"The great terror-being Vajrabhairava, King of furies, six-headed and terrible, six-eyed and six-armed and strong; he is a skeleton baring its fangs, hundred-headed, Halahala. Yamantaka, the king of obstructions, with the force of a vajra, the creator of fear, his is the famous vajra, with a vajra in his heart, having the illusory vajra and a great belly. A lord with his weapon, whose source is vajra, with the essence of vajra he is like the sky, and having a unique, unmoving multitude of tufts of hair, he is wet in bearing the elephant-skin garment. With great terror, saying Ha Ha, and creating fear saying Hi Hi, with a terrible laugh, a great laugh, he is Vajrahasa, the great clamor. He is Vajrasattva, the great being, and Vajraraja with great bliss. Indestructible violent with great delight, he performs the HUM of the Vajrahumkara.
Taking as a weapon the arrow of vajra, with the sword of vajra he slashes. Holding the crossed vajra, a possessor of vajra, with the unique vajra he is victorious in battle. Having terrible eyes blazing like a vajra and with hair blazing like a vajra; he is Vajravesha, in exalted possession, with a hundred eyes, eyes of vajra. His body hairs bristling like vajras, a unique body with vajra-hairs, the origin of his nails in the tips of vajras, he has skin which is impenetrable and in essence vajra. Glorious in bearing a rosary of vajras and ornamented by ornaments of vajra, his is the great noise and the terrible laugh Ha Ha, and the six syllables with noise like a vajra. Gentle-voiced (Mañjughosha), with a great roar, he is great with the sound unique in the world. He is sonance as far as the end of the sphere of space and the best of those possessed of sound."
-Mañjuśrī-Nāma-Saṃgīti (Chanting of the Names of Mañjuśrī), Ten Verses, Plus a Quarter, on the Mirror-Like Gnosis (Vajrayana School)
Navigating back up proved manageable, if annoying. The few snake warriors who remained fled when they saw the three- it seemed they were somehow aware of the state of their lord. Without anyone guarding the path upwards, (aside from the Abductors, which they all avoided at all costs) it didn't take too long for them to arrive back at the main manor.
As they crept through the secret hallway where they had first entered the underside of the manor, Yura spoke up- "We should be prepared- I doubt the people here will take kindly to us killing their lord. They might be standing just outside- awaiting our return."
Rogier, still riding the high from seeing a giant snake-monster be sliced apart in front of him, seemed more relaxed- "Eh, maybe- then again, maybe they'd think better of it. If we could fell Rykard, they probably don't stand much of a chance."
"Even still- an ambush from them all could put us at a disadvantage," Yura warned, "Do not get overconfident." He slowly crept out of the dingy hall, returning to the well-lit luxury of the central manor as the two followed behind him.
"Well, I don't see anything yet…" Rogier whispered as he crept around cautiously.
"Good- now, let's leave," Yura said decisively.
"No," Wolf replied, "Not yet. They're assassins- if we leave now, they'll chase us down. We need to deal with them now."
Yura seemed reluctant, but nodded- "Maybe you've got a point. Still, Tanith is Zorayas' mother… she was, at least. I don't want to see her dead- if only because the kid doesn't deserve that."
"...We'll try talking it out, then. Or intimidation, if it comes to it," Rogier muttered. "For a group of murderous zealots, they seemed reasonable enough."
Their course of action decided, they continued to make their way to the main hall. The candles and braziers flickered against the cold, merciless stone- at the end, Tanith sat, knight beside her.
Her mask hid any possible emotion she had, and her voice belied nothing. "Truly, things have become a veritable mess," she said, her voice carefully controlled. "Zorayas has gone astray, and our Lord has been defeated at your hands. Still- in time, all can be recovered. Perhaps it is strange of me to ask, but may you give this to Zorayas?" She held out a small glass vial with a murky liquid inside. "I suspect you have no love for the manor, given your actions, but do it for the girl, if nothing else. She does not deserve the turmoil of knowing her circumstances- give her this, so she may forget it all."
