Flynn

RL64 - 29 VIG - 14 MND - 26 END - 26 STR - 14 DEX - 18 INT - 9 FTH - 7 ARC

Resa

RL64 - 20 VIG - 17 MND - 12 END - 12 STR - 30 DEX - 9 INT - 34 FTH - 9 ARC

Resa

We set off into the underground unknown of the Siofra well. Blaidd was the tip of the spear, Flynn and I both trailing behind him on either side. Despite his size and bulk, I could tell that there was a nimbleness to his movements, perhaps a trait of his clearly lupine features. Bearing near him made me feel…safe. It was a different feeling from what I felt with Flynn…one that I couldn't put into words just yet, but I'm sure I could given enough time.

"Careful. I see creatures ahead. They may not be friendly." Blaidd's keen eyes locked onto something in the distance - I'd initially assumed it was simply rocks along the ruin walls, but after a slight shift in movement, I could see that no, there were more of the strange claymen that we'd encountered in Ainsel.

"They aren't…at least, others like them aren't."

"You know them?" Blaidd turned back momentarily to look at me returning to watch the ruins."

"In Ainsel, yes. They're slow, but dangerous in packs. Don't get surrounded, and you should be just fine."

"Good info." We approached the first steps into the ruins, several of the claymen already fixating on their approach. Like last time they wielded spears and bolas, clearly signs of a race designed more for hunting and fishing than one of war…though given that they were, in fact, clay, I doubted if they needed such implements.

Blaidd was the first to strike, slashing at one of them before sidestepping a lunge attack, wielding the intricate slab of metal he called a sword with ease. It was heavy enough that he wielded the implement with both hands - I suspected Flynn might have been jealous if that wasn't the case, but he fought with the same nimbleness that he walked. Hearing the sounds of a bola flying through the air he ducked just in time, the bola sailing over him before he leaped back up and spun around, slashing at the offending clayman. The mere fact that he heard that, let alone reacted to it in time…to say that he could 'hold his own' in a fight was an understatement.

Flynn and I weren't content to simply stand around and let Blaidd fight on his own - even if he believed us to be capable, it felt far better to prove it as he was. I ran up on his left while Flynn took the right, the three of us serving as a battering ram as we pushed through the ruins. I wielded my katana and rapier, slashing at anything that drew too close, and launching needles at anything that had yet to reach us. On the other side, Flynn fought with both cleaver and staff, clearly enjoying the ability to practice his newfound magic on familiar foes. He weaved both armaments together remarkably well for having just acquired them, using the cleaver more as a tool to break an enemy's guard, and then following up with his Carian blade to quickly whittle them down.

As we finished clearing out the lot of them, I looked ahead to see the bottom half of a statue in an alcove straight ahead. The bottom half was all that was left, the top cleanly sheared off some time ago. It was the statue of the bearded man we saw in Ainsel…or what was left of it, anyways. "Blaidd, you said you read some of the texts on this place. Has the mention of a cloaked, bearded figure come up?" I pointed him to the statue up ahead…it obviously wasn't the best example of my question, but it would have to do.

"Ah…unfortunately, I do not. Most of my time was spent in study of Noxian civilization, but they were a matriarchal society. I believe these ruins predate the Nox, and even they were pre-Shattering. Whatever built these ruins is ancient, and very little exists in written text about them."

"The Nox?" I fixated on that, being the first time we'd heard it. "As in, Nokron?"

"Indeed, one of the Eternal Cities of the underground. There are still more foes ahead - let us save the explanation for when we are not threatened."

As we continued up the stairs, even more claymen were poised to resist us, and yet we fought through them all the same. As we did I started to piece together just how Blaidd's version of safety differed from Flynn's. Flynn was…a battering ram. He entered the fray, he remained in the fray, and he fought either until he dropped, or until there was nothing left to fight. Blaidd was more of an…interceptor. Whenever a stray spear or bola slipped past my attention and was poised to strike me, he was there with a blade to knock it out of the way. He was still engaged in the fight, unmistakably so…but he was attentive to the whole fight, not just what affected him. Quite frankly it was impressive how he monitored and assessed the entire area of conflict at all times, remaining vigilant enough to disengage with an enemy if he recognized that either of us were about to be struck.

