Flynn

RL80 - 30 VIG - 14 MND - 30 END - 34 STR - 14 DEX - 21 INT - 9 FTH - 7 ARC

Resa

RL80 - 27 VIG - 21 MND - 12 END - 12 STR - 33 DEX - 9 INT - 36 FTH - 9 ARC

Resa

"Alright you two…ready to go?" Blaidd stood up from our short reprieve, grabbing his blade from the nearby rock wall where it had been resting. "We should get going."

"Yeah, let's get back to it." Flynn stood up next, offering me a hand as we both got to our feet. Nokron awaited…the treasure of the hidden city was within our grasp.

"Alright then - I'll take point." Blaidd's statement was punctuated by a crouch, his lupine body coiling up before unloading in a bounding leap. He followed a graceful arc before landing on the shingles of the rooftops below, looking around. "Careful - one wrong step and it's a long way down."

I looked at Flynn - now that Blaidd was hot on the trail, we had no real option but to simply follow in his tracks. The two of us followed after him, my soft landing followed by the shattering of shingles upon Flynn's arrival. We set off, following Blaidd across the rooftops. The path was narrow at best and perilous at worst, forcing us to leap from building to building and land on ledges that barely supported us. We turned another corner, having to leap onto the roof of a small parapet before landing on what seemed to be solid ground - and though our footing was sure, all was not well.

Ahead of us was a tear, Blaidd already approaching it while we kept up. This was the first we'd seen since the one that mimicked us, and after it too formed a cloud of smoke I drew my weapons, prepared for a fight. What came at us though wasn't one of us…but neither was it the tear we'd just seen.

It was a person with a female figure, hair tied back and wielding a heavy mace in both hands. She wore nothing but rags across her chest and waist, but what struck me was the odd dull gray coloration of her skin, far from a natural color. It looked as if she was stone turned to live - and based on the gargoyles we'd routinely come across, I was willing to consider that a possibility.

The tear charged forward, a reckless swing towards Blaidd that the wolfman easily deflected by batting it to the side. He followed up with a swift sidestep and a chop at her back, a deep gash that left her tumbling forward. I was there to follow up, a slash across her chest followed by a rapier needle to her leg as I got out of the way. She eventually righted herself and came charging in for another attack, but at that point it was all but over. The tear showed no sign of tactic - or even an understanding of how to fight. All it knew was reckless abandon, but it lacked the strength or agility to deliver on it. Blaidd's blade delivered the final blow as it slumped to the floor, fading into a cloud of smoke.

"How perplexing. I'd thought we'd meet another mirror of ourselves again, but that was far…less."

"I have a theory." I looked at where the tear had just been, thinking back to what we saw. "Blaidd, you said you'd read about the tears when you studied this place, but not about any shapeshifting properties, right?"

"That's correct. Why do you ask?"

"Well…what if whatever's creating these is…evolving? Adapting? It would explain why the one that could mimic us was far and ahead of what we just saw. As if this here was - "

"A prototype." Flynn finished the sentence, following my train of thought. "Which means we could expect things better…or worse."

"An interesting theory Flynn, but then why have such a refined creation out front, and no teeth behind it? If this place is intentionally being guarded, a good commander knows to save their strong troops for last."

My brother looked to Blaidd. "That could still be the case. I can't envision anything stronger than a creation that mimics the invader…but up until a short while ago, I wouldn't have even envisioned that."

"Hmm." That put Blaidd into a quiet thought, mulling it over for a few seconds. "Then as you said, best be cautious. If there are even greater threats awaiting us, we'd best not exert ourselves too much. Save your resources as much as you can afford."

I nodded. "We can do that. Let's keep going, Blaidd."

The wandering path took us around another bend, and out into the open once more. A short drop took us to what might have been a crossbeam in the past, but it had eroded substantially over time. On a long pathway far below us were tears - nearly a dozen in total. These might have been the 'strong troops' Blaidd mentioned - and due to the path that we had to take, every single one of them knew we were here now.

