When Luz found herself on the hill where she had been swatted away by that large golden armoured man, with Varré nowhere to be found, rather than be mortified that she had died, and rather painfully at that, she was more furious that the slippery little monster of a man was able to run off thanks to the man in the armour.
That man was responsible for her being maidenless—whatever that meant—and more importantly he had killed someone deserving of life. All for what? Some sort of sick and twisted fulfillment thing?
Honestly, Luz didn't know. Frankly, she didn't care either. All that mattered was that, because of Varré, someone was dead. While she had the ability to come back from death due to her being blessed by Grace, she assumed that no one else could.
That made what Varré had done that much more egregious. Her dying, that was fine. She was meant to die time and time again until she became the Elden Lord, or until Grace was stripped from her. But anyone else undeserving like that maiden? No. Not unless there was no choice in the matter. Self-defence was okay—that was to be expected in a place like this. But someone like that maiden….
"I need to stop focusing on that. Otherwise, I'll get pissed off again," Luz thought, slumping where she sat. It could've been worse, she supposed. Though, how, she didn't know. Whatever the case was, Luz didn't care.
Luz was still annoyed by the fact that the man in the armour had stepped in when he had. She had Varré dead to rights. One more swing, and he would've been done. She would've avenged the maiden back at the chapel, and maybe then she would've felt better about it. But no, the man in the armour had to step in like the prick he was.
So there she sat, at the piece of Grace where Varré had stood not too long ago, looking out over the field. The man in the armour trotted along a path on horseback with surrounding plains near and far, with a lake a little bit off to the east that looked more like a swamp. There were large crosses dotted along the path the man walked through, each with long dead corpses strung up on them, more than likely for various crimes.
It was eerie. That part, at least. The rest, not so much. The plains were wide open, and there were bushes everywhere. Small trees sprouting in every which way, with flowers growing and blooming, and animals grazing without a care in the world, heedless of their surroundings. It was peaceful. If only the man in the armour wasn't there ruining the scenery.
Not that she could take him down now. She was far too weak for that. Her club would probably be ineffective against him, too. She'd need to find a better weapon if she even so much as thought about challenging him.
Then there was the matter of what he was doing. It was obvious, but it was worth commenting on. As was obvious, he was guarding the grave. Why, she didn't know, but more importantly, he was probably keeping an eye out for her, and trying to prevent her from leaving the grave.
Luz didn't know why that was, though. She was just a kid. What harm could she cause?
Then again, those nobles back in the cave more than likely would have a few things to say about the kind of harm she could cause. Same with Varré, but he didn't count.
Though, thinking a little bit on it now, that woman in the black cloak that she saw when she briefly stirred into consciousness. She said something about a Tarnished becoming Elden Lord being… what? A Cardinal Sin?
That was probably his reasoning. Frankly, she didn't care much for it. It was her purpose. Her duty. To become Elden Lord by the words of Grace and whatever that voice had been when she first awoke. She'd be damned to hell and back if she didn't become it, all because some guy said so.
Screw that.
Screw the rules.
Screw what anyone else thought.
She would become Elden Lord. No matter how many times she died. No matter how many roadblocks would be in her path.
No matter how many bodies she'd have to wade through to do it.
She would become Elden Lord.
But first, she needed to somehow leave the plains she had found herself on. From before, she could see in the distance that there was a church. It was a ways away and connected to a path—the same path that the man on horseback was walking up and down on. Never quite going near the church, nor trying to enter it.
The church looked ruined, fallen, and worn down. Even from this distance, she could see it was in major disrepair. Abandoned and left to rot. Which, to her at least, felt weird. Why would a church be left to rot? Wasn't it a place of worship? Unless that meant the God of the faith that the church led wasn't truly a God or, simply forgotten about.
Luz didn't know about her past. Hell, she hardly knew herself as she was now. But even she could tell just how disrespectful that was to whatever God the church worshipped. Still, that was probably the best place she had to hide from the man on horseback.
Looking back at the Grace, she saw that a faint trail of energy flowed over in the direction of the church. It seemed as if Grace wanted her to go there, too. However, as she was staring out into the fields, she noticed that there was a clearing further west of the church.
"I'll check it out later. Once I know I'm safe…" Luz thought as she inhaled deeply, before exhaling, her nerves calming as she narrowed her eyes.