Soon, we broke through the pack, exiting the ruins and entering a clearing. A lone tree sat at the top of the incline, shielding the view of another damn behind it. It bore the same gothic architecture that we saw while fighting the dragon creature in the Ainsel well - only rather than being impossibly high up like in Ainsel, this looked to only be a few stories above us.

"That, good friends, is Noxian architecture. We may not be as far away as I thought."

I thought about where we were…and how vastly far away Liurnia was from here, especially northern Liurnia. "Are you sure? We saw similar architecture all the way up in Liurnia. How spread out were the Nox?"

"Hmm…Nokron wasn't their only city. There were three of the 'Eternal Cities', though only two survived to be remembered by history. The second is Nokstella, which may be what you found. I haven't spent as much time researching that city yet. Ranni's had me tasked on Nokron for some time now."

We headed up the staircase, completely unsurprised when we found another stone lift inside. The three of us stepped on, beginning our ascent. It was far shorter than I'd anticipated, opening up into a thinly wooded ravine. In the distance was the artificial night sky once again - but shielded by an archway so tall I had to crane my head back to see the peak. In the distance, I could hear the sounds of rushing water, far greater than even the dam we just passed.

As we walked forward, it was actually Flynn who picked up the conversation. "So…just how do you serve Ranni?"

"Hmm? I thought that to be obvious. I am Princess Ranni's Shadow."

"Shadow? We're…we're unfamiliar with the Lands Between. There are many things we are still learning." It was getting tiring pointing such things out…but with how rich the history was in these lands and how there just seemed to be yet another layer to the onion, it was pointing out…we were foreigners in a foreign land. Even if we'd been here for quite some time, it still felt like we were foreign.

"Ah, such is the fate of Tarnished, I suppose. Lady Ranni is an Empyrean - a demigod selected by the Two Fingers to succeed Marika. Marika is herself an Empyrean, and succeeded her predecessor. All Empyreans are assigned a Shadow - a protector, a defender, a watchful eye. We exist to ensure our Empyrean survives and succeeds."

"Is that why you fight the way you do?" I let the words hang in the air for a second, continuing. "You deflected nearly every attack that might have hit either of us. It was impressive."

"Ah, I suppose it doesn't take a keen eye to notice that. Yes, such is baked into my very core. To neglect someone under my visage would be tantamount to treason under the Two Fingers. Even if I am not a Shadow to you - it is hard to ignore one's nature."

"That's reassuring, then. I thought you were assuming we couldn't hold our own or that you didn't trust us." Flynn's sidelong glance carried something with it - an expression safely hidden behind his mask, unfortunately.

"No, good Flynn, it is little more than impulse at this point. As I said, you've both shown to be capable warriors, and now I've seen it with myself. You wield that staff with comfort. It's rare one sees a sorcerer of your nature. Many I've met in my travels are more…willowy."

Flynn chuckled. "I suppose. I'm still learning, actually…trying to wrap my head around a few things. There's a lot more to this than just casting spells."

"Ah, you must be speaking of the dialect. I often hear Ranni bemoan it from her chambers. Make no mistake, I am no sorcerer. However, I have served one for an entire lifetime. I can try to impart what little I know. One challenge I have found with many scholars if they fail to communicate to those less practiced than themselves. I must presume your teacher is quite accomplished, if you are outsiders and yet you already show such capability. Perhaps an explanation from one such as myself may help put perspective on much of what you've been taught."

I couldn't hold back a smile as the two of them were talking - I knew that Flynn questioned Ranni's goals, and perhaps still did. However, to hear him be so amicable and open with Blaidd - it brought me happiness. The fact that it was two imposing warriors from very divergent paths bonding over sorceries of all things made it just a bit funnier. Not swords, not shields…sorceries.

