It should be noted that, obviously, in-game, some things will be different from how I portray them here. Just putting this here for the time being, because I know someone's going to eventually comment on it, so here. This is the note that waves that nonsense away. I won't explain further.
Another thing, you'll notice that Luz will do some very un-Luz-like things in this story. This is because she is, essentially, just a face to a name. Without her memories of even her earliest moments of life, she is just a person with consciousness and free will. She's Luz, yes, but she is also a different person all the same. Amnesia's a bitch, and I'm abusing it to my fullest extent here.
Pain.
That was the best thing to describe what Luz was currently feeling. She was in an immense amount of pain, so much so that any other feeling had been dwarfed by it. Even as she came to, all she could feel was pain, namely emanating from her mid-section.
"Ow…" She hissed, clenching her teeth together as she pulled herself up from the murky water beneath her.
Water...
Why was she kneeling in water?
The last thing she remembered happening was… being impaled by that mass of limbs.
Without so much as a second thought, Luz quickly looked down, looking for a large, open wound, but found none. All she found was a thin, vaguely straight line. A scar was all that remained of her fatal wound, which begged the question of how was she still alive.
She had died. She knew she had died and yet here she was, alive, breathing in albeit musty, humid air that took her a second to get used to.
"Aye, yer awake," a faint, almost ethereal voice called out to her as Luz looked up from her knelt position in the puddle. A turquoise-looking frail old man that, if Luz was assuming right, was a ghost, sat in a wooden chair side eyeing her with a faint grin. "By looking at ya, I can tell that you can see me. Wonderful. T'would seem that mine bets are going to be well paid off."
Luz blinked, slowly climbing to her feet as she scooped up her club, before looking over to her right. Two flask-like pouches sat next to her. Before she could say a word, the ghost spoke again. "Those're yours, lass. A gift from Grace. They'll help recover wounds in an instant. Give you the vigour needed to continue your journey."
"That sounds too good to be true…" Luz thought before quickly shaking her head. Did it really matter if it sounded too good to be true? All that mattered was that she was alive, and while she had no idea where she was now other than being underground if the rocky walls and dripping water from the ceiling were any indication, she was perfectly fine with this being all one weird coincidence.
Luz picked up the flasks, and when she did, they immediately attached to her hip. She blinked, confused, checking her side to see if they had attached to her loincloth. Instead, they seemed to be slightly hovering next to her. "What the…? Ya know what? Better not to question it…"
"Right you'd be, lass," the ghost quipped as Luz looked back at him.
"Who are you?" Luz asked as the ghost huffed, gesturing to the cave.
"An instructor. My goal is to teach young Tarnished like you to remember your warrior blood. Go down to that cave, and relearn the ways of combat. Renew your warrior blood. You don't get a choice. In the Lands Between, you'll learn very quickly that it's kill or be killed. Best to know how to fight than not," the ghost replied in an explanation, which didn't necessarily sit right with her.
"And if I don't?" Luz asked, earning a snort from the ghostly old man.
"Then you'll struggle unto eternity until Grace is stripped from you, where you'll forever wallow in despair until you die and rot away," the ghost said, before gesturing to the pit. Luz stared at it, took in a deep breath, and exhaled, before slowly walking over to the pit. When she made it to the edge, she peered down.
It was a long fall. Enough to break someone's leg. Off to the left, there was a smaller platform, not nearly as far down. She walked over to that, and hopped down, bracing herself as she fell, before doing the same thing and falling once again into the pit. Bracing herself for landing, she made contact with the ground, using the club as a balance as she stood.
As she rose, her heart beating in her chest, she looked forward and was met with a curious sight. It was a piece of light, floating in front of her, glistening with gold unlike anything that she had seen before.
"What… is that?" Luz murmured, reaching out for it entirely unconsciously. When her hand grazed it, the light sparkled, as a trail of light began to wrap around her arm at speeds her eyes could just barely comprehend. The trail of light ended by touching the very center of her chest, her eyes flashing gold, as if reaching a connection.
And then…. an overload of information hit her brain like a tsunami.
Purple oceans, boiling. A foreign land that which no human belonged.
An old woman with white hair and golden eyes lecturing her about… something.
A massive, beastly skeleton wrapped around an island, a view that one could die for.
A jerkass with green and brown hair calling her and someone else weak and fake.
A battle, from which no victor arose.
Pain, betrayal, and reconciliation.