Rogier confusedly spoke- "You do not begrudge us for slaying Rykard?"
Her voice remained monotone, yet her posture seemed to grow slightly disheveled. "I will admit, I felt somewhat… betrayed, when I learned of your deceit. Perhaps I should have anticipated it. Still- as I said, all can be recovered. Our lord cannot die- in truth, it may take centuries for him to recover. As it stands, I must simply join my lord in his rapture, become one with him…"
Rogier glanced nervously down at the Mortal Blade- "Oh, of course… such a being as Rykard could never truly die," he said placatingly. He glanced at the vial in Tanith's hand- "...If you want us to give that to Zorayas in order to... ease her pain, you clearly care for her. If you were to join Rykard… who would take care of her?"
Tanith let out a mirthless laugh, her voice cracking slightly- "I have never taken care of Zorayas. I have provided her food and shelter- but I could never say that I have taken care of her. I am too weak-willed- I could never ease her worries, be a true mother to her. I even had to resort to asking you to figure out what troubled her." Her hands left the arms of her chair, and clutched around her waist. "It would be better if I simply left her, and served at my lord's side. Should this world prove merciful, the tonic will allow her to forget me as well. She is capable- I had foolishly wished to maintain her innocence, but she can fend for herself."
Wolf spoke up- "...Did she speak with you earlier?"
"...Indeed," Tanith said after a lengthy pause. "The sentimental girl said that she will 'prove herself worthy' of being my daughter. She should not doom herself to such a pointless quest- it is I who is not worthy of being her mother. Please, I beg of you-" she held out the vial once more, "allow her to move on from me."
Yura's brow furrowed- "You said yourself the kid can make decisions for herself. If she still wishes to consider you her mother- who are you to say otherwise?"
Tanith lowered her head- "...Even if I were selfish enough to remain with the girl, it is not what my lord would wish- in such a state as he is, I simply must join with him, to give him companionship while he recovers…"
Rogier slowly turned to Wolf, nudging the Mortal Blade at his side. "...Should I say it?" he whispered.
Wolf shrugged- as far as social situations go, he was entirely beyond what he was prepared to deal with.
Rogier took a deep breath, resolving himself- "I'm going to say it," he muttered to himself.
Rogier spoke as clearly as he could- "Your lord is dead. Truly dead. Rune of Death dead." He whispered to Wolf- "Show her."
As Tanith sat in disbelief, Wolf slowly raised the Mortal Blade from its sheath- the knight beside Tanith tensed, ready to face the threat against his mistress. Tanith gestured to the knight to back down, and he returned to standing completely still.
"...You speak the truth." Her voice dripped with forced calmness. "I… suppose it was all for naught, then. All the lives given to my lord, so that he would one day free us from the shackles of gods…"
"He had lost himself," Yura said firmly. "He was never going to usurp the gods- and if he did, he would only replace their shackles with his own. The people Rykard had devoured- they lived in suffering. A power based on the suffering of others could never bring peace."
Tanith paused, fist clenching and then unclenching. "And what of me, then? I, who continued to bring him more Tarnished to add to him, led Tarnished warriors into slaying their own?"
Yura shrugged- "I cannot pass judgement onto you. None of us can. We could kill you, I suppose- but what good would that do? If you ever wanted to consider atoning… well, helping Zorayas would be a good place to start. Helping her as a mother, that is- abandoning her and taking her memories is only a cowardly escape."
Tanith took a deep sigh, her face inscrutable beneath her mask. "You… have given me much to think about. For now, though… may I ask to be alone?"
"Very well," Yura said. The three made their exit from the main hall, and stood outside. Behind them, they heard heavy footsteps- the knight who stood next to Tanith had walked behind them.
"Thank you," the deep, rasping voice spoke.
Rogier appeared skeptical- "You would thank us for killing your lord?"