Better now than never, she supposed.
Carefully, Luz began to climb down the small hill with each step she took hesitant to not catch the man on horseback's attention. It would be a decently long trek, about half an hour give or take, but if she wanted to move past this damn tomb, then being careful was the best thing she could be.
As she walked, she saw various kinds of animals like goats, boars, and deer eating the grass, birds roosting in trees, and fresh berries growing on bushes with lush flowers next to them. Luz kept herself low to the ground during her observations, and while the mounting stress in her chest made it hard to appreciate the scenery, it was still something worth appreciating.
She tried to recall memories of old, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't think past her first awakening. It was annoying and endlessly frustrating. She knew she had a life before all of this. So why couldn't she remember it?
The face of that golden-eyed girl was still burned into her mind. The face of someone she knew she had, at one point, loved. But why? She didn't know why she loved her, or even if that love was even real.
It was a fragment of what was. A life that she no longer led.
If she even was able to find that girl again, would she still love her? Would Luz still be capable of loving her?
Luz didn't know. It was hard, but regardless of that, it was still something worth holding onto. Maybe she would get more answers? The sites of Grace seemingly held memories for her, even if it was only a few sites of Grace rather than all of them.
She thought back to what that ghost in the grave had said. That the Lands Between would change her. Shape her into someone else.
The more she thought about it, the more she realized that whoever she was before more than likely would forever be dead. But that still didn't change the fact that she wanted to learn more about herself.
She wanted to know more about who she used to be, and if it would be at all possible to somehow try and stick close to that life here.
As she continued to move, and as she hid in bushes to stay out of the line of sight of the man on the horse, a part of her had an epiphany. A dark one, but one nonetheless.
She got the sense that the world she found herself in was long dead. Or, at the very least, stagnant. Unable to move on thanks to some great event. After all, why would some sort of divine voice tell her that she needed to become the Elden Lord?
Someone with that title must have carried great power. With great power was an even greater political and strategic power to guide a world. If a new one was needed, then it would be all the more telling that the world's situation is a very, very bad one.
So for someone as young as her, a mere 15-year-old girl, to be wanted to become the Elden Lord, it didn't speak well of the state the world was in.
As Luz finished crossing the large swath of land between the hill with the site of grace, and the church, she ducked behind a rock just as the man on horseback reached the entrance of the church. He halted in his position in front of the entrance, where Luz could hear him grunt.
"Guard the Fringe Heroes Grave, he says… Keep whatever Tarnished leaves it trapped, he says. All the while he stays within the capital and does nothing but stand by the Erdtree. Thine has never seen that man's face, not even once…. Veiled Monarch, he claims to be, despite having no claim to the throne aside from his Great Rune…" The man complained, before continuing his march down the hill.
Luz felt her heart race against her chest, hand against where her heart would be as she covered her mouth so that her panicked breathing couldn't be heard. For as tough as she'd like to sound, that man made a mockery of her by swatting her away like a mere insect.
If he found her, at any point…. It would've meant having to restart after death again.
Once he was firmly away from the entrance of the church, Luz snuck her way inside through the massive hole in the nonexistent wall, spotting a site of Grace as it glowed, before standing by it as the familiar energy of Grace washed over her. A new trail of what appeared to be fluttering balls of grace pointed in a forward direction toward the large, dark forest up ahead.
Luz sighed. That was her next destination. It was north, which was where the ghost in the grave had told her to go. To some place called Gatefront. Whatever it was, it was just beyond the forest. Besides that, within the church, there was an old anvil, and next to that anvil was a small, self-made fire pit with a pot sitting over a smouldering flame.
In front of the pot and flame was a man. He was dressed in a red hat with a thick white brim with white stripes laced within, along with thin, fine golden hair. He wore a light gray mask over the lower part of his face, and around his neck was a large fluffy collar connected to a red fur cape.
His shirt was a red one with stripes going horizontally through the shirt. The front of it, however, had a matted white fur covering. His pants were gray, and overtop of them were a pair of worn-out yellow shorts, along with black buckled shoes, like an elf.
His eyes, though. They were a little on the unnerving side. They glowed with a faint yellow. Not gold, like hers. It put her off, if only slightly. His expression was covered, so she couldn't tell what he was thinking. But he was side-eyeing her, with weariness in his eyes. Just from that glance alone, Luz could tell that he wasn't exactly the trusting type.