Luz sucked in a deep breath, gasping as she stumbled to the floor. Her heart began to race as she looked around her surroundings. Nothing had changed. She was still in the cave, and when she looked at her hands, she felt a sense of power. As if she had claimed something. What that something had been, she didn't know or understand.
She sat on the floor, confusion on her face, her eyes darting from side to side, completely unfocused as she tried to make sense of what had just happened. What was all of that? That woman… she looked familiar, but not at the same time. Same as that girl with green and brown hair. She had the same golden eyes as the one from her first memory…
What was going on here?
"Lass. You seem spooked," the ghost spoke as Luz blinked, staring at him and drawing herself out of her thoughts. He was sitting next to her in his chair, which… now that she thought about it, how did it get down here? How did he get down here? "Whatever. Doesn't matter. Don't think about it…"
"No… I just… got a weird vision," Luz responded as the ghost shrugged.
"Happens to the best of us. Most Tarnished who arrive and touch a piece of Grace mention the same thing. Sometimes, they uncover memories of their old lives, and sometimes they don't. Never fully remembering them, despite Grace's efforts," the ghost said as Luz rubbed the back of her neck. So that was a memory? A memory of what? Of where?
"I can tell by that look on thine face that you're trying to comprehend it," the ghost said, smirking. "Don't. Tis better for oneself to not bother with it. Thou aren't who thou was back then. Best to leave it behind," the ghost spoke again, as Luz frowned, glancing at the ghost with slightly narrowed eyes. The ghost chuffed, looking away. "Though, I suppose if yer dogged enough, then do try and piece together that old life. But, I shalt warn you now. The Lands Between will change you. Even if you remember that old life, it won't ever be the same. Never the same."
"You say that as if you'd know from experience?" Luz questioned as the old ghost sighed.
"Aye. I do. Why doest thou think I'm deceased?"
Luz bit her lip in frustration, turning to face the Grace sitting before her. A faint line of energy spurred off it and pointed forward as if guiding her down the tunnel. She gripped her club, anticipation in her chest as the ghost smirked. "Up ahead, some nobles who got themselves trapped in here trying to loot the grave will more than likely attempt to attack you. Remember what I said before. Kill or be killed."
And with that, the ghost vanished into a fine ash, dancing away elsewhere. Luz watched with both amazement and confusion as it happened. Even the chair vanished as if a part of him. She once again looked down at her torso, the memory of that twisted creature impaling her with that sword running through her mind.
"Kill or be killed…." Luz thought, slight disdain following the notion. She didn't know why, but to her, that felt wrong. But… if it was the only way forward, so be it.
Pulling herself to her feet, Luz began to walk forward through the Cavern, and it didn't take her long to come across someone else. They looked… undead. Like a zombie. Their skin was greying and loose, yet still attached. Mumbling incoherently with a rusted sword in their hand. It almost looked… pathetic. They were dressed in an off-green wool tunic, brown trousers and leather shoes.
The man slowly shambled to face her, before raising its arm with the sword lazily. "Intruder…!" The man basically moaned, slowly waltzing over to her as she raised her club. This was just sad. Maybe killing him would be better off than letting him live.
She approached the man, and with a quick, dexterous sideways swing of her club, whacked him upside the head and sent him sprawling to the ground. He twitched, trying to get back up. Luz waited for him to stand up, before clubbing him over the head again. A gasp of air, a twitch of the hand, and then death as he fell to the ground with an audible thud.
Luz looked at his clothes and sighed. They were sweaty and dirty, but damn it if it was better than being essentially naked. She reached down and carefully removed the clothing off of his body, save his undergarments. The dead had no need for them, but she had plenty of need for a shirt and pants. She even took his shoes, which fit her perfectly, surprisingly.
When she put them on, the damp, cold air didn't truly affect her anymore.
Well, it still slightly affected her, but not fully. She didn't feel the cold chill anymore, and her feet were no longer walking against the bare ground, covered by shoes. It felt… refreshing. And, judging by the quality of the shirt, while it wouldn't stop a sword swing, it was better than her body being bare, just in case someone had swung at her with a sword and it caught. It wouldn't immediately tear through her.
Continuing on through the cave, she came across another noble. She didn't so much as give him a chance. She clubbed him several times in the face and body until he crumpled and fell to the ground. Specks of blood made their way onto her clothing, not that she tried to pay any attention to it.
