A/N: Slightly long note here, feel free to skip this part if you like. That said, WARNING!
This chapter doesn't pull any punches. That's right, its loaded with content. Best to think of this as two chapters in one. I didn't want to put this off any longer. Trust me, you'll know at what point the "second" chapter starts. Hope you enjoy the work I put into it. This wasn't quite the weekly update I had planned, but it gave me a chance to add a tonne of extra content.
Still counts, even if it took a little longer.
Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this tale...and others. If folks don't like this, it won't be continued. I'm working two jobs with ever increasing hours so I barely have time to write; as such, I cannot afford to write something folks don't enjoy. So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that. Two jobs keep me absurdly busy, and I can't bring myself to write something folks don't like.
Now for thine questions, comments, and concerns. As ever, feel free to skip this if you like...though it would make me sad T_T :
Q: Update schedule?
A: At this point I have TEN new stories that I could post -thanks for the help, Slifer!- but I desperately want to finish some things first. Said new stories are crossovers with the following: RWBY (Two of those), HOW NOT TO SUMMON A DEMON LORD, INVINCIBLE, DOTA: DRAGONS BLOOD. ONE PIECE, DARK SOULS, ELDEN RING, (Scarlet Sky, One With Spirits and No Strings on Me) each of which are dying to be posted, so on. But...I'm trying to restrain myself. I'm afraid if I start posting new stories I won't be able to stop for awhile. Must...resist!
Q: Liurnia when!
A: Liurnia now! And aaaaal the madness that comes with it. I've written a lot, pushed it back, but now its time for *SPOILER* and *SPOILER* to shine, and let us not forget *SPOILER* of course. Time for *SPOILER* to have the spotlight as well.
Q: Where's Irina? Still with Naruto's clone, I trust?
A: Lets just say the clone's been keeping an eye on the poor girl. Be assured, they'll join up with the main party soon.
Q:...on a level of one to ten, how fucked would an Omenkiller be if they stumbled into Naruto. Asking for a friend. Because if he finds that village...well, you know. So yeah, bruv, one to ten...?
A: In a word? ELEVEN.
Q: More action! Less filler!
A: Patience, you'll soon have your heart's desire.
Alright then, this old man has kept you long enough! I'll let you enjoy this crazy little story.
As ever, I own no quotes references, themes or memes. Not a wit or a one!
Now then, I'll not keep you. Get ready to smile~!
Minor verbatim for ingame dialogue.
"Ain't nothing like a family, ya know."
"Family?! How are we a family?"
"Because we're still alive."
~?
Long Live the Queen(s)
"Seeeee~? I told you we'd be friends."
...please, forgive my rudeness."
"Nothing to forgive."
Naruto couldn't help but preen a little when he said that. Why wouldn't he? Victory was his. A thoroughly beaten and bruised Agheel limped after their party, head bowed in defeat. He knew he'd been beat. All well and good in his book; he wasn't willing to take another life if he could avoid it and the surly had put up quite the fight near the end. Would've been a shame to put him down after all that, ya know? Woulda broke Greyroll's heart, too. Also something to be avoided.
Now if she would just stop smirking like the cat that caught the canary...
"Have you learned your lesson now, my son?" sure enough, Grey couldn't resist ribbing her progeny. "If you wish to go another round with my mate, I would not protest."
Boc tilted his head. "Mate...?
Milicent and Therolina bridled in unison.
Naruto rolled his eyes. "Here we go again...
"M-Mate?!" Agheel all but thundered. "With a human?!"
"Whyever not?" although he couldn't see her from this angle, Naruto just knew her smile was nothing short of sly. "Mine current form is human where it counts."
"Don't read into it." rather than rise to the bait, he clasped both hands behind his head and kept walking. "She hasn't sealed the deal yet...no matter what she might say."
Greyroll huffed. "So cold. Still, that's what I like about thee."
He rolled his eyes anew and kept walking.
...you alright there?" Kurama sensed his mood at once. "That's a bit cold, even for you."
No, he wasn't alright. Not at all. He could feel someone watching them. Stalking them. An unseen presence just out of sight, but not out of mind. It wasn't Melina. She must've sensed it as well in her astral form; because he could feel her floating close to his shoulder, closer than she had been when Agheel attacked. He couldn't even determine its intent; it didn't feel hostile or malevolent quite yet...just curious. But curiosity wasn't always a good thing now, was it?
The rune on his finger hummed. "Be wary."
'Don't gotta tell me twice...
In the end their voyeur didn't show, and thankfully, it didn't take much to convince Agheel to follow them deeper into the Lands Between; his kind respected strength after all, and he'd shown his own in spades. He wasn't quite sure what he intended to do with all these dragons he seemed to be collecting, but surely something would come to him, sooner or later. He'd figure something out after they rounded up Smarag and sacked the Academy.