To our left, near the end of the pathway below, was another one of the towering skeletal figures, sitting on a stone and donning white robes. I recalled the one we saw when we'd fought the strange lightning dragon - how it contained an extremely potent glovewort at its base. I could see an opening at the bottom of this one too…the wheels started turning in my head. "Blaidd, do you think…"

"Without a doubt. That's our destination - what we're looking for is beneath that throne. I don't have any evidence of that, but…my heart tells me that it is true."

We kept going, reaching the other side of the crossbeam and entering into another building. A steep drop awaited us, ensuring that there was no turning around - a problem I was sure none of us had an issue with.

A small staircase led up to a rather barren landing, the only objects on an otherwise smooth stone floor being some sort of altar as well as a Noxian statue of a robed figure on either side. A slumped over figure was resting against it, a sorcerer with something clutched in its hands. Blaidd was already moving forward, spotting the item and lifting it up.

"Heh - I'm not sure what to make of this, other than it seems rather fitting." Blaidd spun around, turning to face not me but Flynn as he extended a hand towards my brother. "Another whetblade. It looks rather…simple, but I can feel a latent power deep within. You might have to experiment to know just what it's capable of."

Flynn took the item carefully, grasping yet another small whetblade - the fifth one we'd come across, and not long after the burning one that we'd acquired while in Redmance Castle. Like Blaidd said, this one looked to be made of a rather simple black metal, similar runes etched into it like all of the others. However, that was it - no thrumming pulse of magic nor heat of fire. It simply…was.

"It's good to keep options available - though at this point, there may be more options than there are blades to use them on. Once I'm back with my regular gear I might experiment for a bit, but for now we'll keep it stashed away. Good eye, Blaidd."

"My service as Lady Ranni's shadow has made many of my senses keen. It is nice for a chance to use them not to spot danger, but riches…though I presume their original purpose will have its time soon. Let us keep going for now - Nokron awaits."

I scanned the balcony we were on, looking out on what was below. Several more Noxian warriors stood in a small, ballroom-like chamber, all staring at something in the center of it - an orb. The orb was large, likely twice as tall as the people around it…and yet it looked so out of place. It was sitting in the middle of a raised dais - except not really. A little bit too far right, a little bit too far forward - for something that large, that, well…fixed…why wasn't it even centered. "Something feels off down there…if there's another route down, we should find it."

"Let's go this way then, see if it takes us around." Flynn pointed towards a corridor on the other side of the balcony, one that would take us in the opposite direction of the orb. The three of us moved towards it, only to find a familiar, foggy gate at the end and an imp statue right next to it.

"Perhaps not another path…but anything hidden by stonesword keys is surely worth uncovering." Blaidd took a step forward, trying to peer through the fog on the other side. "I can't say what we'll find, but any chance either of you has one to spare?"

Flynn nodded, rummaging through his things. "A few, yes…actually, more than I thought we had." We'd come across many other merchants like Kale in our travels, and one thing we'd found is that many of them had one or two stonesword keys available - not cheaply, but affordable enough that we'd purchase one when we could. By now, that had led to a bit of stockpile…but given how constrained we were earlier on, it still felt like snagging every one we could find was the right option.

"Well then…let's see what's waiting behind it." Blaidd stepped to the side to let Flynn insert the key into the head of the imp statue, joining another key placed in the one above it. As he did, the fog vanished - and behind it stood a single Noxian warrior amidst a small room of large containers - chests, or perhaps sarcophagi?

Dispatching the Noxian was easy enough - this one had even less room to maneuver than the previous one, and it had been trained in a similar fighting style that we still remembered how to exploit. With it soon falling, the room was ours. There were six large chests in the room that looked like they could each fit a person, as well as a smaller one at the base of another statue, a statue surrounded by more of the wailing stone aliens. While Flynn and Blaidd moved to take the lids off the large ones, I moved towards the smaller one in the center.

I lifted the lid…inside wasn't much, but I recognized it immediately. A small urn, one that I knew was filled with the ashes of a long-lost warrior. When I picked up the urn though I questioned that - it was light, lighter than the rest to the point that I was worried that it was empty. I opened the lid, just to double check - and what I saw inside left my interest piqued. A lone droplet of silvery liquid sat at the bottom, glinting and shimmering amidst the flicking lights of the room. I closed the lid, turning around.