As she continued to walk, she came across a small encampment filled with boxes and a fire. Two more sword-wielding nobles. Two more dead bodies, both brutally clubbed to death. She could hear the cracking of their bones as her makeshift weapon slammed against their bodies. Every time she killed them, she felt a slightly warm energy enter her body, as the center of her chest glowed with each kill.
She didn't know what that had been, but she'd bet if she asked the ghost once she exited the cave, he'd know. Though thinking about it, he probably wouldn't. Alternatively, she could just figure it out herself when the time came.
She came across more nobles, and she killed more nobles until she came across a large open valley. It was filled with bushes and greenery. There was a light gleam of blue surrounding the cave. It looked beautiful, and it had completely enraptured her sight. As she took a step forward, and as she took in the sights of the lush cave, she felt something sharp shoot through her shoulder.
She bit back a startled shout, sharply looking over to her shoulder, seeing an arrow lodged into it, causing her eyes to go wide with shock before a small tinge of annoyance filled her mind. Just as she was about to pull the arrow out, another arrow shot past her cheek. That's when she looked up and saw someone dressed in green and red armour with a gilded helm firing a crossbow in her direction.
"Crap!" Luz thought, before making a run for it. The old ghost never said anything about someone with a crossbow! As she ran, another arrow shot toward and past her, missing her by a few centimetres. When she ducked into a small opening away from the line of sight of the crossbowman, she plucked the arrow out of her shoulder, blood trailing down the wound as she hissed.
She looked to her side, saw the crimson flask, and took it. She didn't know what it'd do, but considering it was a flask, she assumed that she'd have to drink it. The flask was already open, so she took a swig from it, the contents draining slightly, and as it did, the wound in her shoulder patched up, and she felt refreshed—as good as new.
"Damn, that tastes awful," Luz said, sticking out her tongue as she put the flask back on her hip. She peered down the opening and saw another light up ahead. She followed it, and it led to another noble. One that swiftly met its end with a fierce clubbing over the head as more blood splashed on her shirt.
The gap she found herself in was winding and long, but it eventually came to another clearing. This one had been filled with light bluegrass, which was weird given how it was near impossible for grass to grow in caves.
Not that it mattered, but it was something weird that she noted.
Upon further inspection, she noticed that more nobles were digging in the grass, seemingly searching for something. What that something was, Luz didn't know, nor did she care. "Maybe I can just sneak past them?" Luz thought, as she crouched, slowly making her way through the grass. The nobles didn't seem to hear or see her, so that was a plus.
As she passed through the grass, looking behind her to see if they had noticed her or not, she watched as the nobles didn't seem too perturbed by anything. They were still minding their own business, doing whatever it was they were doing.
She smirked. These guys were either so old they couldn't hear properly, or, they simply didn't care. She was willing to bet on the former, all things considered.
As she continued through the cave, she heard the clanging of metal against stone, and just as she turned a corner, she saw the same man with the crossbow who had shot her in the shoulder. Anger rolled over her, and without so much as a second thought, she let out a loud warcry and ran toward the bastard.
Startled, the man hastily went for his crossbow, but was too late, as Luz had already smacked him up the side of the head with her club with a large wind-up and slam. The sound of thick, hardy wood smashing against metal was heard throughout the cavern as the man stumbled forward, cursing under his breath.
He reached for his sword, but Luz was quicker, batting his hand away before grabbing him by the scruff of his armour and slamming him into the ground. Several slams of her club later, and the sound of his ribcage cracking, snapping, and being broken inward filled her ears as blood shot out of his mouth.
She kicked his body off the ledge, and let him crumple to the ground, watching as he thudded against the stoney ground. As the rage left her body, she looked at her now horribly bloodied club and shirt and felt almost sick.
She didn't know why she had felt awful for doing that, but she did. "No matter…. He wouldn't have cared if I had died, so I shouldn't either…" Luz reminded herself. Kill or be killed. That was what the ghost had said. Kill or be killed. Dying was painful, and she didn't want to die again.
Looking ahead, she noticed another one of those men in armour, this time with a shield and a spear. Her eyes narrowed, as did his, as the two charged at one another. He pulled his spear back, and she instinctively dodged to the left, avoiding his forward thrust. In return, she slammed him in the back of his helmet with her club, making him stagger forward. She then followed it up with a swift and brutal strike to the center of the spine, sending him falling to the ground.