The knight shook their head- "My mistress is Tanith. Her lord is not mine." With those words, the tall armored figure returned to Tanith's side.
After that encounter, the three wandered the manor in search of Zorayas- instead, they found someone else.
"Well, you've all made a right screw-up of things," Patches said with mild amusement. "I imagine Tanith's gone off the deep end by now- I reckon it was about time I struck it on my own again, anyways."
"Didn't you ask us to help you get closer with Tanith?" Rogier asked suspiciously, "And now you just want to leave?"
Patches snorted- "Yeah, I asked you for help- and you couldn't even do that, could you? Not that it matters now, anyways. Plans change- Tanith was always a tiny bit loony about that lord of hers, and now that you've gone and killed the bastard, I'm not foolish enough to believe she hasn't lost her head entirely."
"If you care for her, maybe you should stay with her and try to help her while she's struggling," Yura advised.
"Hah! Now there's a laugh," Patches said sardonically, "I've met some poor judges of character, but I haven't ever met someone who thought I was the 'helping' type. I'll admit, I was a bit of an idiot before- thinking I could actually have a nice little relationship with Lady Blasphemy before-" He paused and blushed, "A professional relationship , that is- but I assure you, my childish daydreams have been thoroughly dashed. No way I could ever help that steaming pile of zealotry…" He muttered a few words under his breath- "Even if it's nice to think about."
Yura looked into Patches' eyes- "Maybe being there will be enough- she likely feels alone, after losing her lord. Perhaps friendly companionship, or even just an ear to listen, is all she needs."
Patches froze, before grinning sarcastically- "Ah, just be there for the zealot and hope she gets over her obsessive worship for a murderous snake-god? Sounds like a sound plan." Despite the derisive tone, he seemed to mull it over for a second. "...Eh, not like I have anything better to do, I guess." His face scrunched in thought for a few seconds. "Fine, fine- you've convinced me with your stupid idealism. I'll stay for a little while- and when she inevitably continues to go insane I'll leave."
Wolf spoke up- "...What of the other members? Do you think they'll come after us?"
Patches shrugged- "Eh… I doubt it. Bernahl seems completely unbothered- but without a lord to follow, I wonder if he'll even stay a Recusant. Diallos, on the other hand, has been all guilt-ridden after realizing that he joined the manor for nothing." Patches smiles deviously- "Of course, when I tell him that one of the manor's next targets was supposed to be his brother, well- maybe he'll be thankful that it all came to naught as soon as it did. Doubt the bastard will leave, though- he's almost come to see Rya as something like a little sister."
"What do you think of her?" Yura asked.
"She's… tolerable." Patches replied. "So innocent it's annoying, though. It's a miracle the girl's still alive. Guess I'll have to get used to her, if I'm staying here any longer." He let out a tired sigh. "Now, if you'll excuse me, this day has been entirely too eventful, so I'm going to my room." With those words, Patches hastily left the conversation.
"Should've asked him where Zorayas was," Rogier commented. "Well, nothing left to do but keep looking."
As they searched through the manor, they passed by the entrance hall- at the bottom of the stairs near the front door, Zorayas stood. Her head snapped upwards as she saw them walk by, waving to them. Walking down the stairs in the ornate hall, they made their way to her.
"Brave Tarnished- I had thought you might leave once I heard the news of Rykard, so I awaited you here. I admit, I don't know much of Rykard- only what Mother revealed after she heard of his defeat. I need your advice- I am unsure of what to do." Zorayas took on a worried expression as she spoke- "I had wanted to go out on my own- to show Lady Tanith that despite the foul circumstances of my birth, I might still be able to call her my mother. Yet, now I am unsure- she has been out of sorts, and I worry my absence might trouble her. I wish to prove myself, but I do not want to burden her…"
"Kid- you have nothing to prove," Yura said with reassuring certainty. "We spoke with her- she loves you as a daughter, of that, there's no doubt. A mother's love should be unconditional- whether they are a mother by blood or otherwise. I believe you should stay- for now, at least. Your mother's going through something, and she could use you being at her side."