"I think this is what we're looking for…a spirit ash. Well…a spirit tear, if I had to guess, based on what's inside."

Flynn looked at it, quizzically. "I had assumed these were the…I dunno, souls of fallen warriors or something. But if we're assuming these tears are created by something, how can that be?"

Blaidd shrugged. "For all we know, what your sister's holding was created as well - created by a very skilled and cunning individual, but I'm sure such a person could exist. Resa, do you think you could call forth this being, should the need arise?"

I nodded. "Depending on the spirit it can take a substantial amount of my reserves, but I only have to do it once. Assuming this works like all of the others…it should be doable."

Blaidd nodded. "Good. Then let us wait until it is necessary. Use Nokron's tools against itself. A fitting way to end our time here. Now come - back to the main chamber."

We headed back, now only one way forward - down. As usual Blaidd was the leader of our band, foregoing the ladder as he simply launched himself to the lower level, lupine reflexes muffling his landing.

"Resa…you're gonna have to get him to slow down, or I'm never going to keep up." Flynn sighed as he grasped the handholds of the ladder, starting his way down to the bottom.

"Well…see you at the bottom." I took Blaidd's approach, leaping from the balcony as the wind rushed through my hair for a brief second, landing with a faint ruffle of cloth. The two Noxian warriors down here had already honed in on Blaidd, lashing out with their whip-like blades towards our ally. I closed in behind one carefully, hoping to catch it unawares - "

"Resa, behind you!"

Behind me? Nothing had been there - I whipped around, just in time to see the towering metal orb rampaging towards me, far too late for me to try to avoid it. It slammed into me and then kept going, rolling forward until it careened into a wall and came to a stop. I heard a crash, looking over to see Flynn slamming down onto the ground. My vision flicked back to the sphere, watching as it recovered from its impact and slowly begin to move in my direction once more.

"I've got this." Flynn rushed up, stone sword dragging on the ground behind him as he charged past me, staring the orb head on. One final step saw him plant his foot firmly into the ground, his entire body torquing on that one point as he swung his sword forward and slammed it into the approaching sphere. It careened wildly off-course, Flynn's imposing strength somehow launching the orb into the air momentarily before it crashed into a nearby wall. My brother looked back at me, giving a slight nod. "Help Blaidd. I'll keep this busy." I nodded in understanding, strafing to the side as Flynn charged towards the orb once more, batting it around with his blade as if it was a toy to be played with.

I made it to Blaidd, drinking from my flask to mend the wounds caused by the rampaging sphere, and then set to work. Gone was the element of surprise I had hoped to have - instead, I opted for my usual tricks. I came to the other side of both Noxian warriors, Blaidd and I flanking the both of them as I closed in. Katana in one hand and rapier in the other, I ducked low to swipe at one's legs, avoiding a lash from their blade in the same maneuver. A quick slash and I was out, retreating with a needle while Blaidd closed in while it was distracted, landing a solid strike with his blade that sent the Noxian reeling. I closed in, seizing the opportunity to plunge my katana directly into its chest. I felt a surge of vigor flow through me as I did, the crimson dagger I'd picked up so long ago mending my wounds.

With one down, the second came easily enough, Blaidd and I collectively outmaneuvering it until we were able to close in for a clean kill. After we'd done so, I heard a crash from the other side of the room as Flynn slammed his blade into the orb one final time. Rather than sending it rolling away, this time it cracked and shattered, falling to the ground in what I thought would be lifeless iron - but instead, the metallic surface destabilized into a familiar silvery ooze, and then faded into mist.

"So next time when we're walking into what's clearly a trap, maybe I take the lead?" Flynn sheathed his weapon, regrouping with the two of us.

"Flynn, that's not - "

Blaidd cut me off, placing a hand in front of me. "No, your brother's right…I need to put my anticipation in check before it causes another mistake like that. We're nearing the end of our journey - there's no time for being unnecessarily careless."