Just as he was about to get up, she began to wail at him from the back, bashing him over and over again until he finally got up, if only a little disoriented, before bashing her with his shield. She tumbled to the ground, before swiftly getting up to avoid getting stabbed by his spear.
Once she got up, she was blindsided by the man charging her with his spear and impaling her through the side of her torso, sending her into the nearest rocky wall as she hissed. Instead of feeling immediately weak like she had when that monstrosity had impaled her, this time, all she felt was anger.
Luz bashed her club down on his hand, forcing him to let go of his spear, and with a quick tug, she removed it from her person, causing her to flinch. Pain crawled up her side, but she ignored it in favour of finishing the fight. With her non-dominant left hand, she thrust the spear into the man's face, hitting him dead between the eyes, before shoving it a little further and sending him to the ground. He died on the spot.
More of that golden light flowed to the center of her chest, which she paid very little attention to. She reached for her flask, and chugged some of it back, feeling the wound mend immediately. "Damn, these things are going to come in handy, aren't they?" As she said that, she looked at the amount that was left, and frowned.
In her crimson flask, there was only enough left for one more go before she was empty. Her cerulean one, though, was still full. Although there was significantly less within that one than there was within the crimson flask, which made her wonder just what that one was for.
"No matter, I'll ask the ghost once I'm out of this place," Luz thought, before turning around. A part of her wanted to take the spear from the man's body, but when she had taken it before, it had felt far too heavy for her to use, and it made her feel a little sluggish. No use for a weapon if she couldn't properly use it.
Besides, this club, despite it being made of wood and was, well, a club, had been doing her pretty well thus far. It was lightweight, was good for bonking people on the head without killing them right away, and better yet, it was easy to carry. What was better than that?
Well, probably a staff for spell-slinging and magic casting….
Oh well, regardless, her point was that it didn't matter. She had her club, and that was fine for the time being. Until she could find something better to replace it, she had no qualms with it. That spear was too much for her, so she'd leave it in the dead guy's skull.
Going further into the cave, she came across yet another noble, this one with a sword. He slowly raised it at her, which prompted Luz to sigh. Going from two guys in armour to this was just sad. This guy really didn't have a place to fight.
But, if he wanted to die that badly…
Without so much as any hesitation, Luz rushed the man with the rusted-looking sword, swerved past it as he did a sloppy downward strike, and slammed him in the gut, making him stagger backward. She used that to her advantage and slammed him in the face with the backside of her club. He fell to the ground, and landed on a particularly sharp rock, stabbing him through the back of the head and out the front of his forehead, killing him instantly.
Without so much as batting an eye, she walked past the body and continued onward through a windier section of the cave. She didn't miss the fact that she had so little reaction to that man dying, but as the saying went: the more of it is done, the less perturbed you are when doing it.
Finally, after coming to the end of the zig-zagging part of the cave, she caught a glimpse of an opening filled with cerulean light, extremely shallow water, and moss. There was a further passage up ahead, which made her want to groan. How much larger and how far deep did this cave go?
As she rounded a corner, she stopped as she came across a small statue. It had no arms and looked like the one back in the chapel she had woken up in. Clearly, the statue was of Marika, but why was it here? Why was it so small? So many questions, with no answers, or at least none of which she cared about.
Rounding the other corner that blocked her view, when she came across a wall of yellow fog. The same fog that had blocked her way from escaping the mass of limbs that had killed her. Why was this here? Was there something hiding in the cave?
"Oh God… what if it's another one of those limb monsters?" Luz said slight panic in her voice. She really didn't want to die again. But, if that was her only way out, seeing as retracing her steps and trying to climb out of the cave was probably impossible, or at the very least far too annoying for her to attempt now that she made it here, with a light exhale, she walked toward the yellow fog.
As she did, she passed through it, and she found it quite effortless. It was almost… too easy. She braced herself, grabbing the club with both hands as a figure came running through the passage. The figure in question was another one of those soldiers, but with a large, massive sword that was easily double his height. She narrowed her eyes and charged the man.
The man swung his sword down, just barely missing her as she side-stepped to his right, knocking him in the side of the head. He flinched forward, but quickly turned around and slammed his massive longsword into her side. It didn't cut into her so much as it flung her to the ground, leaving a decently large gash on the left side of her torso.
Adrenaline kicked in as the pain flared, allowing her to ignore it and get back to fighting. She let out a bellowing, rage-filled roar before charging the man. He prepared some kind of sweep attack, but she rushed through it and slammed him square in the face with a hard double-handed smack of her club.
