Stepping through the wall of raging sand, the knight and wolf come face to face with...
Nothing...
The black cloud of the Death Walkers is nowhere to be seen.
Confused Al looks around, but all he sees is wide open sands and the spiralling storm concealing the camp behind them.
He thinks maybe they've gone, but realises that's just wishful thinking when Arthur suddenly pulls him to the side. He only just sees a shadow pass where he was standing, before he's lifted up by the back of his tunic as Arthur hurries to carry him away from the storm. But he understands, he knows what Arthur is doing, their bond tells him of the wolf's intentions.
This close to the protection of the sandstorm, the Death Walkers can't seem to properly materialise. They'll have to get further away to be able to see them coming.
It's been a while since it's just been him and Arthur, and yet, fighting with the wolf by his side is somehow even easier than before. Their bond is stronger now than it was back in the Ivory Expanse —when they went hunting the Aigiddyrn— perhaps even more than when they took on all those Acreta.
Alfred doesn't have to use words, not even with his mind to tell Arthur what he wants to do.
It's almost as if it's by instinct.
A sense of an idea is all it takes for Arthur to suddenly halt, dropping down to lie flat in the sand. In the same moment he releases his hold on Al, and the blonde knight twists around before his feet even hit the ground. In an instant he's using the momentum to push forward and climb up onto Arthur's back. His feet find their place just behind the wolf's shoulders and his left hand buries itself in the back of Arthur's neck, grasping tightly onto his fur, sword held out to his right. The exact moment he's in position, Arthur is kicking off the ground, jumping up and throwing himself forward into a fast paced run. The whole process happens in a matter of seconds, without a single word needing to be said between them.
Like this, they're faster. Stronger.
This time, Alfred doesn't have any trouble finding the rhythm, he moves as Arthur does. This time, he doesn't feel like he might be thrown off if he's not careful, even without a saddle, he doesn't worry about keeping balance with the bounce of Arthur's speedy legs. No, this time, they're perfectly in sync.
Still without a single word said, he switches the hold on his sword, raising it to just the right angle, and leans into the sudden left turn. A Death Walker appears inches from his side and he cut's through it, blade humming with power as the wispy shadow of its body is sliced in two. Rather than disappear or drop to the ground like Al expects, the shadow wraps around the sword like smoke as they run, before being absorbed into it. Looking over his shoulder, Al's eyes widen as he sees a white glow where the Death Walker had been. He only catches a glimpse before it vanishes.
As Arthur runs and a few more appear only to be cut down, something occurs to Al. The Death Walkers don't seem to be able to keep up, Arthur is simply too quick for them. It's then that he realises why he's only had to face one at a time. How Arthur always turns just before one can strike. The Death Walkers must be scattered about, simply waiting for them to get close enough to attack, and Arthur is fast enough to react before they can.
But realising this makes him overconfident.
When Arthur suddenly turns again, he expects the same as before, one to appear at his right just in time for him to kill. What he, nor Arthur expect is for another to be to the left, and as Arthur turns, he ends up running straight for it. He's going too fast to stop or avoid it, and Al can't reach it in time to kill it, not from where he is.
Without even thinking, Al pushes himself up and throws his body over Arthur's head. With his sword still wrapped in shadows from killing the one on their right, he brings it forward and down, aiming for this one. It's smaller than the others, probably the reason they didn't see it coming. He plunges his sword through it's small chest, and the shadows are dragged forward with it, wrapping around the blade. But even as the shadows are drawn away, the light form remains, and he crashes into it, or rather, through it.
His body impacts the sand with a heavy thump, his sword falling free from his loose grasp.
'Al!' Arthur calls in alarm as he skids to a halt above him, the light form having disappeared the moment Al passed through it.
'Al, Alfred!' Carefully he uses his teeth to tug the blonde to roll over.
'No no no nononono! Al wake up!' Panic floods him as the knight lies motionless on the ground, images of blood soaked snow flashing through his mind.
'Not again, please no... not again...' He begs as he presses his nose to Al's cheek.
It's only when Arthur notices the slight rise and fall of the teen's chest does he give a shaky sigh of relief, collapsing in the sand beside him.
He can't sense anymore of those creatures around, the foul presence of the twisted, poisonous death is gone, but that does nothing to put him at ease as Alfred isn't waking up. Protectively he moves closer, ever so gently laying his head on Al's chest and listens to him breathing.
'Breathing is good,' he reminds himself, 'so long as there is breath, there is life.'
He let's his head rise and fall with the knight, switching his focus to the gentle but steady thump of his heartbeat. Another sign of life.
Closing his eyes, Arthur blocks everything else out. He forgets about the sandstorm he's still maintaining, with neither the energy or the will to end it properly, he let's it go freely. He forces himself to forget about the desert, or any of the other creatures out here that might attack them, about the red snow and screams of death that haunt his past, about everything.
All he want's to do, is lie here. All he wants, is for his pack mate to be okay.
I've been here before...
Is the first thought Al has when he comes to in... wherever this place is. He's in an endless white void, like last time. But when was that? He had no memory of this place until he was back, feeling this sense of lack of reality, but knowing he's not dreaming.
He knows it this time, doesn't just think it. But how does he know that?
He blinks, just like before he feels a presence and spins around.
There, floating in the nothingness of a wavy form, a distortion in the... substance —it's all he can thing to call what this place is made of— of the world around him.
But this time, he's not alone. How it the world he never noticed the ball of light hovering next to him, he's not sure. But it's there, and it's not like the distortion, this is more solid, more real, if that even makes sense. He get's the feeling it's not meant to, nothing here is.