As we'd been walking, we finally passed under the towering archway from before. After a few more paces, we existed the ravine entirely - and what came afterwards was yet another breathtaking view.

The cavern ceiling spanned entirely overhead, creating an image of a starlit night sky that surpassed all of the others we'd seen so far - a splotch of a more pinkish color in the horizon even made it seem like a distant nebula. In front of that, however, were even more signs of whatever civilizations came before - Noxian, or perhaps even more ancient. More archways towered above us, crumbled at various points due to age. Deer roamed in packs, traveling across ankle-deep water that reflected the spectacle that sat above.

A few other things, more intricate, caught my eye. Directly ahead of us looked to be some sort of monument - I saw a sconce at the base of a marble structure about twice as tall as I was, bearing illuminated writing that I couldn't make out from this distance. To our right looked to be some sort of theater - a large stairway with eight such monuments along its length leading to a large building that stretched behind a rock wall. Finally, far in the distance - so far that some of the star-like particulates actually floated in front of it - and towering above everything else, was a pillared building. It looked well-maintained compared to everything else here, and a bright glow from somewhere within it signified that it might still be in use. The way Blaidd spoke of the Noxians made it sound like they were still active, so…perhaps that was the Nokron we were searching for?

"My, what a sight…this land truly is something else. Say, there is a grace nearby - why not give the legs a break and enjoy the scenery. I know I said that we mustn't dawdle with Ranni's request, but we've earned a short reprieve." Blaidd took a few steps forward, finding a grace tucked against the massive stone pillar of the archway and taking a seat on the ground. "Show me what you've been working on, Flynn. I'll do what I can to…demystify it."

Flynn was all too happy to come over and pull out the scrolls Sellen had given him to work on, starting to talk in a level of sorcerous jargon that I didn't quite follow. While the boys set about that, I continued to scope out our surroundings, wandering around the immediate area.

The first thing I wandered towards was the stone monument, still within earshot and line of sight of the grace. Even as I approached it, the writing was in a script that was completely foreign to me - and even if I was not a sorcerer, I could tell that it wasn't anything similar to the scripts Flynn had been looking at. The brazier at its base was filled mostly with ash, though there was the barest hint of the glow of embers within them…but so dim that the brazier clearly hadn't been lit for a very long time. I circled around it, looking at all sides only to find stone worn down by time…perhaps it was just a relic of a bygone era.

I wandered over to the theater next, still remaining within line of sight. It towered over me as I approached, the staircase looking impossibly long the closer I got to it. As I reached the front, I noticed a slumped over body resting against the first of the eight monument-like pillars. In one hand was an ink well…or at least the remains of one. The other, however, held a piece of parchment. I picked it up, unfurling it so that I could read it…a map, drawn in a nearly identical style to the one we found in Ainsel. Perhaps a research expedition had been sent down here to map out the underground? By the looks of the person's garbs they were a scholar, but clearly time had not treated them well.

I took only a brief glance at the map for now, deciding it would be best to show to Blaidd in the hope that it would line up with anything from his research. Before heading back, however, I wanted to see just what was in this theater. I began ascending the steps one by one, climbing to the top. Upon reaching the top I saw scarcely little - I was expecting a stage and seats, but instead got a wide corridor leading to an odd shape at the end I couldn't quite make out at this distance. I turned back around, realizing I was drawing pretty far away from the other two…I wouldn't be gone long.

I approached the shape at the back, drawing nearer. Soon, I made out the shape of horns. Eventually those connected to a head, and then a body. It was an elk-like creature - perhaps a deer given that we'd seen those roaming around - but it had passed on a long time ago. It had a proud and regal rack, the tips of its antlers oddly enough sprouting into flowers that still seemed to carry a hint of green to them. The deceased creature was quite tall - I had to estimate four or five times my height if it were standing, but even in its slumped position it was still quite a bit taller than me. It wasn't just bone…there was skin drawn taught all around its body, showing every bump and ridge along its spine, ribcage, and legs.

