Flynn

RL66 - 29 VIG - 14 MND - 28 END - 26 STR - 14 DEX - 18 INT - 9 FTH - 7 ARC

Resa

RL66 - 21 VIG - 18 MND - 12 END - 12 STR - 30 DEX - 9 INT - 34 FTH - 9 ARC

Resa

As the lift reached its peak, we found ourselves in yet another well, two doors autonomously opening up once the lift settled. I couldn't see much from the sliver of the outside world that it displayed - a rock wall with some tree roots slipping through, as well as the faint glow of a grace along the ground.

As we stepped outside, however, far more became clear. The first thing I noticed was the blood red sky, a thick blanket of crimson clouds that was far different from the Limgrave that we'd entered. Then, my eyes scanned the ground and landscape. Everything was…dead. There were no trees tied to the tree roots, and even the ground was mostly a reddish dust. It was…

"Caelid." Flynn came to the conclusion at the same time I did, looking around. "That means we went east then, right?"

I nodded. We didn't have any maps for Caelid so it was impossible to know precisely where we were, but we knew from a brief conversation with D and visit to Gurranq that Caelid stretched to the east of Limgrave. "I got fairly turned around in Siofra, but it seems like the most likely outcome. Let's take a breather…I think there's a few things to talk about."

I was wary of what was ahead of us as we walked the few paces to the grace. Up ahead I could see a collection of stone worms, each emitting a faint purple glow from their eyes. We'd seen them before in only one location…Evergaols. Given that we looked to be in some sort of ravine, I had to wonder if something was hidden down here…a brief scan didn't reveal any other way to descend to where we currently were.

Flynn and I took a seat by the grace…again, we needed to talk. First though, I splayed out all of the maps that I'd drawn thus far. Connecting them as best I could. "So…the Mistwood's here. If I had to guess, we're around…this location." I drew a dusty 'x' into the ground, approximating our current location based on what little we'd seen of Caelid. "If Nokron is between those locations, then it'd have to be…in the ocean?"

It didn't make sense but…without knowing more of Caelid, it was the conclusion I found. The Mistwood's eastern border touched the ocean, and I knew enough to know that we were a good deal to the north of that, given Limgrave's border with Caelid.

Flynn nodded. "That could explain the river if that's the case. That was magnitudes more water than what we saw in Ainsel. Still though…if it's in the ocean, we'd have to check along the coastline, right? If it was actually under the ocean, the whole place would be flooded by now."

"That would make sense, but I don't know. I do have to ask, Flynn…what turned you around on this? You seem, I dunno…invested?"

My brother let out a sigh, folding his arms across his chest. "Blaidd, if I'm being honest. He's, well…in a way, he's what I'd like to be."

"How do you mean?"

"A protector. I guess in my cause, your protector. It's - "

"Flynn." I interrupted him, promptly continuing. "You know I don't need protecting."

He nodded, taking the comment in stride. "And I'm sure Ranni doesn't either, given that she's an Empyrean. It's not about the person that's being protected, it's about the responsibility. Blaidd and I…we see eye-to-eye on a lot of things."

"That's…does enlighten me a little bit, I guess. Still, that only explains Blaidd. Why Ranni?"

"Because of Blaidd. I could tell you were thinking it too. He's…endangering himself, in a way that you and I know better than anyone. I'm…warming up to Ranni's ideals slowly. Very slowly, don't get ahead of yourself. But I care for Blaidd, and you and I know what happens if we abandon him to do all this work himself. He'll get himself killed, or worse."

I furrowed my brow, trying to understand what Flynn was getting at. "So you'd willingly support a cause you oppose just to protect someone else in that cause?"

"I know it sounds questionable when you word it that way, but…yeah, I guess I am. Just to re-emphasize, if Ranni turns out to be unsalvageable, I can only stretch myself so far. For now though, I'm in because Blaidd's in."

"Well that's…comforting to know, I suppose." After that, the conversation came to an awkward pause. I wanted to ask about Flynn's pyromancy, but didn't know how to approach it. I mulled over where I even should…let alone how.

