A buddha does not save sentient beings / Through an inferior vehicle. / The buddhas themselves / Abide in the Mahayana; / The Dharma that they have attained, / Is adorned with meditation, wisdom, and power; / And through these they save the sentient beings. / I would be ungenerous / If I were to lead and inspire even a single person / Through an inferior vehicle, / Having attained the highest path, / The universal Dharma of the Mahayana. / This is simply not possible. / If anyone takes refuge in the Buddha, / The Tathāgata will not deceive him. / A Tathāgata has neither stinginess nor jealousy / And has detached himself / From the evils of the phenomenal world. / That is why the buddhas of the ten directions / Are the only ones who have no fear. / Having a body adorned with the marks of a buddha, / Emitting a ray of light that illuminates the worlds / And revered by immeasurable sentient beings, / I teach the signs of the true aspects / Of the phenomenal world.

O Śāriputra! You should now know / That originally I made a vow / To make all sentient beings my equal / Without any difference. / Now I have already fulfilled this vow / That I made in the past. / I will lead and inspire all sentient beings / And cause them to enter the path of the buddhas. / If I met sentient beings / And taught them till the end the path of the buddhas, / Those with little understanding / Would be confused and perplexed / And would not accept the teaching. / I know that these sentient beings / Have never cultivated the roots of good merit. / They are attached to the desires of the five senses, / Disordered by delusion and passion, / And have fallen into the three troubled states of being / Because of these desires. / They are wandering through / The six transmigratory states, / Tormented by every kind of suffering. / They are continually being born as tiny embryos / In one world after another.

These people of few qualities and little merit / Are afflicted by various sufferings. / They enter into the jungle of sixty-two false views / Such as "This exists" or "This does not exist." / They are so firmly and deeply attached to false teachings / That they cannot get rid of them. / They are arrogant, proud, deceitful, and dishonest. / They have heard neither the names / Nor the True Dharma of the buddhas / For thousands of myriads of koṭis of kalpas. / Such people are difficult to save. / That is why, O Śāriputra, I devised the method of teaching / The way to extinguish all suffering through nirvana. / Even though I taught nirvana, / It is not the true extinction. / Every existing thing from the very beginning / Has always had the mark of quiescence. /The heirs of the buddhas who practice this path / Will thereafter become buddhas in the future.

With the power of skillful means / I have presented the teachings of the three vehicles. / Yet all of the Bhagavats / Teach the path of the single vehicle. / This great assembly / Should now rid itself of confusion. / The words of the buddhas are not inconsistent. / There is only the single vehicle; / There is no other.

-Saddharma Puṇḍarīka (True Dharma White Lotus) Sūtra (Mahāyāna Canon)

Wolf had been informed that killing Radahn would open the path to Nokron- but he still wasn't sure about how exactly it would happen. Would a long-sealed gate open? Would the city itself emerge from the ground? Just as he was pondering, a radiant star closer than any of the others began to descend from the endless sky above, and collided into the land below with a massive shaking roar. For a moment, all Wolf saw was engulfed by endless light. Slowly, the ever-engulfing light began to dim, and everything seemed to be normal once more.

Blaidd spoke up first- "Well, I'd bet anything that that's our ticket. Difficult to tell from this angle, but…" He paused, thinking for a moment- "Yeah, I'd say that struck somewhere in the Mistwood."

Rogier looked ecstatic- "Ah, to think I'd really get to see it… Nokron isn't exactly my area of study, but even so, any researcher would kill to get to see such a place in person…"

Wolf looked ecstatic (well, he looked mildly happy, but that was as close as he got to ecstatic) for different reasons- "...We can leave Caelid now?"

Blaidd gave the two of them a massive grin- "Yes, we can leave Caelid now."

The trek back was unremarkable (as much as Caelid could be) and with a few hours of constant travel, Limgrave was in sight once more.

"Ah, the grass is green…" Rogier closed his eyes in bliss, "I won't take such a thing for granted again."