The fact that this creature was here alone made me think there was something of a reverence for it - a shrine made just for it. I peeked at the map for just a brief moment, hoping I could see just what was described here. I saw two words - 'Hallowhorn Grounds', and that alone was enough to confirm my suspicion.

As I turned back around to return to the boys, I looked up and caught sight of a magnificent structure. The arch that we'd passed through was one of several, supporting a monumentally towering structure that seemed to be a bridge at its very peak. To the left I saw a tower, its highest floors dilapidated due to time. It stretched out to the right quite a ways, vanishing into the distance.

I saw something else though, behind the bridge…buildings. I only saw a brief hint of them through the support pylons on the bridge, but they definitely bore more of the gothic architecture that Blaidd had attributed to the Nox. If that was, indeed, Nokron…we clearly weren't in the right location. The buildings were at the top of a peak far in the distance. Without the aid of a lift, there'd be no way to get up there.

Content with my brief exploration, I returned to the boys. They were still engrossed in a discussion, but it came to a stop as I returned. Blaidd spoke, looking at both of us. "Flynn, we can continue this conversation another time - I'm interested to hear more of your stories about this 'pyromancy'. Resa, did you find anything while you were scouting?"

Tales about pyromancy…they really were hitting it off. "Well, for one I found what looks to be a map of the area. Secondly…I think I've located Nokron…and if I'm right, then we're not in the right spot."

Blaidd's eyebrows furrowed as he stood up. "This is a predicament. Show me what you've found."

I led him out, Flynn following along. I headed back towards the Hallowhorn Grounds, walking up the stairs to show the view that I'd seen before. Once at the top I turned around, gesturing towards the buildings far, far in the distance. "See back there? It's around where we came in so you might have seen them from the lift…but if so, I don't see how we'd get up there."

"Hmm, yes, that does seem to be a problem. Let's look at this map you found, that may prove useful."

I opened up the map, looking at it. There was scarcely little written on it - in fact, the Hallowhorn Grounds was the only location of interest mentioned. However, the cartographer had done quite a good job mapping out the supposed layout of what sat above that peak, even detailing buildings and pathways.

Blaidd took a long look at it, a frown forming on his features. "I see…it does look like there's some sort of city up there. We should still scout along the bridge. Potentially there's something we could use to scale our way up, but I'm doubtful."

"There's also this." I pointed to an octagonal shape far to the north, as well as another one to the south where we entered. "It looks like there may be another lift on the far side here. It might be worth seeing what's up in that direction if we can't find anything else."

Blaidd gave a nod. "Indeed. Let's give it a look for now. If we don't find anything, why don't the two of you splinter off that way and see what you can find. I'll continue searching here, see if I can't find anything out."

"Looking to ditch us already?" The words came from Flynn, but I could tell that they were more tongue-in-cheek than anything else.

"Heh, hardly. Just trying to make sure we cover all our options and not leaving stones unturned. Ranni is only so patient."

My brother nodded. "Then let's start with the bridge. Looks like it spans quite a ways, so there's a lot of ground to cover."

We started our hike back towards the bridge, and I still couldn't help but marvel at how this place was teeming with life. Ainsel and the underground wasn't exactly barren…although I did wish there was a distinct lack of ants, but it all paled in comparison to what was around here. I saw crabs, octopi, warthogs, deer, and more. There were strange electrical orbs that floated around, discharging electricity at us as we drew close. It was all…fascinating. If it were above ground it would be almost commonplace, but given that it was all underground…I could only wonder how all of this life made it here, since it clearly wasn't by the lift.