Upon hearing those words, my brother let out a sigh of relief. "It's - nevermind, we can talk about it later. I'm not looking to slow us down, just for us all to be around at the end of this."

"Well in any case, we can have you take point from here on out. It looks like the exit to this building is just through that doorway, let's see what's beyond it."

Flynn nodded, striding forward as the three of us exited the now-vacant room. Outside, we found ourselves staring at the bridge we'd rode in on, as well as the arena we'd fought the tear at. A stairway led down to our right, leading to a grace at the base of it, as well as to the main pathway that we'd seen prior. Flynn walked over and set the grace alight, giving us a brief bit of respite for what was to come. For the most part, we didn't need the rest - we'd only encountered a handful of enemies since entering Nokron, and the sight of the towering throne and skeletal figure upon it showed that we weren't far away. All that stood in our way was a pathway filled with tears - nearly a dozen by the looks of things.

We set out, marching towards the throne. Two tears seemed to shift in reaction to our movements, and then a third. As Flynn began to approach them, two faded into a cloud of smoke - the third remained, acting similarly to the first ones we'd encountered and forming a needle to launch at us. The first two, however, turned into people - gray-skinned, emotionless people. One bore a spear and shield while the other had a mace. From behind them, I could see more tears shifting our way - if we didn't do something, we were going to be overrun.

"Resa, time to fight fire with fire." Blaidd held up his blade, leveling it at the shield-bearer. I nodded…incantations could be used to cull the approaching swarm, but another ally would as well.

I took out the bell, held the newly acquired urn in my other hand, and gave it a ring. Instantly pain lanced through my spine, a searing pain that made my vision flash white and my knees buckle. I gasped, stumbling forward until I happened to find Flynn's shoulder. Gritting my teeth I stook back up, shaking my head. Whatever had just happened didn't feel right - the the bell had nearly killed me.

"Resa, are you alright?" It was Flynn's.

"I…don't know. This ash isn't…like the others." I stood up, finally regaining enough of my composure to do so. I reached for my flask, my hands still shaky from the past few seconds, and clumsily brought it to my lips to ease the pain. At the same time, I looked around for what, if anything, I'd brought forth.

To my left was another tear - one that I knew hadn't been there but a few seconds ago. In many aspects, it looked the same as the others that were approaching us - silver, glistening, and the like. However, the faintest shimmer of ghostly blue danced across it, hinting at its true nature. As soon as I noticed that, the tear vanished into a cloud of smoke…but only momentarily. A second later, and it started to rise up again - as myself. Features knit themselves together across a ghastly blue replica of myself. It bore my rapier in one hand and my seal in the other, holding both of them in a mechanical, lifeless fashion.

It was as I'd surmised…it was like the mimic that we'd fought earlier, except now it was our ally. Once it was fully formed, it began to move forward in the same sort of mechanical fashion as all the others. It held up its hand, forming a bolt of lightning in its hand that it launched towards one of the approaching tears, the electricity arcing forward and causing it to explode. In the very next instant it engaged with the mace-wielder, deflecting a blow with its rapier and following up with a lunging strike.

"Alright, let's not waste this opportunity. Push forward!" Blaidd punctuated the words by slamming his blade down, wedging it into the greatshield he was staring down before ripping his blade free. He kicked forward, trying to knock them off balance and force an advantage, but they stood resolute in the wake of his strikes before stabbing back with their spear.

Flynn led the group, raising his blade up before sending a purple fissure forward. Both of the humanoid tears were knocked to the side while several behind them were scattered as well - but more were coming. Flynn raised his blade up again before slamming it into the ground, gaining more and more mastery of the blade as the sheer impact saw spikes erupt from the ground around him.

And then, me - or rather, us. While Flynn and Blaidd were busy charging forward, the spirit and I came in on opposing flanks, throwing out lightning to quell the masses and striking out at anything that got too close. Progress was slow, but consistent - with the collective incantations of the two of us, the lesser tears were dispatched before they could ever pose a serious threat. All that left were the several humanoid tears, and of the first two the shieldbearer was finally being overrun by Blaidd, and Flynn just landed a thundering strike against the mace-wielder. The only one that remained was a sword-wielder, and I quickly closed in to engage it.