Blaidd nodded, "Neither will I. Still, the worst of it is over- we've made it through Caelid, and from what I know of Nokron, there's not much left there but the remnants of the Nox and their creations. When the Greater Will condemned the city to its fate, they made damn sure not to leave anything that could threaten them- there shouldn't be much left to hurt us."

Rogier looked confused- "...Aren't we here to find a blade that can slay the Fingers?"

Blaidd grinned- "Yes, well… even the Outer Gods aren't perfect, it seems. A single blade was hidden from even their sights- or at least so my mistress tells me."

"...We're supposed to find it when a god couldn't?" Wolf looked skeptical.

Blaidd nodded- "Precisely. Don't worry- I've got a keen sense of smell," he said blithely.

Wolf glanced up- "...Crater's up ahead."

Blaidd's eyes practically shone in anticipation, "So it is. Now to figure out how to get down."

Noticing a Grace, Wolf stopped and spoke, "Go ahead on foot, I'll catch up." Blaidd and Rogier nodded, and continued forward.

He sat before the Grace and felt Melina manifest before him- "I see that you possess a great many runes- I take it you were successful in slaying Radahn. However… I do not sense the Great Rune. Is it in the possession of the man you spoke of, Okina?"

Wolf grimaced, "...It is."

Melina gave him a sympathetic look. "Unfortunate- but you are alive. So long as he does not become Elden Lord, all is not lost."

Wolf looked conflicted- "...Do you believe he could become Lord?"

Melina had a sad smile on her face- "I haven't met him, so I couldn't truly say, but I believe you capable of reaching such a position, if you wished it. For him to defeat you- he likely possesses the strength to do so. Still- it is a lengthy and arduous process, beyond merely reaching the throne. That, and he does not seem single-minded in his goal- you had stated he was going straight to Leyndell, yet he went to face Radahn when he heard of the festival. You have time to grow strong and defeat him- but how much time, I could not say."

Wolf felt nervous, putting his faith in a power he barely understood- but what choice did he have? "Please, use my runes."

Melina nodded, "Of course, Wolf."

Strength and vigor coursed within him, his flames grow hotter still, but doubt lingered- "I cut him. My sword sliced directly across where he was, where he should have been… but the attack didn't connect. Not only that, but he is able to cut without swinging his blade. How do you beat someone that can dodge without dodging, attack without attacking? I fear runes will not be enough. Dragon hearts are too corruptive a power… do you know of any alternatives?"

Melina paused in thought- "...The transformation of Rennala is flawed, and it only reassigns potential, rather than creating it. The Omens have unique magic, each of them- but Morgott is behind the sealed walls of Leyndell, and Mohg has hidden himself away. Malenia… hm. Her skills seem uniquely suited to you, but, once again, out of reach. Rykard… his quest for godhood has led him to seek out every method of power imaginable. Most of it is absolutely abhorrent, but… perhaps there's something of use in there. Something that doesn't require ritual sacrifice or transform you into a ghastly monster, that is."

Wolf gazed at Melina- "Rykard… do you truly believe he will help me?"

She let out a small chuckle, "Rykard himself? No. He will eat you. But before his, um, descent, shall we say, he was said to actually be a rather scholarly man. Notes of his pursuits likely still exist within his manor."

Wolf sighed, "...And one of his methods could potentially be useful and safe."

Melina gave him a wry smile, "It's a lot of work for what is essentially a maybe, but if you're in such dire need for quick power, I do not know what other choice you would have. Besides- from what I understand, Rykard is no longer the one who oversees his own manor, so, should you be lucky, you won't have to see him at all."

"Lucky, you say… When am I ever?" He groaned.

"Well…" Melina smiled, "You managed to find a kind maiden who will strengthen you, listen to your problems, and give you wise advice, so… at least somewhat lucky, I would imagine."

Wolf turned his head to her- "That is true… Thank you, for what you have done for me. In truth, I would have died many times were it not for the regeneration you have given me."

Melina chuckled, "It is no problem, Wolf. After all- we have an accord, do we not?" Saying these words, Melina began to vanish, and Wolf rose from the Grace, walking towards the crater where Blaidd and Rogier had gone.