Most interesting of all were the spirits - not spirits in the sense of what Rennala, Ranni, and myself were used to. They were spirits of a native tribe, a tribe that we'd briefly seen in the ruins north of the Ainsel well entrance above ground. They were very much corporeal - their arrows stung just the same and their axes collided against Flynn's shield, but when they were put down they simply vanished, as if no trace of them had ever existed.

As we continued on, I noticed something else as well - I'd originally mistaken them to be towering stalagmites, each standing hundreds of feet tall - but upon closer inspection I noticed a barklike texture that had long since calcified, made even more apparent by a clutch of vegetation that surrounded each one. "Blaidd. Did you read anything about massive…trees?" I looked around…there weren't many of these to be seen, perhaps a dozen total. But we lived in a land dominated by one, massive tree. It made me ponder if perhaps it wasn't one-of-a-kind.

"Hmm, nothing unusual, no. I noticed them as well, but nothing in my records showed them as having any significance. Why do you ask?"

"Well…I suppose it reminds me of the Erdtree, that's all. These tower over the other trees that are still living."

"You're insinuating that the Erdtree could spread its reaches to below the ground? I suppose such a thing could be possible, but there's no documented records of such a thing happening."

"I'm not insinuating anything, really. Just thinking out loud, I guess."

We'd been walking along the bridge for quite a while with no sign of any way up. As we rounded a corner though we reached a larger support beam, a large archway set into its center. I saw the glow of torches from within…it was our best lead yet. We headed inside, only to see one of the odd magic-casting plants we had originally encountered near Sellen's location, this one surrounded by many smaller plants of the same nature.

"Miranda bloom. They're far more than what they seem at first glance. Keep your guard up."

"It's not the first one we encountered…I think I learned my lesson then", Flyn said with a slight reminiscent cough. "Also…does anyone else hear that music?"

I heard it too - some sort of stringed instrument, coming from our right. Along the right wall I could see where several large bricks had been knocked in, but it was out of reach for any of us short of Flynn vaulting me into the air. "Didn't Kale have an instrument like that?"

Blaidd nodded. "Many of the nomadic merchants do, it's a staple of their people. I'm not seeing any hidden alcoves around here, so this may be a dead end. Let's see if we can't find that merchant. For the right runes, you can often buy some valuable intel."

We left the Miranda bloom, searching for a way up. Eventually, we stumbled upon what looked like a promising lead in the form of a wooden outpost-like tower. We made our way up a few ladders and across some scaffolding, eventually reaching the entrance to a small cave. The haunting music grew louder as we passed by some crates and barrels, stepping deeper inside. The cave reached an opening, dropping down into a stone room where I could see the merchant just inside.

"Oh…hello there." The merchant put the stringed instrument down, looking up at the three of us as we entered. "Looking for wares?"

Blaidd shook his head. "Information. We're searching for the entrance to Nokron. I'll pay well for whatever you've got."

To Blaidd's disdain, the merchant shook his head. "Sorry mate, never heard of it. I've got some stonesword keys if you've a need for 'em, and I scrounged some arrows from the natives. 'Fraid I don't have much else that can help you."

"Well…it was worth a try. Flynn, Resa, anything you're lacking?"

"We'll take the keys…never know when they'll be useful." I stepped forward, offering some of the runes we'd picked up in exchange for three more stonesword keys, refilling our nearly-depleted supply.

As we left, Blaidd continued speaking. "Well, back to square one then. Let's keep on down the bridge, there may be something further down. If not I can continue searching while you all look elsewhere. Try to cover more ground."

We jumped down through the hole in the wall, exiting the chamber with the Miranda bloom and back out into the open expanse of Siofra. We passed by the outpost we'd ascended earlier, crossing another monument like the one I'd seen earlier. I looked to my left, seeing a third tucked into an alcove against the rock walls. "Blaidd…do you know what these are? There's several of them, and I can't make out the text. I'd assume them to be…ceremonial in nature, but that doesn't explain why they're abandoned."

