest.
"W-What is this place?" She spoke up, turning to Lucas who was admiring the view. Lucas' blue eyes turned to her, his eyelids closing slightly before he spoke.
"My Home…" He trailed off, turning to the group. Merse whistles, her lone eye scanning the horizon as she spoke.
"And here I thought the nobles were high-class, from what I can see this place is as big as Salvarision." She muttered,
"You have good eyes… a good eye." Lucas corrected himself, causing Merse to deadpan as she looked at the surrounding area. She honestly was pretty speechless,
"Hold on, this is your home? I thought you lived in… I don't know, some kind of mansion." Mimil stated, turning to Lucas who scratched his head.
"I never claimed to have lived in a mansion, Master. That was merely your own assumption." He stated, causing Mimil to huff and cross her arms.
"Do your parents live here?" She asked,
If she could remember this correctly, Lucas had parents he could go back to. Or at least that's what he claimed. Looking away, he took a deep breath before he spoke up.
"...Forgive me, Master, but… I'm afraid that I wasn't being honest with you about my parentage." He muttered, turning away before he shook his head.
"The truth is… that I uh… I have no parents, to begin with." Lucas admitted, causing Mimil to widen her eyes and for Sasha to look at him sympathetically.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Sasha began, only for Lucas to shake his head.
"Worry not, I have no need for parents in the first place," Lucas stated, Mimil just bit her lip in response. She wanted to say something, to tell him the importance of such things but in the end, she found that she couldn't.
After all, how could she understand if she herself knew nothing of how important parents were? Especially when they came to rely on her then it was the other way around.
"Listen… kid…" Surprisingly, it was Merse who decided to speak up.
"Parents are… they're an important part of your life," She began, moving towards him as she spoke. Lucas widened his eyes, tilting his head slightly as he watched the taller woman kneel down to his level.
"You may not understand it, how could you since you're an Orphan but… I can't really imagine anyone who'd grow up not needing a parental figure in their life." Merse added, causing Lucas to tilt his head.
"...I'm unsure if this talk would apply to me…" He began, turning to Raya Lucaria's entrance before he spoke up.
"You simply do not understand, I am not a mere child…" Lucas began, turning his eyes to his palms. He clenched them in turn, causing his knuckles to turn white.
"I am… much less, and much more… I am a weapon, a servant of my lord. Nothing more, nothing less." Lucas finalized, Mersé's lone brow rose at that.
Lucas shook his head and looked away, now wasn't the time to talk. They'll have plenty of that later on. He moved a few steps back, turning to the entrance as Elt finally made his way through with Primera in tow.
Primera was wide eyes, her form looking around as she watched the landscape around her. Elt moved towards the group, his eyes turning to Lucas before he spoke up.
"...What did I miss?"
"Nothing, My Lord… we should get a move on…" He added, quickening his pace as Elt looked on at him with a tilted head. Regardless, the group eventually made their way inside.
…
In a large room, 6 individuals sat upon blue cushioned seats. Elt and Lucas sat opposite the four, each of whom decided to stay in various places. Mimil sat at the far side of the couch, her eyes moving around as she looked on at the room in wonder. Sasha too was much the same, her eyes turning to Elt every so often to see if he would begin to speak.
Merse stood stoically nearby, her arms crossed and her lone eye staring at Elt as he waited for him to begin his explanation. Primera also stood near a wall, her form leaning in as her eyes were firmly locked on Elt.
Looking around, Elt couldn't help but notice that the room was… unfamiliar to him. He's never seen anything like this when he first explored Raya Lucaria. It's possible that he missed it, but even still he hadn't ever seen a lounge room inside the structure.
It was big, windows lead to the outside with stained glass windows depicting a certain moonlit demigod and another red-haired knight. He felt his brows furrow at that, this was obviously one of Ranni's creations.
He felt as if she was claiming him even now, nevertheless…
The rest of the room was covered in bookshelves containing multiple pieces of literature from the Lands Between. It had paintings of the Carian Royal Family hanging around, and at the side, there were even a few empty bird cages that possibly housed messenger birds.
He gave a quick sigh before he sat upright.
"So… I guess we should start." He spoke,
The group then turned to him before they collectively nodded. Elt took a deep breath, this was the moment he was both hoping for and dreading his whole life.
"...Where do I begin…" Elt began, placing a finger under his chin before Mimil spoke up.
"At the beginning, Big Brother."
"Right, right… that's… the most sensible place to start." Elt muttered quickly before he looked on at the group.
"I guess I should start by saying this much…" Elt's eyes then shifted, turning from a crystalline blue to gold. The shift caused many to widen their eyes, he felt like a completely different person after that. As if a switch was flicked in his mind,
"Whatever I say here stays here… alright, you are not to tell anyone of what I tell you…" He turned to Primera and Sasha.
"Not the Orphans," his eyes then turned to Merse.
"Not our comrades," His eyes finally settled on Mimil, who yelped slightly before she covered it up with a fake cough.
"And especially not the college…" his eyes then turned to the group.
"Understood?" He asked, the group could do nothing but nod. This change of demeanor was just too jarring for some of them.
"Alright... I'll do this the same way it's done in the Lands Between," He began. That caused the group to raise their brow, 'Lands Between?' They all collectively thought.
Elt cleared his throat, leaning back before he began.
"The Fallen Leaves tell a story..."
"We've really done it now, huh Blaidd?" A certain blonde vampire asked, her form looking over the map with her eyes narrowed.
Blaidd just sighed at that, scratching his head a bit as he leaned back onto a log. All of this just for him? He should be flattered, but for some reason… he isn't. The Golden Order had them all surrounded, Order of the Ice-Flower soldiers were preventing their escape from the forest.