He staggered, dropping to one knee, as she clubbed him over the head hard enough to crack his helm. She then kicked him in the stomach, knocking him over and causing him to land square on his back.
He tried to get up, but she rushed over to him and sat on his stomach. With a murderous gleam in her eye, she slammed the club down multiple times in the gap of his helmet, bashing his face in with each swing of her club. He tried to reach out and grab her, but his arm fell short about an inch as he let out a final choked gasp of air, blood splattering across her face as her eyes burned a wrathful gold.
She got to her feet, before reaching for her flask, throwing it back and emptying it before putting it back to her side. Her wound healed once more, as she wiped the blood from her face and flicked it to the ground, some of it staining her wrist and hand.
Her heart was racing, and the adrenaline in her body raced through her, a warm sensation filling her body as she breathed slowly, calming herself.
That felt… good.
A small smile came to her face as she looked toward the passage where that guy had come running in, and saw a familiar sight. Back when she had first woken up in here, she had seen a pair of wooden doors. Out of that passage were those doors. She had made her way to the exit.
Following it, when she exited the cave, she glanced over to her left and saw the ghost sitting on the chair. He looked up at her, a fierce smile on his face as she smiled back, raising her arm up in victory.
"Well done!" He called out, as Luz hopped down the ledge and landed square on her feet. As she approached the ghost, he chuckled to himself. "I must admit, Twas not expecting you to come out for a little while. Most Tarnished who find themselves here take a little over a day to make it out of that cave. Some die in there, but you didn't. Though, you also have those flasks, don't you?"
He gestured to the empty crimson flask and still full cerulean flask. She reached for her crimson flask and looked at it. "Yeah, but I emptied the crimson one, though. Do you know how to replenish it?"
"Simply sit at a Site of Grace whenever you find one," the ghost replied, lowering his head. "It's been a long while since the last one with a flask had Grace. His name was Sir Gideon Ofnir. But, he's a cowardly fellow and resides in his roundtable that only those with a Maiden can access. He only cares about gaining knowledge, and as such, his Grace was stripped of him. That was well over 1,000 moons ago, though."
"What's so special about these flasks?" Luz asked as the ghost chuckled, earning him a raised eyebrow.
"Apologies, lass. Tis a simple question, but a funny one indeed," the ghost replied as he let out a sigh of contentment. "It signals ye as one whom the Greater Will believes an Elden Lord proper. It's rumoured that not even Godfrey returned with a flask," the ghost said, making Luz blink. Godfrey… why did that sound familiar? She had never heard the name before, so why would it make her heart skip a beat with nervousness?
Regardless, Luz pushed the feeling down as the ghost cleared his throat. "Not t'would it particularly matter, mine point tis that you've been blessed by The Greater Will itself. While the road may be pain-filled and treacherous, thou should doest their best to become the Elden Lord. Put this land to rights, and repair it how thou should see fit. To do that, though, ye will need a maiden."
"So, how do I get one?" Luz asked as the ghost smirked.
"Well, typically, one awaits you here or wherever ye awaken. But, thine maiden has either died or decided you were not worth it. Whatever the case may be, typically, ye would be out of luck. Doomed to forever wonder weak and without power," the ghost said, and while Luz would feel sadness, she had felt a "but" coming, and she was glad that she had, because….
"But, luckily for you, I know someone who might be able to help you," the ghost said as he gestured to the door. "Past the door, and out of the grave, north from here, there's a ruined town called Gatefront. Go there, and a woman in a black cloak should be waiting for you at night. The path is a little dangerous, but, I trust that with thine's warrior blood awoken, you needn't be worried."
Luz smiled, nodding her head once before turning toward the doors. Just as she had begun to move, she looked over her shoulder and spoke. "Thank you, old ghost man!" As she said that, she turned back to face the two massive wooden doors, and with a small amount of effort, she shoved the two doors open.
Once they were open, she was greeted with a hallway and some stairs. Walking through the hall and up the stairs, she stopped at what was another Site of Grace. Similar to the one back in the cave, it too called out to her, and as she reached out to touch it, she felt the same energy flow through her. But this time, there was no memory.
A part of her had been excited, but then again, it made sense that not all of these sites would have memories attached to them. She felt compelled to sit down, so she did, and when she did, her crimson flask immediately refilled as a red whispy energy travelled toward it. "Huh, neat," Luz muttered.