"I'm sorry I can't be of much use. Most of my research went into the study of the Nox. As far as the civilization that used to live here goes, I haven't much of a clue. The text is foreign to me as well, certainly not Noxian."

I let out a huff, walking around it, again hoping and failing to find something that pointed to what it represented. As I did, Blaidd continued pontificating out loud. "Say Flynn, you said you were a practitioner of pyromancy, right? Think you can light the brazier there, perhaps shed some light on it?"

"I, uh, well." Even more stammering came out of Flynn at the proposition…apparently he hadn't quite had time to tell Blaidd how his history with pyromancy had, well…changed. "It's…that's complicated."

"Nonsense, friend. You spoke as if you were a great warrior, wielding fire as a swordmaster does their blade. Surely this would be trivial, no?"

I was about to interject to save Flynn from the awkward conversation, but surprisingly my brother stepped forward, extending a hand towards the brazier. "It's…well, it's been a while since I've tried this, but I suppose I can."

Flynn stowed his cleaver, extending his right hand towards the brazier. I looked away, knowing what was going to follow was only disappointment…but after a couple seconds, a flicker of light caught my attention. When I looked back, the brazier was…on fire? Not only was it on fire, it was a roaring flame climbing high into the air, far brighter than what the mostly ashen embers seemed capable of producing. Flynn turned his hand around, looking at his palm. Set within it was nothing…no flame to be found, not even a spark. And yet…it had worked? "I…I don't understand, I don't - "

My brother was silenced by Blaidd clapping him on the back, nearly sending him staggering forward and into the fire he'd just created. "As I said, trivial. I'm afraid this doesn't shed any light on what these are for, if you'll pardon the pun, but the warmth is quite appreciated. I'm not a fan of the cold down here."

Flynn and I both stood in silence, not even acknowledging what Blaidd was saying. Flynn was still turning his hand over, splaying his fingers out, clenching his fist…staring at it as if it didn't belong on his body, and I couldn't blame him in the slightest. Perhaps he hadn't given all of it away to Fia? Perhaps it was still part of him somehow? I had no idea, and I didn't know how to have an idea…worst of all, Flynn was just as in the dark as I was.

"You both look like you've seen a ghost. Come on. I see a doorway in that column up ahead, it might be the answer we're looking for."

Flynn and I wordlessly followed Blaidd, coming up to the next column. Inside was naught but a grace which we activated but didn't linger on. As we continued on I glanced towards the left, seeing an end to the bridge that we'd been following up until this point. What I did see in its place, however, was towering gothic architecture. It stretched from the ground all the way to the ceiling, several thousand feet from bottom to top. Circular buildings clung to the ceiling whilst never reaching the ground and a towering structure came after them. Blaidd noticed it as well, his neck inexorably snapping towards the monolithic buildings. My…perhaps the bridge isn't our answer. Come, let's see if we can find a way in from over there."

As we approached, we came across another of the ghostly tribesmen - although this time, it wasn't hostile. It instead stood facing the building, lightly stomping one foot into the ground, then the other, and then the first. It was rhythmic, almost reverential - and when I stopped to listen, I could hear other similar footsteps echoing from elsewhere. My eyes scanned the area, seeing two more of these tribesmen doing the same actions at their own beat. A keen eye on the horizon spotted two more up on a ledge facing a different direction, but stomping their feet all the same. "I…think we may have stumbled upon a ritual site."

"Indeed…but a ritual to what? By all accounts this civilization had little interaction with the Nox, there's no reason they would worship Noxian structures." Blaidd looked around, seeing where they were all looking. A large waterfall cascaded down from across a ravine, up towards where the bridge would have connected. "Perhaps it's the waterfall that they're interested in. A culture like theirs might value things of that nature."

"Perhaps…but in any case, let's try to stay quiet and out of sight. I'd rather not disrupt anything, even if they are spirits."

"I can do my best, but I'm not exactly known for hiding well, and I imagine your brother's a bit of a stranger to the concept as well. Take the lead, and get us closer to the base of that building."