Then again, in these lands, he had every right to be.
Behind him was a small tent, and next to that tent was an old, scrawny-looking Donkey, which shook its head as its ears slapped against its face. It nickered, breathing out hot air as the man petted its thigh, seemingly minding his own business.
Slowly and carefully, her club attached to her hip, she approached him with caution. His side-eyed glance never changed until she was directly in front of him, standing over him with only the pot and fire between the two. Their eyes met, with neither speaking, one pair glowing golden with grace, while the other smouldered a haunting yellow. There was a long, tense silence until finally, she spoke.
"Hello. I hate to bother you, but… what'cha doing?"
The man breathed out silently, and only now had she noticed that his shoulders had been tense, though they drooped, signifying that whatever tension he was feeling faded away after she asked her question.
But, it was strange. It felt almost as if he had been expecting something that didn't happen. Something to be tense about. Though given the lands she had found herself in, it probably wasn't anything good; which was all but confirmed by his next words, "You're not after my throat. That's a relief."
Luz tilted her head, confusion in her eyes. "Why would I want to kill you?"
"You are a Tarnished. I can see it. Most Tarnished are brutes without the will nor want to speak. Or so I've been told. For a moment, I believed I would have to defend myself. But, you seem… kind. A nice change of pace for a land as blood-drenched as this one," the man said, a snort of genuine surprise escaping him. "In that case, my name is Kalé, Purveyor of Fine Goods. If you can spare the runes, why not buy a little something?"
Luz slowly sat down across from him and hummed. "I would, but… how would I check to know how many runes I have? If any at all?"
"Ah. I see. Then you're new to this land, then? That means you've only just awoken not too long ago," Kalé said, before reaching for the center of his chest. As he did, a small thin line was pulled out from it, before showing it to her. "This is a rune. For your kind, so long as you have a maiden, you can turn them into strength," as he said that, he put the rune back into himself, before looking back at her. "Which, pardon me if I am asking a little too much, where is your maiden?"
"Dead." As Luz said that, Kalé's eyes gained a hint of remorse in them.
"I see… I'm sorry for your loss, then. May I ask how?" Kalé asked as Luz glanced at the floor, anger smouldering in her eyes as she clenched her fist.
"A man named Varré killed her before I woke up. I was going to get revenge for her, but then the man on horseback… he killed me before I got the chance," Luz replied as Kalé raised an eyebrow.
"You still have Grace, then? Ah… your eyes glow Golden. It's very rare in these lands to see a Tarnished with Golden eyes. You, and a pair of brothers, are the only ones that I have seen that have gold in your eyes. Their journey had begun years ago, though, so I don't know if they still have Grace. I doubt it, given how much time has passed since."
"A pair of brothers? Do you know their names? Maybe I can meet them on my journey at some point?" Luz asked as Kalé shook his head.
"They did not introduce themselves to me. They knew me as a merchant and purchased something from me. The only thing I remember of them is one had blond hair and the other brown. One wore the armour of a vagabond minus the helm, the blond one anyhow, and the brown-haired one wore the set of a confessor. Although, speaking of myself being a merchant," as Kalé said that, he patted the side of his Donkey's thigh, prompting it to kneel. He hitched the bag off of its side and emptied it in front of Luz.
There were various things, like a handheld scope, a kit with various things seemingly inside, rolled-up pieces of chainmail armour, throwing daggers, an unlit torch, a handful of small pots, some books with binds on them, some arrows and bolts, a large leather shield, and two notes.
"How did he fit armour in that small little pouch on his Donkey?" Luz thought, blinking as she stared at his wares. She looked at him, then back to his stuff. "I would ask how you fit all of that in there, but I doubt you'd tell me."
"Magic, mostly," Kalé said, shrugging. "You'd be surprised how much a magically enhanced pouch can hold. I could give you one if you want. On the house. I know how much you Tarnished tend to pick up. Think of it as a gift, nothing more."
"You'd do that?" Luz asked, shocked as Kalé chuckled.
"I am not nearly as shrewd as my brothers in trade," he said, grabbing a spare pouch on his Donkey's side, and passing it to her, which she took with a thankful smile on her face. "This can carry well over 100,000 pounds of materials. When I first arrived, I had come with a lot. But, as the years have passed, these are all of what is left of my wares."