The distortion ripples, and the ball of light suddenly shines bright, far too bright and fast for what he thinks should be possible. But it's over just as quick, and in it's place is a bluish tinted, transparent girl.
It's with an odd sense of recollection, as if he were mentally reliving the moment he was looking down at her dead body, that he knows who this girl is.
"Olefia..." He whispers, and the girl turns to him.
She blinks up at him for a moment, then smiles.
"Thank you."
And then, she's gone, faded away to become past of... this place. But the echo remains. And not just hers, but dozens of other indistinguishable voices whisper it to him all the same.
He spins around trying to find there source, but he knows he'll never find it. When he turns back around, the distortion seems to be shimmering, and he get's the strangest feeling it's smiling at him.
"Who are you?"
...I am but one...
Al frowns, "One? One of what?"
...One of many...
Great, it's talking in riddles.
Far in the distance, he can hear chuckling. But unlike all the other voices he's heard here, this one is distinctly female, and he gets the odd feeling he should know it.
"Who's there?"
The chuckle comes again, and through the void a figure appears, walking towards him. For a moment Alfred feels jealous, because no matter how much he's tried walking, he's never seemed to make much progress anywhere. But he forgets it as soon as it comes, because now he's left staring up at the figure before him. As he draws his eyes up, he notices their bare feet and strangely tattered clothes —as if multiple holes have been burnt into then, leaving large sections charred— thin strips of what was no doubt a beautiful ice blue and silver dress are all that's left to cover her decency. The woman, with long blonde hair flowing down her back and framing her face, and deep violet eyes that somehow remind him of Mattie, is floating several inches above the nonexistent ground.
In the back of Alfred's mind, a name echoes as she smiles down at him.
"Look at you," Her voice is choked with emotion, eyes shimmering with unshed tears, "My son. How much you've grown."
Like a mirror being shattered, understanding dawns on Alfred, and that name echoes so loudly it demands to be voiced.
"M-Mom..?"
With gentle, shaking hands she reaches out to cup is face, "My dear Alfred."
He's so shocked he doesn't know what to say as she pulls him forward into her chest and presses her face into the top of his head, crying as she buries her face in his hair.
He's completely lost, a million questions are rocketing through his mind, but he doesn't know where to begin. So it's not really of his volition when he asks, "Am I dead?"
It's a logical assumption; he did touch a Death Walker, and his mother has been dead for nineteen years.
He's quite surprised then, when she only laughs and pulls away, but keeps her hands on his shoulders as he looks down at him.
"No, no your not dead. Your Spirit Walking dear."
"Spirit... Walking?"
"Yes, you've awoken the gift."
"Wha- wait, gift? I thought the Domino bestia was my gift... isn't it?"
"Ooh..." She breathes, eyes widening as if she just realised something. "You... don't know, do you?"
"Know what?" Alfred is now very confused.
"But… Jacob should've… so why..?" She mumbles, frowning in confusion.
"Jacob?" Al blinks in recognition at the name but is still completely lost, "You mean Dad?"
Rather than answer him, she turns to look at the distortion.
"Is the Snake not to be severed? The key is here, why keep the lock hidden?" She asks cryptically.
...The snake coils... ...yet many keys fit many locks...
An eerie softness fills the voice as it floats through the air and makes all of Alfred's hair stand on end as a shiver runs down his back.
Beside him, his mother's frown deepens, glaring at the distortion. The look seems out of place on her previously gentle features.
"Are you conceding to him?" She demands.
The distortion shifts and twists around itself violently, as if angered by the accusation and the voice roars.
Never!
Al's head rings with more pain than when Arthur shouts, but his mom seems unaffected by it. The form calms, returning to a gentle swirling before it speaks again.
...A path carved by ages... ...strengthens with time...
This time, his mother seems satisfied with the answer.
"Time, yes. But how much longer can we wait?"
...soon...
The voice breathes.
...Soon... ...All will come to pass, as it is meant to be...
His Mom nods, before turning quickly back to him.
"Alfie dear, there is not much time left, so listen closely." She cups his face again and smiles sadly down at him, "Go to the Northern Sea that meets the edge of Nankeke's Wilderness. There, you'll find a man and two sisters who know the truth. Show the man the light of your heart, and he will show you his." She strokes her thumbs across his cheeks as her smile becomes more pained but happier, "Your power is growing, but so is his. The man of the north, he will teach you. You must become stronger, you, and your brother."
Alfred wants to ask what she means, what any of all this means, but the world around him seems to be fading away into darkness. He feels his mothers hands leave him and her voice is but a faint whisper in the distance.
"I love you. Live free, my dear sweethearts."
And then it all goes black...
Authors notes: Aah, Alfred. More and more mysteries just seem to form around you, don't they?
So bit of an explanation, 'cause Al isn't exactly able to put two and two together all the time. Alfred is Spirit Walking here. Why? Two reasons; 1- It's another gift he unwittingly awoke when the Viper 'killed him', and 2- Because he touched the Death Walker. Which is another thing I should explain.
Death Walkers, or Pavicso are a warped spirit of the dead. Normally, it would take years for a regular trapped spirit to become a Death Walker, and only those that have a grudge preventing them from moving on. But, as you may have noticed, these particular ones only died a short while ago...
By using a Soul Reaver on a Pavicso, the dark and twisted part of the spirit, or the 'poison' as Arthur calls it, is removed. Normally, this would be the grudge, allowing it to move on. Basically by touching it in the moment of ascension, Al accidentally activated his Spirit Walking power and went with it.
Hope that clear things up.
As for his mother, well… that's another matter entirely…
R & R people.
Until next time, stay awesome!