I did so, softening my footsteps as we carefully stepped forward, skirting along the eastern edge. If the tribesmen noticed us, they didn't seem to pay us any attention, still caught in their rapt adoration of whatever had drawn their eye. We made it to a small land bridge that crossed over the Siofra river itself, passing between two buttresses of the towering structure as we approached its walls. Upon a ridge to our right was a tiny, golden tree…further evidence that perhaps the Erdtree could extend its reach even this far underground. A singular seed hung from one of its boughs, and after a quick turnaround we were able to collect.

That was, unfortunately, the only thing of note over here. The base of the building was all smooth, unblemished brickwork, no hint of a doorway anywhere to be seen. We followed the rock all the way around, finding a cave hidden on the northern end that contained meager camping supplies and the corpse of a long-dead scholar, possibly another member of the supposed scouting expedition.

Blaidd folded his arms, sighing. "Well…I'm afraid it's not looking good. I think it's best we part ways, at least for now. Perhaps there's more here that we haven't found yet, but odds are slim at this point. You said you two would take the lift to the north of here?"

I nodded. From where we were we could actually see the stone platform that contained the lift. Above it was one of those circular buildings that clung to the ceiling, making it seem as if it devoured the lift shortly after leaving the ground. I could only assume most of the lifts were housed by such a building - we just hadn't been in the open air enough to see it. "It's worth a shot. Even if the Nox are underground, we can try to approximate where exactly a lift to this city would be located, assuming there is one."

"Smart thinking. If you find anything, I'll be down here. If you don't…well, I'll still be down here. There's a few other leads we can pull before things become dire, but I'd rather wait until we've exhausted all of our easier options."

"Alright. We'll come back down once we've finished scouting and report back. If we can't find you, how should we…"

"Heh. I've good senses. Give me a shout, and I'll hear you. You needn't worry about that."

"Works for me."

The three of us started walking back, once again passing by the golden tree. There was an awkward break in the conversation until Flynn finally spoke up. "Blaidd…perhaps a personal question, if you don't mind?"

The wolfman gave a nod. "I'll reserve the right to answer, but go ahead."

"You said that Ranni was selected by the Two Fingers, and that you were assigned to her…presumably by the Two Fingers as well. Right?"

I could see a tenseness in Blaidd's posture, but he nodded nonetheless. "That's correct, yes."

"But…isn't Ranni's whole goal about subverting the power of the Two Fingers? Bringing in a new age, and all?"

The thought hadn't crossed my mind yet…but perhaps with Flynn's recent strange revelation, his mind had been wandering. The question did make sense. Blaidd made it sound like he served the Two Fingers, but his Empyrean master clearly did not.

"It…it is, yes. You've yet to ask me a question beyond mere fact, Flynn."

"I'm just…that must put you in a difficult position. I just want to know where your mind's at."

"Fair enough. You both've been good company, I don't mind sharing for a bit. Ranni's posturing is troubling, to say the least. I understand her goals and aspirations. How could I not, I've watched over her for ages. But you are correct. My ultimate master, beyond Ranni, is the Two Fingers, and those two forces shall soon oppose each other I reckon. I believe she knows it as well. It's why she's sending me out, rather than her other scouts. She knows she's reaching the end of her goal, and knows that it pains me. She wants to, ah, keep me at arm's length for the time being…or at least I assume. In the end though, I cannot betray the Two Fingers. To do so would be…in opposition to my nature."

"And despite that, you still remain loyal to Ranni?"

"Until the bitter end. Shadows bond with their masters. I'm fond of Ranni - she's been good to me and I her, or so I'd like to believe. I will carry out her will until I am incapable of doing so. And after that…well, I try not to think about it."

"You'd turn on her?"

"No!" The answer came out as far more of a snarl than Blaidd anticipated, a look of surprise washing over his face for a brief moment before he composed himself. "I'd never. But I couldn't serve her either…it would betray my nature. Like I said, I try not to think about it."