"Why not go around and collect more?" Luz questioned as Kalé waved her question off with a turn of his right hand.
"I am fine where I am for the time being, and it's safe within this church. Nothing hostile comes here, due to the holy wards protecting it even to this day. Plus, the Tree Sentinel out front acts as good security," Kalé said as Luz attached the pouch to her hip.
"Tree Sentinel, huh? So that's what he's called. Good to know…" Luz thought as she glanced back at what Kalé had to offer. She honestly didn't know what to buy. She didn't know how much she had, so she immediately discarded the idea of the armour. That was probably well more than what she had for runes.
As she looked, Luz glanced back at Kalé, who had a thoughtful expression. Then, he spoke. "You know, if you can spare the runes, you should buy yourself a crafting kit," Kalé said, pointing at the small pouch off to the left. It had various things within it, all meant for crafting, like a needle, adhesive, and other doodads and objects. "A crafting kit allows you to make basic items on your own. Essential really, if you intend to survive out here for any duration."
Kalé grabbed the crafting kit, along with the three books and put them next to one another, before slightly pushing them in her direction. "The kit costs a bundle, and I admit, I do take my cut. But the important thing is that you survive. Every customer counts, after all."
Luz nodded, scratching her chin before she folded her legs in an oval shape, her shoes touching as she placed her hands on her knees. "How much does it cost?"
"Hmm…" Kalé hummed in thought, rubbing his chin. "Well, normally age doesn't factor into my pricing. But you look young—far too young, anyway. Most Tarnished I've met are women and men grown. But you don't look even old enough to be alone by yourself. How old are you, by chance?"
"Uh… 15, I think?" Luz replied as Kalé grunted.
"15? In some lands, that is the age of most married couples, or even younger than that. Though, those lands are far more primitive than here. The average age of marriage in these lands, if I'm not mistaken, is somewhere around 17 to 18 years. At least, here in Limgrave. I know other parts of the Lands Between operate differently, with Caelid—before Malenia and Radahn's clash—was the most strict with the age of marriage being 21 or older, and nothing below…" Kalé pondered as Luz sat back, listening to him ramble.
For a few minutes, Kalé muttered to himself about things that, frankly, Luz didn't pay attention to. She was more concerned about the Tree Sentinel investigating the church. She could see him in the distance approaching the church as a part of his rounds back and forth. She grew a little concerned, but she believed she'd be fine.
The Tree Sentinel didn't come too close to the church the last time she had seen him come near. So, maybe she could get away with being here.
"I've decided," Kalé suddenly spoke, gaining Luz's attention. "300 runes. Usually, it would be a bit more, but because you're not only a first-time customer, and a child to boot, but also someone who seems kind and genuine, you'll get a 90% discount for everything in this bundle. Sound fair?"
"Thank you, Kalé," Luz said, before touching the center of her chest, and mimicking what Kalé had done a few minutes ago, pulling around what she believed to be 300 strands of runes out of herself. She passed them over to Kalé, who took them and stored them within himself, before passing Luz the bundle. She, in turn, put her new pouch to work and placed everything within it.
"I'm glad you took my warning to heart. You've made an excellent choice," Kalé said as Luz tugged at her chest again, only for 50 runes to come out. Kalé looked at her, humming. "I believe that's barely enough for a telescope. How about you hold on to those for now, and come back when you have more to give."
"Yeah…" Luz said sheepishly, putting her runes back as Kalé began to put his stuff away. Luz looked at him, watching as he continued, grunting as he did. Luz reached out and scooped up some of his things, and began to help him put his materials away. A glimmer appeared in his eyes, as if not expecting her to help. Once they finished putting his stuff away, and as Kalé patted his Donkey's thigh again, he turned to look at her.
"I have never seen a Tarnished help me put my wares away. That was very kind of you," Kalé said as Luz rubbed at the back of her neck.
"Well, it was the right thing to do. Besides, you already helped me with the pouch and gave me a discount on the crafting kit. I don't see why I couldn't help you out," Luz explained as Kalé sat back down, crossing his legs as he did so.
"You are a very kind and gentle soul. May I know your name?"
"Luz. Luz Noceda," Luz replied as Kalé hummed once again.