"Ah, there you are!" Rogier waved at him. "You didn't miss much- just trying to map our way down into the pit." Wolf turned to look down into the crater- it wasn't just a hole, it was a void- seemingly nothing existed below- nothing that his eyes could see from this distance, at least.

"There's some floating rocks that bring you down," Blaidd said, "...but frankly, I'm not sure I'd wager my life on 'em staying up. Then again- it's been some time, and they've seemed stable so far… might just risk it."

Wolf jumped. Both Blaidd and Rogier looked on in shock, but the rock stayed afloat even with him above it. Rogier spoke up, "Ah, I suppose you could grapple your way out of danger. I don't know how far that rope of yours goes, but could you head down to that ledge down there and launch it up? It seems it leads deeper down."

Wolf obliged- launching himself from rock to rock, before reaching his destination. He looked at where the Blaidd and Rogier stood- both suitably impressed- and tossed his grappling hook upward as he felt rope unfurl from his arm. It was a close thing- but the rope caught the edge of the crater where the two stood.

"Make sure it's firmly in place," Wolf yelled out, "Wouldn't want it falling while you're over the pit."

"Will do," Blaidd yelled out, procuring stakes that he hammered into the ground with the butt of his sword, securing the rope.

"...You had those on you?" Rogier commented.

Blaidd shrugged, "Nokron's not exactly smooth terrain. Helps to have some climbing equipment."

"Fair enough," Rogier said, before steeling himself to grab a hold of the rope. "Just hold on… n-nothing to worry about…"

Blaidd looked at him with a teasing grin- "You're a Tarnished, aren't you? You can come back if you screw up."

Rogier was gripping tightly around the rope, shimmying across the gaping pit- "I've never died from falling and I would very much like to keep it that way! " he yelped.

"You don't die from falling, you die from landing," Blaidd commented with a slightly sadistic smile. Blaidd looked on in mild amusement as Rogier stiltedly moved his way across the rope- "Don't worry, you can mock me when I go after you." Slowly but surely, Rogier made his way to the end of the rope, where he swiftly dismounted- "Oh, sweet land…" He looked up triumphantly- "Your turn, wolf-boy!"

Blaidd rolled his eyes- "Yeah, yeah, I hear you." He proceeded to unceremoniously climb down the rope with almost no outward reaction. "Now that's how you're supposed to do it," he said, looking at Rogier. Rogier refused to dignify it with a response.

"...How long do you think it will take to find this blade?" Wolf asked hesitantly.

"Eh… a couple days? Maybe a week?" Blaidd shrugged. "As I said, I have a nose for these things, but Nokron isn't exactly a small place."

"Okina- the man at the Radahn Festival- I need to defeat him before it's too late. My time is limited."

Blaidd looked intrigued- "Oh? Never known you to be in a rush. What's the deal with you two?"

"He intends on taking the flame below Leyndell."

Both Rogier and Blaidd looked shocked, but it was Blaidd who spoke first, with a grim look on his face- "...Is that so. Look- as I said, Nokron won't exactly be dangerous. I can likely handle it without you. I like you- and you did really help out with Radahn. Here's the deal- you go on and do whatever it is you have to, and when I give the blade to my mistress, I'll tell her you helped me enough to warrant giving you the reward."

Wolf attempted a stilted bow, and looked up at Blaidd with a small smile- "Thank you. It means a lot."

Blaidd groused- if the wolf-man was capable of blushing, he likely would be. "Ah, don't go and thank me yet. Still have to find the damn thing first."

Wolf readied to launch himself up to his grappling hook when he heard a voice- "Wait! I'm coming with you." Rogier was holding on to his arm.

Wolf looked confused- "...I thought you said you wanted to see Nokron."

Rogier scratched the back of his head- "Yes, well… now that it's open, I can come at any time. But, frankly… whatever Nokron has in store is nothing compared to the things I've seen traveling with you, friend. Few can claim to have seen a fully grown deathroot- fewer still to have seen one killed before their eyes. Care to tell me where you plan to go next?"

"...I plan to seek out Rykard's manor."