"I'm sorry…I shouldn't have asked."

"No, you've done nothing wrong. It's something I'm coming to terms with. Now that I've said this though, I have a request. If you catch me slipping or losing myself for a bit, give me a good jab in the ribs. Get me back to my senses."

My heart sunk as he spoke those words. What he was talking about was something Flynn and I knew very well…hollowing. Losing one's sense of purpose, and in the end completely losing oneself entirely. We'd seen it happen time and time again in Lordran and Lothric, and the end result was never good. Some people simply went mad, and turned 'hollow', as we called them…mindless creatures that knew only violence. Some were so desperate to cling to their sense of purpose that they acted brazenly and irrationally, often to their own detriment. And yet others…well, others simply ended themselves before it could take hold. There was no beating the process of hollowing…there was only escaping it through a premature death.

Flynn's mind must have been going through a similar thought process, because I realized that the two of us had been silent for quite a while, Blaidd looking at both of us curiously. "We'll…we won't let that happen, Blaidd. We'll figure something out, I promise."

"It's my burden to bear, not yours…but if you find any ideas, I'd be a fool to turn it down. I urge you not to burden yourselves with my troubles. Between the task placed upon us by Lady Ranni and your own goals, you've enough to worry about."

My heart bled for the wolfman - there was no way to tell him what we knew, what we'd seen…there was no way to tell him why it worried us…but it did. I probably could tell too, based on our silence and the worried expression I was failing to hide. And despite that, he wanted to shoulder all of the responsibility himself…wanted to protect us from his problems.

After another long pause, he spoke up. "Well, seems I must've stirred some troubling memories, I do apologize for that. Like I said, I think it's best we part ways here while I keep searching for something down here. I'll reconvene with you shortly, yeah?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Stay safe, Blaidd. Really."

"Hah. Like I said, I'm no slouch with a blade. I haven't seen anything down here that'd give me trouble. Stay safe yourselves, friends."

We bid each other farewell…as much as I didn't want to leave him alone down here. It reminded me of a close friend of Flynn's back in our Lothric days…Greirat. A thief that feared being locked in a cell and who found purpose in going out on grand heists to slake his roguish appetite. However…each heist was more dangerous than the last, requiring more and more help to bale him out when things went wrong. I remember the last one vividly. Flynn was practically in tears, one of the few times he'd been driven to that. We never found the body, but we knew where he'd ended up…somewhere far more dangerous than he had any right to be. Blaidd found purpose in serving Ranni…but if Ranni knew that her Shadow may not remain loyal forever, I worried that she'd send him on more and more dangerous jobs. I hoped that she wasn't capable of such mistreatment…but the worry was still there.

Flynn and I left Blaidd, heading towards the stone platform to the north. If his time was limited, at the very least we could lighten the load on him as much as we could…make it such that he didn't have to do everything. Flynn and I moved in silence, quite a bit on both of our minds after the events and conversations that had recently transpired. We passed by a small pack of tribesmen armed with arrows and axes. They put up a strong resistance but we fought through them, ascending the slope towards our destination.

At the top, an imp statue sat right in front of the lift. I was thankful that we'd run across that merchant - the statue required two keys to operate, and without that merchant we wouldn't have had enough. Once I'd inserted both the light in the middle of the lift lit up with a gentle glow. I looked directly upwards, now seeing the inside of the circular building, like a maw ready to devour us…after stepping on the button, the lift began to ascend.

My mind was wracked with conflict. We'd made a great new ally in the form of Blaidd. He was friendly, capable, and it seemed like both of us got along with him quite well. At the same time, we'd found evidence of Nokron, the very reason we'd descended into Siofra in the first place. Finally, and perhaps most curiously…Flynn had shown signs of his pyromancy still lingering. You'd think that, for as short of a time as we'd been down there, I'd consider the trip a marked success. Why then…why then did all of that make me worried, rather than relieved?