The tear raised its sword high, operating in the mechanical, somewhat-unskilled manner that many of the rest of them had. I rolled to its exposed left side, popping back up to thrust my rapier forward before retreating. I stowed my seal, withdrawing my katana in its stead to make a slash at its left knee as I closed the distance once more. It was slow and unsteady - both things that two lifetimes of fighting to survive made me good at exploiting. Slash, roll, stab, stab, slash, retreat - I saw the tear's moves almost before it did, the tear's fairly rudimentary understanding of combat giving it very telegraphed attacks. After a particularly reckless swing I caught its blade between both of mine, and after a quick flick of my wrist sent its blade clattering to the nearby stone floor. I took a step forward, thrusting my rapier into its chest as I dealt the killing blow.

I rejoined with the others, wiping the glimmering ooze off my blade where I expected to find blood. Things were still feeling easy - and that only served to make me more nervous. We still weren't in the clear, however - I could see several more tears at the top of a short staircase just ahead of us. Flynn pressed forward with the other three of us behind him, the spirit somehow knowing to fall in line behind him as we made our advance.

At the top were three more tears - and as soon as we set foot on the upper landing, the central one lifted up before erupting into a cloud of smoke, much as we'd seen before…

No…this was different. The cloud billowed outwards with enough force that I had to balance myself, holding a hand up to shield my eyes from the dust. When I looked back, the tear was large - no, massive…and only growing bigger. Three, four…maybe five times larger from end-to-end, it reached into the sky as its transformed form began to take shape. A large, blocky body formed as thick legs and oversized arms extended downwards. A face formed, a lion's mane of stick-like hair that sat three stories tall. Its chest hollowed out, revealing a twisted mass of innards where a spine should be, and vast emptiness where there ought to be innards. It was a familiar sight, but one we hadn't seen in quite some time - a troll. A long blade began extending from its right arm while its body was still forming, eventually coalescing as a gleaming golden blade that dwarfed anything Flynn had ever swung. As the figure finished its creation, its body turned to the color of the trolls we'd seen - not the lifeless gray that the other tears had retained. A bellowing roar pierced Nokron as the giant gripped its blade and slammed it into the ground, stone and dirt sent flying from the impact.

"Spread out, and be wary of the other two - this is certainly a surprise." Blaidd swooped to the right, evading the blade and making for its legs. I splintered off the other way, leaving Flynn and the spirit to engage from the front. Flynn pressed forwards, the three of us engaging in a pincer maneuver while the spirit raised its seal into the air, forming a lightning bolt that it hurled at the troll.

We'd fought trolls before - and yet, this one seemed more threatening than the real things. When its blade struck the ground a reverberation shook the ground, upsetting my tempo and forcing me on the back foot. Every slash that I made was met with skin as tough as iron, blows nearly bouncing off of it as I did what I could. The brash, primal recklessness that the other tears had exhibited were a detriment to them - but for the troll, it was quite the opposite. Its strikes were even more unpredictable and were delivered with even more force, meaning that nowhere was safe - and a single strike was enough to send you reeling.

Flynn was the first to get hit - after just striking at the troll it retaliated, slamming its foot down to unsettle my brother before bringing its blade down on top of him. The force was enough to knock Flynn to the ground, a thick gash down his armor from the strike. I raised up my seal to tend to him, but I saw that I was beat - on the other side of the field my spirit was doing the same thing, life flooding back into Flynn's veins as the incantation flowed through him. That was good to know…not only could the spirit fight, but it could mend our wounds as well.

The fight continued, each well-aimed strike feeling like a small victory while we chipped away at the troll's defenses as I danced between its legs and the men struck at it from the sides. Each of us were sent flying backwards multiple times by the troll's strikes, each one with enough force to cause my vision to spin and my lungs to go empty. Each time I got myself up, brushed myself off, and got back into the thick of it - we were too close to fall now, not with the throne this close to us.