Rogier's face was one of unbridled joy- "Ah, the Praetor's domain, hm? I suppose I simply have to join you, then!"

"...You seem interested," Wolf said surprisedly.

"There are only so many libraries one can find in the Lands Between, and few are as grandiose as Rykard's. I will admit, perhaps Raya Lucaria might be more in line with my interests, but…" Rogier gained an increasingly eager look- "it is said that Raya Lucaria's teachings have been censored, or at least limited, by the Order. I suspect that will not be a problem for the library of the Blasphemous himself. Just… let's not tell D of this."

Wolf gently held Rogier's shoulder, "...I'm glad to have you with me."

Blaidd snorted, "Real touching stuff, you two. I'm going to Nokron, now- have fun killing my mistress' brother."

Wolf looked a bit surprised at this- "If killing him would upset Ranni, I woul-"

Blaidd gave a toothy grin- "Ah, don't worry about it. I guarantee- there's no love lost there. In fact, I'd encourage you to end that crazed lunatic. Ah- but before you do so, ask if he knows where the claw is. Mistress Ranni wants it back."

"...The claw?"

Blaidd nodded, "He'll know what you mean. Anyways… I'm off!" With those words, Blaidd began to descend into Nokron.

Rogier sighed, "Going to miss that bastard. Ah, but I suppose we'll see him before long." Rogier looked up at the pit he had descended from, before looking at Wolf- "I really wish you had said that you were heading to Rykard's before I climbed down here, though. Do I have to climb all the way up there again?" he grumbled.

"Don't worry," Wolf said, arm tightly clutching Rogier against him, "I'll make this quick." With those words, he launched himself upwards with the grappling hook, Rogier screaming in his arms all the while.

The trek through Limgrave was short enough, and soon the two found themselves back in Liurnia. Rogier, sitting behind Wolf, was looking at his map- "You know, we haven't been to the east of Liurnia at all."

Wolf looked back at him- "...Anything worthwhile there?"

"The map doesn't go into much detail," Rogier explained, "But I'm fairly certain D talked about it. Said there was some kind of priest there- called him heretical, but D calls everyone that."

Wolf looked interested- "Think he knows about Rykard?"

Rogier shrugged- "Might. Might not. Only one way to find out, I suppose."

With those words, Wolf guided Torrent to the east, navigating past the swampy ruins that encompassed most of the area. The two came to an abrupt halt when they arrived next to a massive tower, which overshadowed all else in the area. "A Divine Tower. A relic of ages past- I wonder if the fingers atop still live."

Wolf halted Torrent for a moment, "Is it worth investigating?"

Rogier shook his head- "Doubt it. I mentioned how D met a priest around here- he met him while he was investigating this tower. Said it reeked of death- though, to be honest, I don't really feel anything. Anyways, he said there wasn't any path to the top as it is- and trust me, D's relentless. He'll sniff out every secret- if he says there's no way up, I believe him."

"...I wonder when we'll meet this priest," Wolf muttered.

Rogier raised his head- "Hopefully soon- I think I see a church out in the distance." With that said, Torrent rode on, and the church gradually grew closer and closer. The two dismounted Torrent, and began to walk into the mossy church- where a giant turtle stood.

"Ah, hello there," the turtle spoke. Perhaps it said something about how accustomed he was becoming to this world that he barely even questioned such a thing. "It's been a while since we've had visitors here- and now, three in one day! Tell me, have you come to pray to the union of the Erdtree and Moon? Or are you in need of guidance?" Besides Miriel, a cloaked figure with a wide metal hat stood- one who was familiar to Wolf.

"To think I'd see you again so soon," spoke Yura, somewhat fondly.

Wolf bowed, "Thank you for your words, last time we met."

"Glad they helped," Yura said. "Now, the both of you- you and your friend back there. Come and sit. Miriel and I were talking- join us."

Wolf quietly sat on the ground, and Rogier, not knowing what else to do, joined him. Wolf spoke up first- "I fought with a man named Okina- he is much like the man you described, fallen to hatred, willing to kill for enlightenment."