At least Liurnia of the lakes lived up to its name.
Once a lovely valley, it had long since flooded during the Shattering. Its prosperous gate town was now little more than a sunken ruin haunted by monsters and shades, and it was into this hell that their ragtag little band descended. Hard to believe this place had once been a splendid place of commerce; a place where people came from far and wide to learn the secrets of magic.
"It is our history, my lord." Milicent really knew her stuff, it seemed; when asked as much she'd flushed only a little under his gaze. "We must endeavor to remember it. If not us, then who?" Under his bemused stare, her pale face had turned a pretty shade of pink. "Forgive me. I wanted to be of use to you...I've also done a fair bit of reading in the Roundtable Hold on the subject."
And didn't he just hate that place?
He disliked the idea of leaving a recovering Trish anywhere near Gideon -guy gave him bad vibes- but that pesky pact on the Hold prevented him from him inflicting any sort of harm upon the so-called All Knowing. He'd have to trust in his friends and Rogier to see her safe until he returned. And he would be, just as soon as they concluded their business here...
.
..
...and there was still much work to do, both within their group and without.
"That's putting it mildly. You've attracted quite the eclectic band of rogues, haven't you?"
He cast a quick glance back at the others. Greyroll had chosen to ride atop Agheel's head when he wasn't looking, now the former conversed with Milicent and a fretful Boc. The latter was trying to look anywhere but at the great beast, a fact that both dragons seemed to find infinitely amusing. But where was...?
"Its a lovely day, isn't it, my lord?"
The ghost of a smile touched his face. "Guess it is."
He knew the remark hadn't come from his seamster, but Therolina. She was practically beaming beside him, the silly girl, all but gleaming with glee.
'Well, I suppose she's got a right to be happy.'
If she hadn't had one before, the fledgling Maiden had undoubtedly cemented her place in their group. She'd done her part against Agheel, and while he still would've won the battle even without her aid, the boost she'd given him was...not insubstantial. Even now he could feel himself brimming with power; strength left unspent during his fight. If this was the power of Runes, why hadn't Melina unlocked his before? Therolina hadn't even reached all of them, yet he felt like he cold wrestle a mountain and win.
"My lord?" She was still staring at him now, as if he were her whole world. "It may be presumptuous to ask, but-
He knew what she craved and turned a smile on her. "You did good back there. Real good."
Her eyes lit up. "I did?"
"Without a doubt." he nudged her shoulder as they weaved their way around a fallen tree. "Couldn'ta done that without you."
"Truly?"
Not a lie, really. He wouldn't be this strong without her. Had he broken his limits? Was it possible to the go even further? The possibilities seemed endless-no, no, he chastised himself. Don't get too excited. It would all too easy to get drunk on a power like this. Best tread carefully.
Unfortunately, Therolina mistook his silence for anger and squirmed under his gaze. "I'll get better, I promise. So...
A blink. Naruto didn't like the sudden pang of negativity he felt from her just then. "So...?"
"So please," those bright eyes met his, "Don't throw me away."
Throw...away...? His emotion slipped their leash.
"You need to stop that!" he pivoted, grasping her by both shoulders so hard that she yelped. "No more sulking! No more disparaging yourself! I'm not gonna get rid of you, not ever! Do you understand? I like helping people! You're not the first, and you won't be the last! I'm gonna do my damndest and help everyone I come across!" he began to count off on his fingers before he, further hammering his point home. Hewg, Blaidd, Alexander, Rogier, and the ever surly D-well, they were his friends, just like her. "They might have their own goals, their own quests, but I still want to help them out, ya know?! That includes you! You get me?!
Therolina sniffled. Oh gods, he'd upset her...until she turned a shining smile on him and he realized he hadn't. Not at all.
Her hands flitted out to hold his. "I understand. Yes, I understand perfectly! The Two Fingers truly did guide me to you, my lord-no! My master! For you to quell the doubts in my heart with only a few words...
"Master...?!"
"Great, you've flipped her switch."
Milicent made a displeased noise behind them. "Are the two of you quite done?"
"Look, m'lord!' Boc's voice mercifully cut her off before the two could squabble. "There's a cave ahead...!"
Oh thank the log for distractions.
Naruto paused. Frowned. Squinted now. Sure enough their was an opening carved into a nearby rock face. Shallow perhaps, but just wide enough for a reasonably-sized person to fit through. He couldn't see what lay within, how deep it was, or anyone that might be taking shelter inside...wait. He told a lie. There was something there; no, not something. Someone. An odd itch gnawed at the back of his brain and unbidden, he felt himself taking a step forward. Two now. He would've taken a third still if Therolina hadn't tugged him back.