I came back in with blade and incant, setting my katana alight with electricity as I charged forth with renewed vigor. I passed Flynn, swinging his monstrous blade as shards of rock erupted from the ground, following it up with a spiraling light from his staff that he plunged into the ground with an eruption of sorceric energy. Blaidd was once again launching himself into the air, reaching for the upper half of the troll's legs with flying cuts before landing back to the ground with an explosion of frost. I swung out at the creature's legs, the electric weakness of the tears seemingly lacking on the troll - yet the strikes landed all the same.

In a last-ditch effort the troll slammed its blade into the ground and launched rocks into the air, following it up with a sweep of its arms in an attempt to bat us away - but its energy was waning, and we had more fight left in us. I leaped over the arm as Flynn raised his blade to the sky, sending it slamming down as a fissure of magic rocketed towards the arm. Shards of rock blocked the arm's advance and in fact kept it pinned, if only but momentarily. Flynn took that advantage to land a weighty chop at the arm, enough force behind the singular strike to sever the arm at the elbow. A horrid wail bellowed out above us as I pressed the advantage, backstepping before laying down a swath of lightning that completely engulfed the troll. Bolts rained down from the sky atop it, burning and singing its flesh as that was enough to drop it to one knee. It reached out with its formally good arm for support, but found nothing - it toppled to the ground.

It was Blaidd that delivered the final strike - a fitting victory for his ages-old quest. He climbed atop the troll's back, gripping his blade in both hands as he angled it toward the troll's exposed neck. "Let this be a lesson to all that oppose Lady Ranni. We are here - and we will not be stopped." The blade sunk into the troll - and that was it. Its flesh rapidly began to disintegrate into smoke as it faded away, Blaidd coming to rest on the ground.

I looked over towards my spirit - it seemed that its time was done as well. After a quick scan of the area it sheathed its blade, gave a curt bow, and then faded. Perhaps it sensed no danger - or perhaps it had simply done all it sought out to do. Either way, it had proved invaluable for this brief moment. I couldn't promise I would see it again - we had other valuable spirits like the wolves, Aurelia, and Latenna - but perhaps the tear would find itself among their ranks.

The three of us regrouped, heading towards the throne that sat just at the other end of the courtyard. "Those were powerful words, Blaidd…were they for anyone in particular?"

The wolfman shook his head. "No - but there are many factions in the Lands Between. Undoubtedly our entire journey has been tracked since the moment we entered Nokron. It was a statement to nobody - and yet, everybody."

I nodded "Well, I stand by them. Let's go claim our reward."

As we approached the throne, I noticed a waygate on the left - interesting, but perhaps not as out of place as I originally thought. Waygates weren't two-way portals from what we'd seen - it was unlikely that one led to here, but I was deeply curious where this would take us. We could find out when it was time to leave - it could be our way out. For now, though, my focus needed to remain on the throne.

As we stepped into the chamber beneath the throne, we were met with a familiar sight - a closed chest, deeply ornate in its design and near-identical to what we found under the previous throne. Blaidd put his hands on it, letting out a content sigh. "Finally…after all this time, we're finally here." Another sigh - and then he raised the lid up.

Or…he tried to. His hands clenched the rim, muscles straining as he tried in vain to lift it. He tried again, getting a better angle, but still nothing happened.

He knelt down, looking at the core of the container. "It doesn't appear to have a lock…perhaps it is worn down. Flynn, can you give me a hand?"

Flynn walked over, he and Blaidd standing on each side of the chest, a hand on each corner. The wolfman nodded, counting down. "Three, two, one, now." Both men pulled up.

The chest swung open as if nothing was wrong with it, their combined might nearly pushing the entire chest off-kilter. Blaidd's look of confusion only grew deeper, but with the lid open it seemed he was willing to set that confusion aside for now.

Inside the chest were two things - one familiar, one not. The familiar item was in the previous chest - a glovewort nearly the size of my fist, emitting a strong glow that lit up the entire room. The other item was - a blade. It was the size of a dagger but with a curve reminiscent of my scimitar - but that was where the similarities ended. The entire thing seemed to be made of some sort of blackened…bone? It was hard to tell. A spine-like texture began at the crossguard and traveled up the blade until it split in two. From there, the two halves snaked around each other in the shape of a helix, growing smaller and sharper until reaching a razor's edge. The entire thing was covered in dried blood.