"Luz Noceda…. I can't put a finger on it, but I believe at some point, I heard that name before…" Kalé said, tapping the fingers on his right hand on his left forearm. "I've only been in The Lands Between for… three years. This world has many strange, bizarre laws in it, blocking out most of my memories once I came here. But, I do remember some sparse things, such as my past and my people's history, and, a little about the place I used to sell my wares at, and more importantly, how I used to travel," Kalé explained, adjusting his mask as he did.
"I arrived on a stern metal boat, travelling from a place with a boiling, purple sea. One touch and you die as you dissolve into nothing. We crossed the fog and came here. But while we were stationed in the land with the boiling sea, gathering more supplies for the journey, I believe I heard talk of someone with your name."
As Kalé spoke, Luz blinked, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Then… that means you know more about me? When I awoke, it was without memory. Please, can you tell me everything you know? I've been dying to know more about myself," Luz practically begged as Kalé let out a soft sigh.
"The most I know about you was that you, and a select group of individuals, saved that place from annihilation at the hands of what was described to me as a demigod gone mad with power. You perished in the conflict, but the allies you had gathered were able to smite the demigod. Their names, however, are lost to me," Kalé said, as Luz's shoulders sagged and the glimmer of hope fled her eyes.
"I apologize. But, for what it is worth, you were revered there. Time passes differently between lands, but when I was there, they were holding the second anniversary of their home's protection at the hands of you and yours. You are a good person, Luz. I hope that assuming when you become Elden Lord, you carry that same goodness I see within you now," Kalé continued as Luz looked up at him, a smile on her face.
"Thank you, Kalé. I appreciate it," Luz said as Kalé pulled out some meat from a separate pouch. He glanced at her and gestured to it with his other hand. "Care for some Beast liver? I can cook, despite my looks."
"Please, that would be nice. I don't know how long it's been since I've eaten," Luz said as Kalé nodded, placing it in his pot before grabbing various spices that Luz did not recognize. As he cooked the food, not once, twice, or three times, but four had the Tree Sentinel approached the church, and moved away, before stopping by the grave in the distance and setting up a camp of his own.
She couldn't see him from that far a distance, but she could make out him having shoulder-length golden white hair and old, wrinkled skin befitting of an old man. Any other details she couldn't make out, aside from his horse sleeping next to him, resting from walking back and forth all day.
"Do you know anything about the Tree Sentinel?" Luz asked as Kalé shook his head.
"No. I do not. What I do know, however, is to not bother him. He's come up to me only once, and he's never purchased anything. The only thing he told me was that I had "better be careful of myself". A vague threat, of which I know it to be. Us Wanderers have a saying. Lament not your solitude. Expect no sympathy. No regard. Nothing. It was why I was so shocked when you had helped me earlier, and even now, where you'd wish to eat with me."
"That's sad…. No one should be treated like that," Luz said, her voice genuine as Kalé nodded.
"I wish more people thought like you, Luz. The world would be a much better place if more had."
Soon, night drew close, and as the pair ate in silence, Luz looked up to the skies above and saw the thousands of stars sparkling in the sky. It was… beautiful. Unlike anything she had seen in recent memory. Then again, her recent memory was that of death, a cave, more death, and even more death.
She stared at the dark, beautiful sky, the moon hanging overhead with the rest of the stars, mouth wide as Kalé laughed, drawing Luz's attention.
"A beautiful sight, no? I see it every night, so it's grown dull to me. But, you're reaction is priceless," he said, adjusting his mask as he put aside his empty plate. Luz was done with her food and stacked her plate atop his.
"Do you have a washcloth I can use to clean those?" Luz asked as Kalé nodded, pulling it out from the same pouch as he had the liver. She took the plates and cloth and scrubbed as best as she could. Without water, they got as clean as they possibly could. A few spots remained, but they were so miniscule that it hardly mattered.
Kalé took his plates and cloth back, putting them back in the pouch. He turned to look at her, nodding his head in thanks. "It has been a while since I ate with someone other than Gregory," he said, gesturing to his Donkey. "Thank you for keeping me company, Luz."
"Thank you, Kalé, for being the first person to not want me dead."
"And the same to you, Luz."
Luz got up from her spot near Kalé and looked toward the forest. She was tempted to start moving, but… it was getting late, and she was tired. So, instead, she sat down at the grace, laid down, and in the warmth of its glow, rested her head on the soft grass and shut her eyes.
Tomorrow was another day.
[-To Be Continued-]