Greyroll balked. "Must we go in there?"
...feels like we should. You might be a bit too big to fit in there, though...
Greyroll made angry Greyroll noises.
Naruto quirked a brow at her. "Its just a cave. Nothing worry about."
"Who's worried?!" She tore her gaze aside, tail twitching behind her. "Not I!"
A faint smile touched his lips. It was almost too good to be true. "Don't tell me you're scared."
"Nonsense!" The dragonesss reared back puffed out her chest. "I am a dragon, not some hapless fool who fears the daaaaaaargh?!
A wolf's howl echoed within, rendering her haughty response a string of gibberish as she sought shelter behind him. Well, she tried. One couldn't exactly hide when she was that damn tall. Naruto felt a grin tear across his face. He'd seen Greyroll grapple with gods, survive grievous wounds, and take the piss out of anyone who dared to cross her. In truth he'd begun to think she feared nothing.
How lovely it was, very lovely indeed, to be proven wrong.
"You're afraid of the dark, ain'tcha?" he grinned up at her. "That's kind cute."
Her eyes widened. "Cute? I know not the meaning of this word. Do you mock me?"
Naruto told her in no uncertain terms.
Grey blinked. She blinked hard. Reared back as if he'd struck her, eyes narrowed to vicious vermilion slits now as her pale face turned a startling shade of scarlet. Her mouth opened. Closed. Opened again, as she tried to find some semblance of speech, only to fail miserably.
"Did I say somethin' wrong?"
"Bah!" She jerked back and spread her wings, nearly buffeting him in the process." Have your cave, then! I hope a rock falls on your skull! I shall scout ahead!" an arm looped around Therolina, reeling the smaller girl in before she could get away. "Come, little Maiden. I would have words with thee!"
Therolina balked, realizing her peril. "Now wait just a momeeeeeeeeee?!"
Greyroll took wing and her words piqued into a shriek as they roared up into the clouds.
Agheel rumbled softly, a deep throaty sound that might've been a laugh. "...I shall keep an eye on her."
"Sure? I mean, please do." Naruto watched him wing after her with a quizzical frown. "Wonder what that was bout?"
Milicent stepped to him. "Will she be alright?"
Probably. "Eh, Grey's tough."
She hid a smile behind her hand. "I was asking about Therolina...
"Oh." he frowned. "Well, I'm sure they won't kill each other at the very least...
Boc, silent until this very moment, coughed into a fist. "Begging your pardon m'lord, but I'm not one for caves either. I don't suppose we could let it be...?
A blond brow rose. "Wanna wait out here?"
The little demihuman squeaked in quiet fear. "Alone?! I'll be eaten alive!"
Well, he didn't have to be. Nothing a clone couldn't solve; but then again, he didn't want them wandering off again...aha!
"Here." he dug a hand into his pouch and came up with the bell Ranni had given him so long ago. "Use this to call a pack of wolves. They'll keep ya safe."
His seamster considered the trinket for a moment, looked like he wanted to protest, then firmed himself up.
"I...alright, then, m'lord." he gave him a curt not, trying to be braver than he was. "I'll wait for you here. Please hurry back...
"Don't worry, I will." on a whim, he bent to pat the little creature's head. "Just holler if you need help, and I'll come running right back, okay?"
Milicent touched a hand to his arm. "Worry not, I will accompany you."
...appreciate it."
She leaned against him and he luxuriated in her warmth, taking strength from her presence, before he turned to the last member of his party. Idly, he wondeed if Melina would manifest herself. It was not to be. Although he could sense her presence nearby, she remained silent as ever. Her emotions muffled, thoughts hidden, she was in very way a silent specter, refusing to speak unless she wished. Another mountain to climb.
Later, then.
For now, they had a cave to explore.
"Alright, then. Lets see what's in there...
(.0.0.0.)
Latena could feel herself slipping away.
As if she were clinging to a slippery slope with both hands, so too could she feel herself falling, sliding into the black. How long had she lay here? Had long had she suffered? Poison in her veins, stemming from the foul arrow piercing her thigh. The toxins within were eating at her; she was not long for this world. Truly, it was a miracle she'd managed to make it through the cave at all, but here at last dear Lobo had collapsed, spilling her onto the cold, uncaring grass.
Even now his great form shuddered with weaker and weaker breaths. If she was on death's doorstep, her dear wolf was crossing the threshold
She would die here, and her dear partner with her. It wasn't fair. She mustn't perish. No. Nay, not yet. There was still so much to do. She needed to go back, return to the village, avenge the others...!
Wait.
That noise...!
She heard footsteps.