"I know what you want to ask." I looked up, briefly lost in my thoughts. Flynn's hand was held out, palm facing upward. It was an empty palm, nothing inside it - no flame, not even a hint. "I don't know what happened but if I have even a piece of that flame within me, I can't seem to find it. Maybe the brazier was just chance or luck or one of any number of things. But I know I gave that flame away. I've felt…cold. On the inside, anyways. As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing left of that part of my past."

"Flynn…"

He shook his head, waving it off. "No. I made this choice…and even if I regret it now, it's done. No sympathy, no empathy. Just the future. If Fia's using that flame to further the undead, then we'll stop her…and close that chapter of my life."

I couldn't help but frown, but Flynn had clearly spent some time thinking about this. "Alright then…I'll let you handle it. For now though, we're in Caelid. We're in some sort of ravine…and signs of an Evergaol are nearby. We've no reason to suspect that an Evergaol will get us any closer to Nokron, but…we told Blaidd we'd scope out whatever's up here."

Flynn nodded. "So let's do it. One of us can take the plunge, but if it seems like the other is better suited, we can pivot."

We stood up, brushing the red dust off that seemed hellbent on clinging to our garb, and then headed into the ravine. As we approached, we saw even more rock collections amidst the worms, clusters of them in an untidy pyramid on the ground. Like the worms, they too bore an eye that signaled their similarities. As we approached one, it began to let out a low hum, quickly building in pitch. As it did, the purple light in its eye grew brighter and lighter until it was almost a piercing white. Each ball that comprised it began to shake and vibrate, as if it was about to…explode. As the realization dawned on me I dove backwards moments before the creature detonated. Shards went flying in all directions, but thankfully the two of us escaped with only a few scrapes.

After that, we moved much faster through the tight ravine, rushing past the worms and pyramids before anything else could explode. Once we'd passed the last of them the ravine curved to the right - and as we curved with it, we saw a brief glow of blue far ahead of us…attached to a golem.

It was one of the archer types, like what we'd encountered in the peninsula and on the bridge to the Divine Tower of Limgrave, except this one clearly seemed…augmented. Its towering greatbow gave off a blue glow, and the arrow that it drew from its quiver was alight with a magical blue flame. Flynn and I instinctively rushed towards the closest wall of the ravine, diving for cover as it launched the arrow at us. It hurtled into the rock wall, erupting into a gout of blue flame that scorched the side of the ravine. I stood, wide-eyed for a brief second.

"What do you think it's guarding?"

I looked at Flynn, shaking my head. "No idea…but we ought to find out."

"Let's do it like we did at the peninsula. I'll draw its attention, you get in close."

I looked at him quizzically, again shaking my head. "Flynn, that arrow just - "

"Resa." His voice was insistent and direct, even more than usual. "I've got this."

My mind flitted back to what he'd said earlier…I put my argument to the side. "Alright then. I'm counting on you."

No words, only a nod - and after a second arrow erupted into our protective shelter, Flynn was off. Shield raised, cleaver slung over his other shoulder, my brother charged forth with the sole purpose of drawing the golem's ire. Thankfully, something we'd learned from our repeated encounters with them was that that wasn't a challenging task to achieve. The golems were…mechanical, programmed. They didn't see threat like a sentient enemy would, which would have tried to eliminate me. It saw only targets to be eliminated, which meant that as long as Flynn stood, I was free to do as I pleased. I ran behind my brother a fair distance and strafed to his left, letting him be the tip of our two-man spear as we closed the distance. A third arrow was let loose before we could reach it, and as it hurtled towards him Flynn raised his shield up, bracing for impact. The arrow detonated against his shield with enough force to stop him in his tracks, a cloud of blue flame momentarily enveloping him…I smiled. Even if he was no longer a pyromancer, being surrounded by flame was a familiar feeling to my brother. What would put me on edge had to be comfort to him - even if that comfort did scorch him to his very core. When the smoke cleared his armor was nearly blackened, the fire leaving its mark on him in a single strike. He raised his flask as he ran, drinking a fair amount of it to recover from the blow, and then kept approaching.