"Agreed," Rogier spoke.
"...I see," Zorayas said with an almost imperceptible smile- "I give you my thanks. It seems so very simple when you say it." She gazed at the front door with a slight sadness- "If you are to leave the manor, I wish you farewell- and I ask you return, if only to visit."
"Of course," Yura nodded, slowly approaching the door. "And, kid- if you ever do decide to leave the manor- let it be for yourself, not your mother."
With a wordless nod, Zorayas waved the three goodbye.
What they didn't account for was that they would no longer have Zorayas' invisibility charm to shield them from the notice of the Abductors- fortunately, Torrent was capable of outpacing the mechanical horrors, even if they all came close to being split in half by spinning blades several times. None of them were eager to pass by the swathes of burning bodies that laid outside the manor, but soon enough, they returned to the (mostly) corpse-free environs of Altus.
"So, where to?" Rogier asked atop Torrent. "Obviously we're heading east towards Leyndell, but the damn place is mountainous enough that I doubt the best path is straight through."
"Hell if I know," Yura shrugged, "From what I've heard, there's a direct path to the capital near the Great Lift, but we've wandered pretty far from there. For now, I suppose we'll have to pick a path and hope it steers us right. Even if it doesn't take us to Leyndell- perhaps we'll have some other fortuitous encounter, hm?"
"You're more optimistic than I," Rogier sighed, "But I guess there's nothing to do but wander and hope." He turned to Wolf, who sat at the front of Torrent- "Well, it's your choice, friend. I'm trusting your sense of direction here."
And so Wolf rode on- he was used to traversing mountainous terrain (although not on horseback,) and soon, he found himself in a wide canyon, sheer cliff faces standing on the left and right. WIth nowhere to go but forward or back, they trekked on- and in the distance, a castle soon made itself visible. Sitting in a murky green swamp, crumbling outer walls stood next to thorny trees. At the center, an impressive tower stood, surrounded by smaller buildings on every side.
"...Looks like this is where the path ends," Rogier said. "It's not Leyndell, but we've come all this way…" Rogier gained his familiar adventurous grin- "Since we're here, it'd be remiss of us to not explore the giant abandoned castle, yes?"
Yura let out a deep sigh- "Ah, why not. It's not like we're chasing after a murderous madman, after all." Despite his sarcastic words, it didn't seem like he objected to the idea that much.
"...Do you think there's anything of value?" Wolf asked.
"Maybe, maybe not," Rogier shrugged. "Still, you don't get to build a castle this big without having some power behind you. It's worth a look, if nothing else."
"Let's go, then." Dismounting Torrent, the three approached the swamp where the castle stood- when they saw a red-haired woman looking up at the towering fortress nearby.
"Should I call out to her?" Rogier whispered to Wolf and Yura. Yura shrugged, and Wolf nodded slowly, although his hand hovered over his sword just in case. "Hey! You there!" Rogier shouted loudly as he waved his arms overhead, "D'you know what this castle is?"
Hearing a yell behind her, the woman rapidly swiveled her head backwards toward the source of the sound- cautiously, she walked towards the three.
"...Rare to see someone announce their presence out here," she said skeptically. "Let alone so loudly." As she approached, they noticed that she only had one arm- scarring was visible on the few uncovered parts of her body. She glanced behind Rogier, and assessed Wolf- "...Rarer still to encounter such a kindred spirit. Tell me, where'd you get a thing like that, hm?" She stared carefully at his prosthesis.
"...Far from here," Wolf said carefully, "And it's one of a kind, unfortunately. I doubt I could make another from scratch."
She shrugged with one arm- "Ah, well– it's of little matter to me. Or at least it will be soon, I hope. You, there…" She pointed at Rogier.
"Rogier," he supplied her.