"This - this blade." Blaidd held it up, eyes narrowing. "This is what started the Night of the Black Knives."

Flynn spoke up. "We've heard that term before - it was spoken by Rennala's bodyguard. What does it stand for?"

"I - right, you come from beyond the fog." Blaidd hesitated, thinking for a moment. "I am unsure why Lady Ranni wants this again, but you have stayed the course this far, it is best you know. The Night of Black Knives marks the beginning of the Shattering. A fragment of Death was stolen and imbued into this very blade. It was used to kill a god - Godwyn. You know Ranni's desire is to change the order of the world. I think it is clear now that Godwyn cannot be the only one to succumb to this blade."

"You said she wants this 'again'. So…just so there is no misunderstanding, this is not the first time she's seen this weapon?"

Blaidd sighed. "Personally? I doubt it, but Ranni was involved in the Night. She knows of this blade's existence and its use. I cannot say whether she laid eyes on it before."

"Wait." Flynn spoke out, interrupting anything I was going to say. "Ranni is the cause of the Shattering…and we're looking to deliver her the same thing that caused it. That's raising alarms for me, I'll be honest. Please tell me I'm not the only one."

"Flynn…this is Lady Ranni's will. It was your agreement and decision when you set foot down here. Do not let your resolve waver now." Blaidd looked at my brother, only the faintest trace of malice in his voice. "Or do you question your fealty to my Lady?"

"Blaidd…I've been telling you, I'm here because you're here. I wish to help you. I - yes, I understand what Ranni's objective is, and we may differ on the methods, but if I had to take a side…yes, I believe in her. But not blindly. I can hear what you're saying about this dagger and recognize what that might mean for this world in near term."

"And what occurs in the near term creates a safer world beyond it. Flynn - I have been at Lady Ranni's side longer than anyone. If there were anyone that could see flaws or gaps in her beliefs, it would be me. I can tell you with certainty that this is the way towards her tomorrow."

"And that isn't your tomorrow!" Flynn's voice reverberated through the small chamber, a clear tension growing between the two men. "Blaidd, don't you get it? You've spent your whole life looking out for Ranni…but you haven't had anybody looking out for you. I know you've figured out where this path leads, so why are you still walking it?"

Blaidd intertwined his hands, looking at the ground. "Flynn…were the tales that you told me about falsehoods? Twice, you have expended your life to provide a greater tomorrow for those that would be there to see it. Is it truly so perplexing why I would do the same? I know what my fate is - and I have accepted that. It is time you do as well."

Flynn's eyes flitted to me - not for affirmation, but for understanding. I knew what he was about to say…I stood back, silent, providing only the tiniest of nods in an unspoken agreement. "Blaidd…you might know how your fate ends, but now how it gets there. Where Resa and I come from…there's an affliction called hollowing. It strikes people that become too focused, too single-minded in their goals. Once you have it, it's hard to shake off…Resa and I are both lucky that we were able to. Blaidd, you don't want to know how hollowing manifests in people…but please, please believe me when I say that I've seen the signs. And please…please, if anything else…please understand that you don't want what comes later."

There was silence in the small chamber for quite some time, as Blaidd let Flynn's words wash over him and roll around in his mind. "Your words are touching, Flynn. I truly mean that. But this is not your world, and I cannot stop now out of fear that this 'hollowing' has stricken me, as no such thing has been recorded here in the Lands Between. What you have been seeing are similarities, nothing more. Understand that I am not being dismissive here, please. I have taken what you said into account - but it does not change my course."

"If…if you knew the symptoms, it would."

Again, Blaidd shook his head. "No…just as everything I have uncovered about Ranni has not changed my course, nor will this. Flynn, I am inexorably bound to the aid and defense of Lady Ranni, as well as the enactment of her will. I am created for that very purpose. If Lady Ranni's plan required that I set myself ablaze, I would. If it required me to drown in the ocean, I would. It is not because my heart of hearts wants to, but because my will is not my own. Telling me of mystery ailments from a far-off world won't change the path I walk, for my path is already laid out before me."