We reached the golem before it could loose another arrow, once again finding rips and tears in its shins. I tore into it with blade and rapier alike, making as much use of the time that Flynn had given me. Flynn caught up not long after, leaping onto the rock the golem stood on and laying into it with his cleaver. Whereas I merely chipped and scratched the golem's legs, Flynn tore off large chunks with each swing. After what felt like only a few seconds, I felt it buckle and stagger, the left leg that Flynn had been assailing snapping under its own weight. As it tumbled to the ground, Flynn circled around to the side, maneuvering towards its head. From there, it was a rather swift and easy kill - several heavy-handed slices to its neck was enough to start separating the head from the torso, and not long after, the entire golem shut down.

As it did, I heard a noise from further down the ravine, and as I turned to identify it I noticed another golem far in the distance. I grabbed hold of Flynn, the two of us ducking behind a rock as another flaming blue arrow was let loose, narrowly missing us. Still behind cover, I looked towards Flynn. "Ready to go again?"

"Of course."

I let him take the charge once again - but I quickly realized this was a much longer distance we needed to cover than before. Two arrows were sent flying while we closed the gap, each one nearly knocking Flynn over as he charged forth. To avoid consuming too many of his resources I stayed close behind, speaking a quick prayer of healing to tend to his wounds rather than having him down more of his flask.

Once we approached the golem, we quickly encountered a problem. Heavy reinforcements had been clamped around its shins, no longer giving us the means to down it like the last one. Still, we had no option - these things were far more dangerous from afar than they were from our current position. Flynn and I set to taking it down the same as the last one, the only defense the golem could muster being a stomping of its feet. That did little to dissuade us, only serving to prolong the assault as we waited for it to stop before we resumed the attack. It took what felt like ten minutes though it must've been quicker, but soon it fell, the cumulative injuries it sustained shutting down control to one of its legs as it toppled to the ground. Much like last time, the process to permanently shut it down was quite fast once we could reach its less protected chest and head.

With the field finally falling silent I looked at where we were, spotting the Erdtree in the direction we were headed. That meant that we were on the northern edge of Caelid - and seeing sheer cliffs ahead of us, we weren't far from the coast. The next thing that stood out to me were the Divine Towers - this was the first time we'd seen all six of them at the same time, nearly affirming that they were positioned around the Erdtree. One was far off to the East, sitting remote in the water with no visible land connection. Two were to the north, likely in or near the Capital given the towering buildings that sat close by. And then Liurnia, Limgrave, and Caelid's - all neatly positioned around the tree. Gurranq's abode was situated to the east, not far from the isolated tower. From this distance I could see a structure built up on the rock cliff behind it, one that seemed somewhat significant despite the fact that I couldn't recall seeing a way to it from earlier. Perhaps something to investigate, should we ever go back.

Finally, and perhaps most notably, was a coliseum, as well as an absolutely massive jar-creature out front of it. The folded arms were the only thing that gave away that it wasn't in fact a mundane jar, but the ceramic being was nearly as tall as the coliseum that it presumably guarded, its lid nearly reaching the upper ramparts of the building. I looked at Flynn, confusion in my eyes. "I doubt we'll see any way underground all the way up here, it's in the opposite direction of the city."

"Agreed…but you can't tell me you aren't curious." When I made a face to protest, Flynn continued. "Hidden ravine with no other entrances, a strange colosseum along the coast, and a massive jar standing out in the middle of nowhere? Even if it won't get us closer to our goal…we can't let this be a total waste."

I let out a sigh. "Sometimes I wish you weren't such an instigator." I heard Flynn chuckle in response as he took a step forward. I trailed behind him, the two of us walking up a slope towards the colosseum. Twisted roots erupted out of the ground at odd angles, stretching out over the cliffside on occasion in a vain search for water. The pot creature only grew more and more absurdly large as we neared it, dominating our view by the time we came to a stop. Its massive bulk nearly managed to blot out the Erdtree, only the furthest branches of the tree managing to creep outside its scope.