The woman nodded. "Rogier, then- you asked what I know of this place. There is a warrior who dwells here- a close devotee of a… relative of mine. He has something that belonged to her- something that should be mine by blood. A prosthetic- it is wasted in his possession. My hope is that he will give it up, once he is aware of my relation to her."
"I see…" Rogier spoke. "Well- would this warrior have anything else of value… items you might not be as attached to?"
"Quite the opportunist, I see-" She gave Rogier a wary smile. "In truth, I do not know. Most of what he possesses are likely keepsakes that once belonged to her- their value more sentimental than anything. I doubt you would find them as valuable as he does."
"Is that so?" Rogier's previous excitement was slightly extinguished.
"That said… having your assistance in this endeavor might prove useful, should this warrior be unwilling to give up the prosthetic. I might not have anything for you, mage- but your companion…" She turned to Wolf. "...I have something you will find quite valuable, I'm sure. For your time, I will impart unto you a sword technique like no other. You wield a blade not dissimilar from hers- and with a prosthetic, too. Perhaps it is fate."
Wolf seemed skeptical- "This powerful technique… may I see it?"
She considered it carefully- "Very well- but only the beginning of it." Raising her sword above her, she gradually rose into the air. Wolf had heard stories from the Sculptor of how Isshin Ashina had trained his swordsmanship- how he had trained relentlessly in order to gain the focus required to cut dozens of times in a single instant. Wolf had never seen the technique for himself, even after fighting Isshin- but he imagined it might have looked something like what laid in front of him now. Strangely enough, it was also reminiscent of one of his own techniques that was said to have belonged to Lady Tomoe- the Spiral Cloud Passage, with its relentless swings. Back to back to back, she cut with relentless speed, her sword barely visible- still, it was not quite there, not quite perfect- the technique was designed for a level of speed and precision that she had not yet reached. After she had performed the first set of strikes, she stopped herself- this was not the end of the technique, but it was where she would stop her demonstration. As she descended, Wolf spoke-
"That technique is not originally yours- whose was it, before you?" Wolf asked.
"None other than Malenia herself." She had an almost triumphant grin on her face.
Rogier stood behind in shock- "You- this relative of yours… how?" He turned to Wolf and Yura, who stood calmly- "How are neither of you surprised?!"
Wolf shrugged- "I don't really know who that is."
Yura sighed- "I mean- red-haired, clearly has Scarlet Rot, has a relative who owned a prosthetic- it wasn't a huge leap."
"What do you mean it wasn't a huge leap?!" Rogier tried his hardest not to yell. "Do you just assume that every stranger you meet is the child of a damned Empyrean!?"
"So." The woman spoke over Rogier with a proud smile. "I take it you're all interested. If we are to be working together, you may call me Millicent. A pleasure."
Wolf bowed slightly- "A pleasure."
And so, the three became four- joined together in their goal to reach the top of the Shaded Castle. The poison swamp surrounding the inner castle was annoying to get through, but there was enough solid ground that it didn't prove too great a challenge. In truth, the path upward was relatively straightforward, and soon, they found themselves at the base of the central tower.
"What's with all of these stone statues?" Rogier asked, nervously looking around- "They seem out of place. There's hundreds of them- and they all look like they're staring at us."
"I think they're pleasant decor," Millicent objected. "I… agree with you about the staring, though. Still, I would have noticed if they moved, so I think they're just regular statues… hopefully."
Carefully avoiding the watchful gaze of the countless statues, they emerged in a wooden hallway- filled with even more statues.
"I believe he's up ahead," Millicent warned. "I'll talk with him- remember, you're only here in case things go wrong." She slowly approached the room ahead and entered- an imposing figure clad in thorned armor stood, gazing longingly at a painting of Malenia above. Millicent grew surprisingly close to him before he finally turned around and noticed her.