After that, all of the blood that had stained her clothes and body simply began to peel away and vanish, and her current clothing washed over with a hint of light, seemingly cleaning it. Confusion danced about in her eyes, not that she would complain. It was very convenient for her, and it definitely made it a little easier to not have to worry about bathing herself if she would be cleaned just by sitting at a Site of Grace.
Once all of that was done, Luz stood up, exhaling lightly before scanning her surroundings. Immediately, the first thing she noticed, was that over to her right, there was a large opening with three entrances, but it was guarded by a wall of white mist, and what seemed to be a glowing statue with two creatures stacked atop one another. One had an object shoved into its head, while the other did not.
If she had to guess, it was some kind of magical lock. When she approached the mist, she tapped it. Sure enough, it was like the golden mist from the cave and with the mass of limbs back at the chapel. Upon looking through the mist, she could see a large, green bog, and felt repulsed looking at it.
She didn't know what it was. All she knew was that it was more than likely disgusting, and had no place touching her skin. It didn't look healthy, and she could tell just by looking at it that it probably didn't smell nice either.
Turning away from the misty gate, all that was left was an entrance and some kind of platform surrounded by pillars. There was also another corpse scooted off to the corner, charred and burned. She carefully approached it and found some kind of blade hilt. Next to it was a severed finger, bent and crooked, with gold covering it. Unlike the previous finger that she had picked up, it didn't feel dead.
As a matter of fact, it felt… fake. Like a false finger.
She had no idea what either of the items did, so, she decided to do a little test, primarily with the ethereal blade. If it would injure her, she'd just use the flask to heal the damage. If it did nothing, then it did nothing. Was it reckless? Yes, but she didn't care. She had her crimson flask, and that was enough for her.
Gliding the blade against her wrist, she was both glad and also slightly disappointed that it did nothing. So, it wasn't a weapon, meaning it might as well have been useless. The golden finger, on the other hand, she didn't really care for. So, alongside the other finger, she stuffed it in her pocket, more than likely never to be used again.
"Well, that was a waste of time," Luz muttered annoyedly to herself, before pressing forward toward the platform surrounded by pillars. Looking around the room, it appeared to be a dead end with a lever. She walked over to the lever and tried to pull it, but failed. It was jammed. "Great. Now what?" Luz pondered aloud, before looking over to the platform. In the center of it seemed to be a protruding tile.
Curiosity got the better of her, as she walked over to the tile, and stepped on it. Immediately, the ground beneath her began to shake, and without any warning, the platform she was on began to lift her upward. She nearly fell on her backside when it happened, only catching her balance by waving her arms around to keep herself straight.
It didn't take long for the platform to stop rising, and for Luz to be in the center of another room, with the same pillars surrounding her. Except, this time, in front of her, there was a large metal door with a staircase leading up to it. Luz stepped off what she now knew was a pressure plate, and walked off the platform, before falling down on her hands and knees, her legs feeling like jello.
Slowly, she stood back up, and as she did she looked around the small room. It was barren and empty, save for a few ceramic jars with what appeared to be sealed lids. "Well, this is a grave," Luz said, before walking up the stairs and toward the massive metal door. It had two handles on the bottom, prompting her to grab them and lift the door.
Crouching down and grasping the handles, she inhaled, before thrusting upward with all of her might, sending the door flying up and forcing her hands to let go as a clicking sound reverberated within the tomb. Her eyes were flooded with brilliant golden light from the morning sun, as Luz shielded her face, taking a step out.
She could feel the heat of the day cascade over her, a nice change from the damp, frigidness of the cave. Once she lowered her hand, she was given a moment to take in the grassy plains, a small smile creeping on her face as she took it all in.
There, in the distance, there was a broken-looking Church, and marching up and down the path, there was a man atop a horse, a large gilded weapon on his shoulder. It was a good distance away, say about an hour's walk, so she'd look into that later.
For now, there was something else that caught her eye. That being the site directly in front of her, that being of another individual.
He looked almost statue-esque with how he stood, his hands clasped together in front of his stomach, dried bloodstains covering a white mask and brown apron. Long black boots and long white sleeves covered his arms and legs, with brown, blood-drenched gloves covering his hands, and underneath his apron, he wore what seemed to be a white tunic which matched the sleeves. Around the mask was a brown veil, and his attention slowly turned to face her.