I looked around. There was…nothing here. I didn't dare try to go around the jar for fear that it would turn hostile, though at the moment it continued to remain unmoving. Several seconds passed in silence…until I heard a voice in my mind. A low, rumbling voice that felt as ancient as the land we stood on, deafeningly loud and yet oddly calm. "Do you accept the challenge?"

As I turned to look at Flynn, he too looked at me…that meant that I wasn't hearing things. I deferred to him…it was Flynn that wanted to come up here, after all.

"What is the challenge?"

"Do you accept?" No pause was given, nearly cutting Flynn off.

Flynn stood for a moment, thinking…and then nodded. "I do."

"Do you accept the challenge?"

When I looked curiously at Flynn again, he simply looked straight ahead - the question wasn't directed at him this time. I, too, nodded. "I do."

"Approach the runes to begin your trial." Almost on command, two sets of runes formed on the ground. They were red in color, each appearing only a few paces in front of each of us. As I approached, a figure began to look back at me, as if like a mirror.

No…it was a mirror. The figure that looked back at me was identical to my own in the face, mimicking every movement that I made. When I looked below the face, what I saw wasn't me…and yet, it was. The simple cloth armor that I wore was gone, replaced with gleaming golden armor. Wide pauldrons and a cloak-like tasset gave it away almost immediately, if the golden color wasn't enough…the armor of Ornstein. My suspicions were further confirmed as I looked at the hands. Though the figure wielded two weapons, it was not a katana and a rapier, but rather two scythes, or rather sickles given their short length, a set of weapons once wielded by Friede. One glimmered with the clear sign of a frost coating, while the other had black flames licking up the blade. On one hip was a slight curved sword that flared out as it reached the tip - and on the other was a talisman. Both were implements from my time served as a Blade of the Darkmoon, the weapon acting as a catalyst for the miracles I'd once practiced.

Only I could know who this was - an echo of my past, from our time in Lothric. A time near the end of our journey - when we'd made a stand against Yuria and Rosaria's Fingers to decide the fate of that world. This Resa looked wiser, more sure of herself - and there was good reason for that. She'd fought gods, dragons, and demons, and emerged victorious. She'd survived…well, everything. She had the tools necessary to take on the world. In comparison, I had…a rapier we'd found in a ruin, a katana from a catacomb, and several things I'd been wearing since I'd woken up. Had I fought gods? Sure…though Godrick paled in comparison to foes like Yhorm, Midir, and Friede.

I didn't step any closer, still a pace or two away from the runes on the ground. When I looked over at Flynn, he was standing even further back, blankly looking ahead at whatever he saw. "What do you see?"

His head snapped, as if waking from a stupor. "By the look on your face, I'm guessing you already know that."

"YeahJust…making sure."

"How are these here? They…can't exist, can they?"

"I don't know, Flynn. But…I think we've already accepted this challenge. We can't back out now."

"Correct."

The rumbling voice of the jar invaded me once again. Realizing it was still here, Flynn directed his question to it - but this time, there was no response. He looked at me, shaking his head. "So what, we're supposed to fight a far better version of ourselves? That's not a challenge, it's a beatdown."

"I don't know Flynn…maybe there's more to this than we can know right now. There's no point in stalling…best to try and see what happens."

"Alright. Let's do…something." He lifted up and drained his crystalline flask before stepping forward, reminding me to do the same. After I could feel the slight buzz of energy hit my system and the protective bubble encapsulate me…I took a step forward. The mirror image of me took a step forward as well, now nearly touching noses with each other. I took another step forward…and so did she.

We passed each other - I didn't need to look behind me to feel that the other Resa's mirror presence now held a physical form. I quickly turned around, seeing my mirror do the same. She didn't mimic my movements now, instead taking a step back, quickly scanning me from head-to-toe. Sizing me up…and undoubtedly realizing that I was not nearly her equal.