It was impressive, to say the least. Hundreds upon thousands of soldiers all gathered around the forest. Every inch of ground had a set of eyes, and a hero was present in every corner. Couple that with the fact that they were reinforced with Mercenaries, and you'll find yourself facing a situation beyond anything you've witnessed.
But he and Wynne already knew that this massive force was nothing more than a distraction. No, the main force would be coming in from the rear.
After all, there was no way The Golden Order would leave his life in the hands of the False Order. Blaidd and Wynne knew that they'd send someone in their ranks, and they knew that the Golden Order were going to use the confusion to come in and slay them.
After the harpies in their ranks had confirmed from afar the presence of people in the mountaintops, he guessed that those were the true force that would be sent in to kill him.
He got up and took a deep breath, walking out into a clearing with Wynne following closely behind.
"Still, all according to plan… huh?" Wynne asked with a wry grin, causing Blaidd to nod before he finally made his way into the clearing. Here were gathered monsters of all kinds, harpies, werewolves, orcs, and many many more. All of them had one thing in common, they faced the cruelty of the Golden Order.
They had their homes taken, their brethren abducted, husbands slain, and all sought the one thing that was natural for anyone in this situation: revenge. Those with weapons weren't armed with demonic energy, but rather weapons they rummaged through the corpses of soldiers. Wynne was the one who found them, and against Blaidd's desires, had rallied them under their cause.
He honestly had no idea how the vampire did it, she just explained that she was a charmer even amongst other monsters. Regardless of how she did it, he now had a force that he could somewhat rely on.
Even still, these monsters would be no match for the heroes of the Order of the Ice-Flower; much less the Tarnished of the Golden Order. Even still, they were more useful than they were a liability.
"Listen up!" Blaidd yelled up, causing all the monsters to stand firm.
"As you are now, you still aren't a match for the Heroes of the Ice-Flower. You're weak, inexperienced, and most of you haven't even taken a life yet… and still, you decided to follow me."
"Follow Us," Wynne corrected, causing Blaidd to deadpan before he continued.
"I won't lie… we're not exactly in a good position. We're surrounded on all sides, and our arch-enemy awaits us on the horizon. " Blaidd continued, turning to the group as he stabbed his sword onto the ground. The area that Blaidd punctured let out a cold mist, seeping out of the hole as Blaidd turned to the group with a stern look.
The plan was simple, the Order of the Ice-Flower doesn't know about the force that stood on the mountains. As such, instead of pushing themselves out onto the mountains, they would instead push into the incoming waves of soldiers and heroes.
That would force the Ice-Flower to come into contact with the Golden Order. And he hoped that it would force them into combat with one another. His plan was flimsy and he knew that, but Blaidd was never really the strategist here. For all his power, he often relied on Ranni and Iji's planning to do his tasks. Still, it was the best thing he could come up with and it was still somewhat solid.
The goal was to escape during the confusion they'd create. Pass through the Order's defenses and escape through a nearby river system. The dangerous rapids would've been easy for monsters and himself to cross, but it would take a hero to do much the same meaning that they'd spread their numbers thin should they do so.
"But it isn't you who are the targets, it is I… should you cross that mountain and out into relative safety, there's a high likelihood that the enemy would ignore you." He continued.
The Golden Order's main goal here was his elimination, not to capture any monsters. If they decided to cross through the mountains, there's a high likelihood that they'd let them through. After all, wasting your manpower on inconsequential monsters would've been foolish.
"Even still, would you follow me?" He muttered,
The monsters looked at one another, their eyes turning to Blaidd before they gave their collective answer. He smiled, sensing their determination and rage rise up. Despite what Order propaganda had taught him, they were much more similar to humans than he'd originally been led to believe. They were different, obviously, but they bled, cried, and anguished as much as humans did.
Much like how his Brother-in-arms did...
He smiled at the thought, he wondered how Elt and Ranni were doing now.
Blaidd looked on at the monsters before they gave their answer. Tomorrow, the forest would tremble at the battle that would take place.
Elsewhere, the golden eyes of the Dragonspear scanned the forests below. His polearm was stabbed right into the dirt, and his allies have all gathered around the mountain as they waited. He knew that the monsters had nowhere to go, he knew that the shadow would be forced to face them regardless of which path he took.
He smirked at the thought, Vyke was a knight at heart and battle was the one thing he was looking forward to. The dragon's eyes moved up to look on at the night sky, watching as clouds gather above the forest.
"Well then… Tomorrow…" He trailed off, red-lightning coursing through his form.
Author's Note:
Alright! That took... a little longer than usual. Not gonna lie, I don't really have an excuse other than writer's block. I sat there staring at the document just trying to figure out what would happen next. Still, I am somewhat satisfied with the results. Onto the chapter proper, since it's been a while.
First off, Nel, Corin, and Ars, they'll be important in the future. As you may have guessed, Corin is Alameria's partner in this fic. Nel and Ars are two separate OCs that would be important for future chapters that could include the Order of the Ice-Flower. They'll also be acting as Isaac's little groupmates the same way Akito and Lucas acted as Elt's during the last few chapters.
Secondly, I was originally gonna have the whole explanation thing happen in this chapter, but I decided to just have it in the next one since I realized that my setup would take a little longer than usual. That being said, I think I'll be able to return to my original schedule when it comes to new chapters so just watch out for that.
That's really it for what I have to say, sorry that this came out a little later but I just had a bit of writer's block.
It's cleared now so it shouldn't affect me anymore. Once again, this story is now in QQ and will also be posted in Ao3 once I get an invite... I haven't gotten the invite yet. I answer questions and all that over there more than I do here, so go check it out if you have the time.
As always, make sure to leave your review, comment, reactions, criticisms, etc. on the Review Section. My PMs are also open if you want to use that instead, I'll see yall next time then!
Whamo Out!