His voice was surprised, and yet it still managed to remain imposing.". ..You invade my quarters, during my time of reflection. I know better than to hastily cast judgement on another, however- so I will allow you to make your case. Let your next words be good."
"Sir Elemer," Millicent began, "I am Millicent, relative to Malenia. I have come to make a request of you- I ask that you give me her prosthetic. Surely it is what she would wish- to see her property returned to her own family, who is in need of it."
"Is that so, girl." His voice was wary- unsure whether to be amazed or outraged. "I admit, the resemblance is there, but that alone is not proof enough. Family is not blood alone- anyone who is truly in the line of Malenia must have the skill necessary to call themselves such." He raised his hand, and his greatsword rose into the air beside him- " To claim one's self as Malenia's blood falsely is a crime punishable by death. So, girl- show your skill, or die."
Elemer's sword began to approach Millicent as she rose into the air in a familiar stance- she began to move. The first volley of strikes knocked Elemer's blade to the ground, loose from his control. For a moment, there was a brief pause before the second set of attacks began, devastating his armor as he fell to the ground. Lastly- the finale to it all, a final barrage of swings caused the wounded man to collapse. The battle had ended before it had truly began.
Sobbing chuckles began to grow from the battered man lying on the ground- yet, they seemed to be of joy rather than sadness. " The Waterfowl Dance…" He seemed to be in rapturous awe. " To think I could bear witness to it, let alone be its target… My truest thanks, O blood of Malenia…"
"Yes, well…" Millicent was unsure of what to do with the crying man before her. "...Where exactly is the prosthetic?"
"In the chest right over there," he said through tears. " I assure you- it has been kept in pristine condition."
As Millicent walked to the chest and grabbed the arm within, the three other walked into the room.
"So, I guess we were unnecessary," Rogier said with mild disappointment.
"Yes, well- a deal is a deal, and so I will teach your friend there the technique all the same. In fact…" She paused to consider something. "Maybe our deal should not end here. Tell me, what do you see in the distance?" She gestured towards a window facing northwards.
"...The Haligtree." Rogier said with slight reverence. "To think I'd see it, even from this distance…"
"Perhaps it does not need to be from a distance," Millicent said with an eager smile. "You seem like a scholar- one who would take interest in going to such hallowed ground. Well, as you may know, it is sealed off- no one may access it. With two exceptions, that is. Either one must possess a medallion, both halves of which have been lost to secrecy… or one must be of the blood of Malenia."
Rogier's eyes were practically glimmering with excitement, but he held himself back- "...What do you gain out of this?"
"The Haligtree is a dangerous place," Millicent explained- "I have tried to make it there myself to Malenia, but I could never reach her- not without aid."
"...How is her swordsmanship, compared to yours?" Wolf asked.
"I couldn't say. What's an ant to a giant?" Millicent said, certain of Malenia's superiority.
"I'm interested." Wolf said determinedly.
Yura sighed- "Once again, in case you've both forgotten, we have a crazed murderer to stop. …Then again, we do need to get stronger in order to face him. Malenia's swordsmanship could help, since our lead on the Land of Shadow hasn't gotten us-"
"The Land of Shadow?" Elemer's head jolted upwards. Several people in the room tensed- they had forgotten he was even there. "I have heard talk of it, recently. I have scouts who keep me informed on talk of Malenia- apparently, several people have gone in search of Miquella, her brother- claiming that he has gone there."
Rogier grinned- "And if we want to find where Miquella is- who would know better than his sister?"
"Well… fine then," Yura said with resignation, "To Malenia it is." He muttered under his breath- "And we were so close to Leyndell…"
With nothing left to do, the four left Elemer in his blissful rapture. As they returned outside the castle, Millicent turned to Wolf- "I think I've gotten used to the arm- enough to teach you the Waterfowl Dance, anyways." She rose into the air, demonstrating the technique, detailing every step of the process. It had been at least an hour- Yura and Rogier were busy planning their trip to the Haligtree at the same time. Wolf had attempted the Waterfowl Dance several times, getting used to its abrupt swings.