To my side was Flynn - and having taken physical form, another Flynn. Despite being the same person this reflection seemed to take up far more space, partially aided by a massive set of thick black iron armor that was gifted to him by Quelaag, but also by a presence and a posture, one that indicated that he knew what he was doing. In one hand was a greatshield with a flared head and pointed base, almost like an elongated kite shield…a greatshield he'd earned through devotion to the Watchdogs of Farron. Slung over his opposing shoulder was a flaming greatsword that I'd crafted from the soul of Lorian, prince of Lothric Castle. On his back was a completely unwieldy club made of either bone or stone, claimed from an impenetrable knight in the land of dragons. I couldn't see it, but I knew it was there…a pyromancy flame.

Seeing both of our reflections like this made me realize how…personal everything was. Their armor, their weapons, it all carried meaning - a powerful foe they'd slain, a gift from a trusted ally, a reward for servitude. Nothing was there simply for the sake of it, much unlike everything we carried. Perhaps that was a factor in the confidence they showed - their entire arsenal proved their victories and their connections. It was never in question.

I looked over at my brother - my real brother. He was sizing up his alter self as if staring up at a giant, and then shaking his head. "Alright…someone has to get this started." He raised his cleaver and swung at his alter form, only to be immediately and thoroughly stopped by an interposing greatshield. The retaliation came as the greatsword was brought down upon him, my brother raising his own shield to defend. He did what he could - and while the blade didn't reach his armor, it was clear that the weapon's searing heat could not be stopped by simple metal. The two Flynns retracted their weapons, squaring off with one another

My eyes flicked back to my alter self, giving a slight nod. I raised my blades up as she did hers - and thus, our fight began. Rather than the sluggish but resounding combat Flynn partook in, this felt more like a dance - nimble, agile, and artful. My weapons had the reach that hers did not, and yet I found myself receiving scratch after scratch as my alter form got the better of me. She was just…better.

And yet, I had to be better than her, if I wanted to survive. I had one edge over her - I knew everything she was capable of. I had been her once. Nothing she did could surprise me. Even as she managed to cut and scratch me I knew exactly what she was doing - when she vanished after tucking into a roll, I knew precisely where she'd strike from. When she reared back with one scythe, I knew where the other was going. That only served to heat my blood even more…despite knowing everything about my opponent…she was still my better.

I switched it up, a defensive slash to back up as I stowed my rapier and withdrew my seal. As I did, she too sheathed her scythes and fetched her talisman and blade. I electrified my armament, letting the crackling power of dragons flow through the weapon. She too gifted her blade with the strength of the Darkmoon, a blackish-purple hue overcoming the weapon. She continued on, casting another miracle that shone as golden-bright as her armor - the sacred oath of the Warriors of Sunlight. Part of me wanted to rush her, to punish her for casting a miracle right in front of me…but far, far more of me missed seeing that radiance, that golden light…even if it would be my downfall, seeing that hope and warmth one last time was worth it.

Our next bout was more fierce, more focused, steel clashing against steel at an eye-blurring pace. Miracles and incantations were thrown into the mix, but it was here that I had an edge. I knew all of her tricks - the lightning spears, the life-stealing scythe…all of it was something I'd seen before, and I knew its reach and limitations. The first time I laid down a field of iced-lightning, however, my alter self panicked. When they struck down, I pounced. The surprise lasted for but a moment as she quickly recovered, but in that time I got two solid strikes in, each one puncturing her gleaming armor and sending the lightning-imbued blade into her flesh. As soon as the advantage was over I withdrew, raising my weapon.

As we squared off, it was the first time that I felt a shred of recognition from her…as if I'd finally done something worthy of respect. My eyes flitted over to Flynn - he was wielding his halberd now while his alter self wielded the club, Flynn's blade glowing blue with magic. It was a grueling duel with both weapons controlling the wielder rather than the other way around, resulting in each strike crashing into the other's armor. My Flynn was receiving the far worse end of the trade - lighter weapons, lighter armor…he was looking bad. I cast an incantation to heal him, restoring my Flynn nearly to peak condition. My alter self remained notably still during this time…it felt odd, but I didn't know why.

"Flynn, you have to fight with your sorceries…be unexpected."