Out of instinct and uneasiness, the grip on her club increased, something that the man noticed, before he raised his hands, a small chuckle coming from his mask. "Oh, do not feel threatened, young Tarnished. I am but a humble doctor. No need to seek violence with me, is there?"
Luz felt her grip on her club lessen, her muscles detensing as she slowly approached the man, a bit of Grace in front of him. As she walked past it, she felt its familiar energy wash over her, not that she paid attention to it. She was more focused on the bloodied masked man. "You're a doctor?" She asked, snarky disbelief in her tone as the man once again chuckled, though it carried a hint of a sinister undertone.
"Well, a War Doctor. The kind that doesn't so much as treat wounds as I do put others out of suffering and misery with a quick stab to the heart. However, here in the Lands Between, where Death is a thing of the past, all thanks to Queen Marika the Eternal, my job is to send people's spirits back to the roots of The Erdtree and have them be reborn. Unless, of course, their bodies are so far gone, in which case, they simply get absorbed by The Erdtree. Which you can see off in the distance," the War Doctor said, pointing just ahead of them, as Luz followed his bloodstained finger.
And what a sight it was.
The tree was huge, scraping the sky with large, beautiful golden leaves that seemed to blanket over the entire area. The rest of the tree looked Etheral. Untouchable. If it looked as big as it was right now, from this distance, then up close and personal… it must've been far larger.
"A beautiful sight, is it not?" The War Doctor said as Luz looked back over to him. She nodded, a glimmer of joy in her eyes as he chuckled once more.
"Well, the only way a Tarnished like yourself can go there is if you pass through Stormveil Castle, past all of Godricks Tarnished Hunts. I would say it should be easy, but, as it seems, you are Maidenless. The only fate for you is to die in obscurity, even if you can see the Guidance of Grace," the War Doctor said as Luz narrowed her eyes.
The spirit she could understand knowing that she was maidenless. But how did this man know? "Who are you?" Luz asked as the War Doctor cocked his head to the side.
"I am Varre. A War Doctor. Why?" Varre questioned as Luz gripped her club.
"A woman was dead in the chapel I woke up in. A knife wound in her chest and neck. You have a knife in your pocket, do you not, War Doctor…" Luz drawled as Varre straightened his posture.
"Are you accusing me of—"
"You're covered in blood, dried or not, which gives me reason to believe that. So yes, I am. Show me your knife. If it's clean, I'll let you go. If not… Me and you are going to have a very long discussion…." Luz all but growled. Varre took a step back, reaching for the knife in his pocket. She kept a steady eye on his hand, just in case he wanted to try something.
Varre carefully drew out his knife. As he did, she spotted a splattering of red. She reached out and grabbed his wrist, thrusting the blade just close to her face so she could see it.
The blood was fresh.
Luz saw red.
Without so much as a warning, she clubbed the man in the side of the head, sending him down to the ground. "YOU BASTARD!"
"Ack—! Filthy little brat! You dare harm me—" Luz ignored his angered taunt, slamming her club down on his head again, making him shout in pain. She kicked him in the stomach, but he used that to stab her in the ankle. She ignored the pain, slamming her club down on him again, cracking his mask as he dragged himself to his feet.
As he stood up, she slammed the club into his stomach, knocking him down again, roaring in pain as she loomed over him, eyes narrowed with a golden rage. He threw the knife into her shoulder, but she ignored it, staring him down as she ripped it out of her shoulder. "You'll pay for what you've done," Luz hissed, but before she could slam her club down again into Varre's vapid-masked face, she was sent flying into the wall of the tomb.
She felt as if she had been hit with the full force of a tree being slammed into her, and as she hit the wall of the tomb, she felt something in her back break, and the back of her neck flare up in pain unlike anything she had felt before.
She screamed out in pain, her body sore all over as she slumped against the wall. At the same time, the man on the horse from down in the valley trotted his way over to her atop his stead. It, much like the man, was covered head to toe in gold. It whinnied, as the man leered down at her underneath his helmet.
"Yer a pretty violent kid, but what's one to expect from a measly lil' Tarnished? I told those spirits that I'd put you down once you came out of that tomb. I'm a man of my word," the man drawled, annoyance in his voice as he raised his halberd over his shoulder.
"Do us all a favour, and don't come back," and without so much as another word, he slammed down his massive golden halberd, and all Luz saw after that was darkness.
[-To Be Continued-]