Yura let out a small choked noise, and spoke- "If that man of which you speak by the name of Okina strongly resembles the disgraced monk I spoke of… I believe it is because Okina is the one I have spoke of. Since you fought him, and you are alive- I assume he is dead. May he burn off his bad karma in naraka and be wiser in his ways."

"He is not."

Yura's helmet obscured any reaction- but he seemed disquieted. "I had not known him to flee or leave survivors."

Wolf looked down grimly- "He believed he had more to learn by fighting me- so he let me live. He had unnatural abilities- he could seemingly warp space around him, and cut without swinging his sword…"

The giant turtle- Miriel, he corrected himself, spoke up- "Hm… an interesting set of skills. Still, from what my friend Yura here tells me, you both share the same beliefs and mental pursuits. Would it not be possible for you to learn this as well?"

Yura shook his head- "Eventually, yes… but Okina's growth is explosive. He will never reach enlightenment, not when he willingly violates the eightfold path wherever he goes, but… in some ways, his methods allow him to grasp concepts of self many other Buddhists struggle with."

"How can his rampaging get him even that far? What hope do I have of catching up?" Wolf asked, uneasy.

Yura took a deep breath, and prepared himself to explain. "Okina's path is corrupted, but a sliver of the Dharma remains, twisted as it is. Okina is not unique, in that aspect- the Dharma has been twisted before, and it will be twisted again. The Buddha spoke of upaya- that is to say, skillful means. The Dharma is endlessly complex- and words are confining. Therefore, one's practice of the Dharma needn't be perfect- an incomplete truth is a truth nonetheless." His words were rehearsed- this was a lesson ingrained in his mind. "In this sense, every pursuit of the Dharma has some merit, regardless of how corrupted it may be. Even Okina's. Still, an incomplete path does not bring one to their destination, and when one is finished with a flawed path, they must correct themselves and move to a fuller one. Needless to say- Okina will not. He is set in his slaughter."

Miriel nodded as fast as a turtle could- evidently, he agreed heavily- "All things hold within them truth. Heresy is merely what has yet to be considered."

Rogier's face was motionless- "I feel a bit lost, I think. But I sort of feel the idea."

Wolf paused- "...Obviously, I cannot resort to slaughter… but could I do something similar? Attempt a different path that can lead to faster growth?"

Yura rested his chin on his hand- "...You may try. Personally, I am from a school that advocates simplicity- I know that even if one does not remember their past incarnations, karma carries over- a lifetime of growth begets a lifetime of growth, until one grasps it all and is extinguished. Still- it is clear that this is too slow for your circumstances. There are schools that use techniques for quicker comprehension, but I believe it is all too easy to lose one's self in materialism when attempting physical rites and acts of sensation." Yura tilted his head in thought, "I am uneducated in the rites and methods used by these schools- and frankly, I do not know anyone in this land who might be. Even Okina is not- we are originally from the same school, and learned under the same teachers."

Rogier spoke up- "We are headed to Rykard's- if anyone is to know of methods to quick power, it's him. He's the thorough sort- wouldn't surprise me that much if he somehow obtained knowledge from the Land of Reeds. Then again, he's the kind who'd worship no god but himself, not sure if this 'buddhism' you talk of would be of his interest."

Yura perked up- "Rykard, you say? Be careful-" he turned to Wolf, "you're a good kid- and you-" he turned to Rogier, "well, I've only met you, so I can't speak for your character. But still- the road to quick power is a disastrous one. I understand, in this case, it is a necessity- but even so! Take only what you need- power, like all things, is transient. Do not grow attached to it."

Wolf nodded firmly, and Rogier followed his lead. Yura continued to speak, slowly lifting himself off of the ground- "Perhaps I will join you once more- I have business in Altus as well with another former comrade, and Okina is my foe as much as he is yours." Yura was fully standing now, and lifted his pack from the ground. "Ready when you all are."

Miriel glanced between them all- "Ah, leaving so soon, are we? What is it you said, Yura? 'All things are transient?' Trust me, as an old soul, I see the truth in that more every single day." He let out a slow, soft laugh.