He shook his head. "Resa, it's no use. I can't get past his guard. I'm…dammit I'm barely holding my own." The point was made as the alter Flynn raised his club up, my Flynn holding his halberd horizontally to brace for impact. Even then, the sheer weight and force of the club nearly pushed Flynn in the dirt, his arms buckling as the impact rocked him. He was having a worse time than I was…only an impressive amount of skill could overcome that great a disparity in equipment.

A thought flitted through my mind…perhaps a solution to the puzzle that we'd both found ourselves in. "Think you can get past my guard?"

"I…what?"

"Good. Switch." I punctuated the statement by hurling a lighting bolt at the alter Flynn, weaving the trajectory around his guard. As the alter Resa tried to slash at me I leaped backwards, redirecting my energy towards Flynn. I ducked as a he pulled back the club, extending his hand as an orb of fire the size of an apple appeared in his palm…so the pyromancy flame was real after all.

I didn't have much experience fighting Flynn for obvious reasons…but I still knew his fighting style better than anyone but him. When that orb swelled into a crimson fireball I quickly leaped into the air, vaulting over its trajectory as it erupted, leaving a pool of lava on the ground. I landed just a moment later, nimbly positioning myself to safety as the alter Flynn quickly dropped his club, realizing there was no chance he'd be able to catch me with it. Even then, he was slow with the greatsword…but that greatshield meant I'd have to be at the top of my game to maneuver around it.

Out of the corner of my eye, Flynn squared off with the alter Resa, swapping to wield his cleaver and staff in tandem. I nodded with a smile…trying to beat me in speed was never a winning option for Flynn, but attacking with a tandem of steel and magic would put me, and her, on the back foot.

I didn't have time to watch what he was up to, however…I had this Flynn to deal with. The greatsword came down in a wide arc as I lunged forward, contorting around to thrust my katana forward. The strike didn't carry enough weight behind it, merely clinking off of the thick armor…but I could fix that. I sheathed the weapon and swapped to my rapier, swapping my seal out for the dagger. In a flash I darted forward, going from Flynn's left flank to behind his right side, briefly disorienting him enough that when I lunged forward with the rapier, I broke through. I felt the cool metal slide past his armor, sinking nearly a foot into his flesh before I had to retract it and go again. I launched a needle at him as he spun around to face me, the ice zeroing in on the pinprick of a hole that I'd left to deliver a parting gift.

This dance - clumsy on one side, elegant on the other - continued. I avoided as much as I could, blinking through space to dodge his attacks and retaliating with my own, slowly whittling away at his defenses. I couldn't avoid everything though…and what I couldn't avoid hurt. Several times the alter Flynn got the better of me and caught me with his greatsword, packing enough power behind it to send me flying and coming to a stop in the dirt. I managed to get back to my feet before he could continue to assault me, and eventually we reached a steady state.

However, this was taking…forever. I might defeat this Flynn eventually, but it would be nightfall. I started getting crafty - throwing lightning bolts towards the alter Flynn with the intention to actually hit the alter Resa that was within the line of fire, or laying down ice lightning that would catch the both of them. My Flynn picked up on this as well, starting to cast the occasional sorcery that would miss Resa, only to hit his alter self.

The coordination and teamwork started to pay off…and I was actually surprised that our alter selves weren't mirroring it. Teamwork was what we did. It was what made us…us. From vaulting off of Flynn's shield to healing him when he's in a bind, we played off of each other in practiced fashion. I recalled back to when I healed Flynn, but my alter self didn't…perhaps this was meant to be a lesson as much as it was a test. To prove that our strength didn't lie in our weapons or our armor…but in each other.

I doubled down on that, finding more ways we could play off of the other's actions. Flynn would rear up for a Carian greatsword and I'd circle around the alter Flynn, pulling him to stand within the line of attack. I'd summon a swathe of ice lightning as Flynn kept up the pressure on my alter self, forcing her to either be struck by lightning or risk receiving a cleaver across the chest. It was working…it felt like the tide was starting to shift in our favor. I was mystified that the alter Flynn was still standing - I knew from experience that my ability to heal him was what made the difference in these longer fights…that fact that he'd received none, and still stood with only the slightest bit of fatigue…it was concerning.