"I…okay then."

Another brief pause ensured as Blaidd seemed to expect more from Flynn, but nothing came. When he spoke, he addressed both of us - not just my brother. "So I must ask then, given what has been discussed. Where do each of you stand? Will you support Lady Ranni, interfere, or simply stand aside. There are no other options."

Blaidd looked to Flynn first for an answer - but I could see my brother was still wrestling with the weight of our ally's words, and so I stepped in. "I will continue to support Lady Ranni as I have been. But know that I am here for you, Blaidd as well - not as an ally of Ranni, but as a friend and a shoulder."

"That is reassuring on both counts. Thank you, Resa." The wolfman then looked back to my brother. "Have you an answer yet?"

Flynn nodded. "If you know how this ends…you can be damned sure that I won't let that be in vain. Let me be clear - I am aiding you in your endeavors, because you are my ally, companion, and friend. Perhaps in time I will settle my differences with Ranni, perhaps I will not - I can't answer that at this time. But until I am at an irreconcilable impasse - my sword is yours."

"That is an answer I can agree with, if not fully. Very well then…baggage of past lives aside, it seems we are where we were when we entered this room. We have what we came for - let us not waste any time and return it to Lady Ranni."

I nodded in agreement - thankfully, Flynn did as well. Blaidd carried the knife while I fetched the glovewort, stowing it before heading out. As we left, I noticed that the waygate from earlier was still active, wisps of light being drawn into it. "Is it worth investigating where this will take us? I find it odd that there's a waygate buried this deep within Nokron."

Blaidd stopped, looking at it. "At worst, we find a grace and return to Ranni's Rise from there. At best, we find even more secrets within the city. Once we leave I doubt we'll have a reason to return…best finish exploring while we can."

"Alright then. After you, Flynn." From the side of both of them, I smiled - it was a small sign that despite the tension that had just ensued, Blaidd was still willing to let Flynn lead the group.

Flynn took a step forward towards the waygate, his body starting to twist and dilate as he approached it. One hand, a head - and then he was gone."

As soon as he was, Blaidd turned to face me, his expression serious. "I am sorry, but I did not feel right asking this question with your brother still around. This…hollowing, was it? What are the symptoms your brother fears?"

My heart skipped a beat as my blood momentarily turned to ice, the topic I'd thought we'd gotten past now cornering me. "I, well…why?"

"Because you have said that you will serve Lady Ranni after my absence - Flynn made no such promise. Your brother is right in that I do not know what path will lead to my end…and if this 'hollowing' is a genuine concern, it is you alone I trust to guide me through it, moreso than - than even Lady Ranni herself. So please…tell me."

"It's…it's insanity, Blaidd. Either a mindless, frenzied devotion to your cause so single-minded that you lose complete control over yourself, or a complete breakdown where you simply lose the will to do anything. I've seen both firsthand…and I've felt the latter."

Blaidd nodded in understanding. "Understood…and once someone is too far gone, I assume there is no coming back?"

"If there is, I've never seen it happen. Blaidd…I don't like where this is - "

"I will trust your judgment, Resa. If you think I have crossed that line…I only ask that you make it quick. I would rather die proud than broken. I know it is a terrible thing to place upon your shoulders, but I trust you understand why I must."

I shuddered, a chill wracking my entire body. "I wish I didn't…but yet."

"Hey." I realized my eyes had drifted to the ground, Blaidd's words pulling me back up to his lupine face. "Nothing is a guarantee. I am simply being thorough, not overly cautious. Now, let us not keep your brother waiting any longer, lest he go solve all of my problems before I get there. Come on."

Without further delay, Blaidd turned around and stepped through the portal, leaving me all by myself in the cool underground cavern. I cursed…it didn't feel like as much of a victory as it was supposed to be. I understood my brother's hesitations - I couldn't fault him for them., but airing them had certainly added a new wrinkle to things.

With nowhere else to go, I followed Blaidd's trail to the waygate, steeling myself for whatever was beyond it.