"...Why are there pauses between each set of swings, rather than a continuous motion?" Wolf asked.
"...I don't know. As I said, it's not my technique." Millicent said. "It's served Malenia well enough, and it's worked for me."
"I see." Wolf said. Given his experience in the Spiral Cloud Passage, he had picked up the technique remarkably quickly, sloppy and slow as it was. (Or rather, what Wolf considered to be sloppy and slow.) An idea came to him- both the Waterfowl Dance and Spiral Cloud passage were techniques characterized by rapid swings with intermittent pauses between. Would it be possible for him to weave the techniques together, replacing the pauses with alternating the technique? It was foolish- similar enough as they were, carelessly combining sword techniques almost always led to a result inferior to its parts- and yet, the idea enticed him.
Taking a deep breath, he attempted his combined technique- it was an utter failure. He was too new to the Waterfowl Dance- by the time he had alternated between the techniques, he had completely confused himself about where to strike when. If he were truly to attempt to fuse the two, first, he must have complete mastery over both halves.
His hopes of creating a new sword technique dashed (for now,) Wolf sat at a nearby Grace.
"Are you alright, Wolf?" Melina asked as she manifested next to him- "You seem… disappointed."
"I tried something… it didn't work," Wolf said dejectedly, absolutely not pouting.
"...Is that so. Well, I wish you luck, with whatever it is." Melina said reassuringly. "In any case, it's clear you've been quite busy since I last saw you. You have quite the trove of runes- and a Great Rune, on top of it all. Would you like me to turn your runes into strength?"
"Yes, thank you." It was routine at this point- he felt his runes leaving him, and newfound strength flowing in. The flames had grown stronger still- but it was a familiar, and even slightly comforting sensation. What once endlessly scalded his soul was now a pleasant warmth.
"You've grown quite strong, indeed- it will be a while still before runes can no longer benefit you, but be warned, the power of their gains does lessen as more are used."
"That will be fine- I'm looking into other sources of power," Wolf stated.
"Were that statement from anyone else, I'd be worried- but I trust you to take care of yourself." Melina gave him a small smile. "Now, with your second rune from Rykard, Leyndell will be within your reach. It will not be long before you reach the foot of the Erdtree…"
"...About that," Wolf spoke reluctantly, "We're taking a detour to the Haligtree."
"Truly?" Melina said with mild surprise, "I had thought it sealed away- but I suppose you have your means. As for not going straight for Leyndell- it truly does not bother me. Not long ago, the very idea of finding a Tarnished who would be able to reach Leyndell was foreign to me- to know that you have already crossed that barrier brings me great joy."
Wolf's voice grew softer- "...Do you truly believe Leyndell will house the answers on how I may return home?"
Melina let out a small sigh- "It is home to the Greater Will- or its representative, at least. I am almost certain an Outer God would be able to bring you home- whether it would listen to the demand of a Tarnished, though, is doubtful."
A silence lingered between the two, and Melina took the opportunity to speak once more- "...Forgive me if this question is presumptuous. If the Greater Will does listen to you, and you choose to go home- would you miss the companions you have made here?"
"I hope I do not have to make the choice," Wolf replied.
"What do you mean?" Melina asks.
"...I hope that either the Greater Will will realize I do not belong here, and bring me home without asking- or that it does not care for my wishes, and will refuse to bring me home. To make the choice myself would mean choosing to abandon my lord and Lady Emma- or my companions here. I know which I would choose- but I would live with regret, thinking about those I have left behind. I am weak-willed- it would be best if the choice was made for me."
Melina put her hand on his shoulder. "There is no shame in wanting to stay with those you care about, whether that be your lord or your companions."
Wolf's voice was resigned- "To be a Buddhist is to rid one's self of attachment- to accept that all things are impermanent, and everything must end."
He sighed, "I suppose that makes me a terrible Buddhist."