"Flynn!" I called out, dodging to the side as his alter self swept the greatsword at me, the heat of the flames grazing my cheek. I blinked forward directly into his personal space, lunging upwards with my katana towards his neck. The strike did little and I was forced to back off…but I was wearing the armor down.

"Have an idea?" My brother raised his cleaver to block a flaming scythe, conjuring his carian blade to strike at Resa as she sunk her frozen scythe into him. Scythes, unfortunately, only swung one way…his blade did not. He brought it back across, slicing her midsection before powering through with the cleaver only for her to narrowly roll out of the way in a puff of smoke.

"Can I have a boost?"

"Always."

Our tried and true, our unfailing strategy - time to see if it was enough to beat, well, us. I took a step to the side, backing off from the alter Flynn as I moved towards my own, quickening my pace as a blast of fire was lobbed in my direction. When I took a quick glance behind me Flynn had already stowed his staff in favor of his shield, preparing for my approach. I didn't want to waste any more time as my alter form bore down on him. I turned tail, building speed as I took three bounding steps in his direction, and then jumped towards him with both feet forward. I planted myself firmly on the shield, my entire body coiling like a spring as he absorbed the entirety of my weight, redirecting that to send me hurtling into the air.

The wind through my hair like this…it never felt old, but as much as I wanted to savor it, I had a job to do. Neither of them were a threat to me like this and so I took the time to send two lightning spears at my alter self, forcing her to dance around the aerial strikes and giving Flynn the distraction he needed to cudgel her across the face.

As I descended, my eyes zeroed in on the alter Flynn. His armor had one notable weak point…around his neck, there was only breathable fabric. Usually, that wasn't a problem, as it was easy to guard - but from up here, I could see the thinnest crescent moon of that fabric along the back of his head from my aerial position. I sheathed my katana, drawing my rapier…if I was to make an attempt at that, I needed the precision of a fencer's weapon. That crescent moon started growing larger as I hurtled towards him, the blade extending before me. I adjusted and re-adjusted within milliseconds of each other, going for the perfect strike. To my horror though, the alter Flynn was starting to raise his shield up to defend…but at the last possible moment, three beads of blue zeroed in on him, Flynn's glintstone stars providing just that brief amount of distraction to lower the shield.

My descent reached its end with a flurry of activity. First - my rapier. I guided it to its destination as it slipped through the garb on the back of the alter Flynn's neck. A moment later and it was sunk into the hilt.

Second - my legs. I'd spent so much time pinpointing my attack that I didn't have enough time to brace for the landing. My feet slammed into the ground as I was wracked from bottom to top, the reverberation nearly dropping me to the ground.

Third - my ribs. The alter Flynn had ample time to prepare for this strike - and even if my Flynn's last second distraction let it hit, it was not without recompense. I felt his greatsword plunge directly into my midsection, boring a hole through me that sucked the wind out of my lungs and made my life flash before my eyes.

Fourth and finally - my Flynn. As my strike landed, a Carian greatsword was being readied. It came crashing down as the sequence was coming to its finale. The magical blade struck the alter Flynn in the helmet - but then kept going. Helm, torso, groin, and finally legs…by the time the mighty blow was finished, our opponent was…bisected. Both halves fell to the ground for but a moment before they were whisked away, leaving naught but my rapier which clattered to the ground.

I was hanging onto life by a mere thread, the wound left by Lorian's greatsword still flickering with embers. I weakly held my seal up to the sky, speaking a few words to yeah my wounds, my other hand too limp to try and fumble for my flask. As the healing took effect my sputtering breaths were replaced with a fresh intake of air, giving me the words I needed to repeat the prayer. As the second surge of vigor hit me I finally felt like I could move my limbs again, as well as take in my surroundings…and when I did, I saw Flynn.

He was standing atop me, back facing me as he held off my alter self. His stave was temporarily holding both scythes back, but she quickly swung one blade around, catching him from below where he couldn't guard. I sprung to my feet, rushing in on her side…it was time to finish this challenge. Together.

The alter Resa spun to strike at me, but I deflected with my rapier. Flynn came in with a Carian slice to the side, and then another, forcing her on the back foot. She swung around, one scythe at me, one at Flynn. I caught the one directed at me with my rapier but Flynn…he wasn't so lucky. The scythe slipped through a segment in his armor, black flame plunging straight into his chest with a sickening thump. I could see his body tense up from the pain, struggling to stay standing.

I fought back with a flurry of attacks. I hurled a lightning spear at nearly point-blank range, catching her in the stomach. My rapier followed next, a deep lunge that struck her again in the midsection, a quick retreat ensuring that I wasn't punished for the extension. My final departure was another field of lightning just in front of Flynn, ensuring that she didn't dare try to approach him in an attempt to finish him off - not before I could save him. With the defense laid I sent a prayer of healing in his direction, mending the wound and bringing him back into the fight.

From there…time to close in for the kill. Rapier, katana, cleaver, and slicer all worked in tandem to bring about the alter Resa's end. Wherever she tried to swing, steel was waiting to absorb the impact, mine more often than Flynn's - which gave my brother the room he needed to bring heavy strikes down upon her. It wasn't exactly clear which attack was the one that did her in, the frenetic pace of the combat only showing that it had ended until several more seconds had passed. When it did, the alter Resa too faded away, leaving only the real versions of ourselves left.

I gave a long glance over at Flynn - his shoulders were heaving, and despite the thick metal armor I swore I could see it rising and falling as he steadied his breathing. I was just as bad - from the moment I was launched into the air it was nonstop adrenaline, and now that the fight was over I was coming down from that high. As I did, the aches and pains that had built up from the innumerable cuts I received made themselves known, my entire body stinging against the hot air.

"Victorious." the resounding words of the jar rang in our head once more, signaling the official end. The two of us turned to look up at it, its form still unmoving - and yet a previous judgemental air that was present before was notably missing. Had we earned its respect? I wasn't sure that was the right term. Perhaps just…recognition.

"A reward is earned."

I saw a slight shimmer around my brother's neck, my head snapping to look at it. "Flynn, your talisman." My brother looked down, seeing the talisman that Nepheli had given him back in Stormveil sparking, as if lightning was coursing through the stone trinket. Slowly, it began shifting, growing, expanding - and as it did, I watched as a burden was lifted off of Flynn's shoulders. Nepheli had said that the talisman was meant to let the bearer carry even the heaviest of armaments - I could only assume that it was becoming even better at that task.

By the time it had finished, the talisman bore a symbol that immortalized our trial here. The previous gallery of weapons were now encased within a stone pot, its form cracked and yet still held tightly together. Much like us - cracked, battered, and bruised, and yet with unshakeable resolve.

Flynn and I stood there for a few more seconds, waiting to see if the jar had any more words for us, but it remained silent. I looked towards my brother, nodding - nothing left to do here. The jar barred access to the colosseum, but it seemed the real fight was meant to be just outside. We turned around to leave, our inspection done.

The walk back started quiet, the two of us nursing our aches and pains. Flasks were drunk to ease the pain, but the stiffness - that would only wear off with time. Eventually though, the silence grew too much. I clapped Flynn on the shoulder, the two of us walking side-by-side back to the grace. "We make a great team, don't we."

"We always have…I couldn't have done that, or most anything we do, without you."

"Well, at least this time…I think that was the point. I first suspected when the other Resa didn't heal the other Flynn, when given the chance. But as time went on, I noticed that they seemed oblivious to each other's existences. They may have been individually stronger…but they weren't working together."

Flynn gave a slight chuckle. "Well, then they're bad reflections of us. I guess we can take it as a reminder - always stick together."

I smiled. "Always stick together…I think I can do that."

Back down to the underground next, but only for a short while. The twins have got their first taste of Caelid - but they're far from finished.

How did the fire light in the last chapter? I prefer to leave that question unanswered. When playing the game, there's no explanation as to how the Tarnished manages to light the torches. It simply happens - no questions asked. Making Flynn question the seemingly simple action is the entire point for why it happened.