Fear kicked against her chest.
Another one of them, most likely, another brute in service to the All-Knowing.
"See!" she heard the voices soon thereafter. "Told you there was an exit...here...oh. Milicent, watch the exit! I'll be right back!"
Latenna saw boots enter her field of vision and feared a kick. It never came. They just...stood there. She scowled where she lay, still scarcely able to move. "Who goes there...? Have you come to kill me?"
Her wolf growled. Even on death's door, Lobo shifted his great bulk to defend her.
And yet her tormentor did not speak.
"Foul Tarnished." the very words boiled in her blood-much like the toxin slowly killing her. "What do you want? I told the all-hearing brute that I do not possess the medallion he seeks." it still lay with old Albus, a secret she would take to her grave. "My answers to his questions remain the same. I will divulge nothing more...
"What questions?"
Her lips thinned in a taut, angry line. Would that her legs weren't so weak, would that she could stand and fight, would that she could flee...!
Alas, she lacked to the strength to do anything more than scowl. "Have you come to take more from me, Tarnished? More than the all-hearing brute already took?" A faint shudder passed through Lobo's body behind her and she fought down a sob. "Was my other half not enough? Leave me be!"
The voice didn't waver. "I'm not going to hurt you."
A hand reached for her. In a fit of pique, Latenna slapped it away. Not going to hurt her? Lies! Lurid and false, just like the rest! They'd welcomed Gideon's men in good faith, fallen for his silver tongue, even held a feast to honor the "protection" that all-hearing brute had promised them. And then that man -MONSTER!- had brought the slayers, the Omenkillers, the butchers. Her family had been slaughtered. He mother her brothers, and her sisters, even the little ones...
"Easy, there." the newcomer dropped down to his haunches and knelt before her. "You've lost an awful lot of blood, ya know...
Rage gave her the strength to raise her head. "I said leave me!"
Words caught in her throat, strangling a curse.
His hair shown like the sun and his body moreso, all burning, glowing gold, etched with black marks. Stranger still his eyes were of pure amber, slitted like those of a cat with another line running lengthwise through them. They were, perhaps, the most unnatural eyes she'd ever lay eye, pardon the pun. What was he? Man? Monster? Something between?
"I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner." he said. "Relax. I'm here. Its going to be alright now."
For all his fearsome appearance, he smiled at her. Reached past now, laid hands not on Latenna herself, but upon her wolf. Light suffused his palms, a gentle guiding glow. Lobo shook beneath it, less a gasp and more of a tremor. Wounds mended at his touch. A missing leg regrew. His once labored breaths began to even out; she heard his heartbeat grow stronger with each passing moment, until-
"Good boy." the light faded as the stranger leaned back. "See? Friendly-blech?!" he yelped as Lobo sprang to his feet. "Watch the tongue! Not the face! Down! Down!"
Latenna balked. Her other half hadn't been long for this world. Yet here he was, spry as a pup, and twice as enthusiastic. The Golden Man -she couldn't think of anything else to call him- fended off his enthusiasm with one hand, bracing himself on the ground with another as he laughed.
...what are you?"
Whiskered cheeks dimpled in a merry smile. "Someone who wants to help, ya know."
Her brow furrowed. "Your name."
"Naruto." He gave it gladly. A most curious name indeed.
Latenna looked at him again, then. Truly looked at him as she hadn't before. Drank every inch of him in.
Her gaze alighted upon his chest and right arm, noting the markings there. Each glowered with eerie light, one gold, the other red. He seemed stronger for it, somehow. Sharper in her mind's eye. And why wouldn't he be? He'd slain two Shard-Bearers. Latenna had never seen the like before, but she knew the make of a Great Rune. Everyone did. Which meant this Tarnished...he just might be...
"Two great runes, as I live and breathe." awe escaped her with a whisper. "It would seem I've underestimated you."
"And I, you." his smile faded as he noticed the black arrow still-jutting from her thigh. "Here, lemme see your leg." said smile stilled as he lifted her thigh. "That's in there pretty deep...
Here eyes bulged. He wouldn't dare!
"Eaaasy." he drawled the first word to calm her and fished a clean ran from his pouch. "Here. Bite down on this. Might hurt a little."
"..."
"Look, I can't heal ya if that thing's still in there." his voice was warm as honey, yet not patronizing. "Is it poisoned? That seems to be a thing around these parts."
Latenna glared bloody red daggers at him...but nodded all the same. Had he been anyone else, she would've told him what he could do with that rag; that he could bugger right off. But he'd healed her dear friend, helped her other half. Besides, Lobo did seem to like him. Her mount nosed her hand, urging her on. Lobo had ever been a good judge of character. He'd been wary of the All-hearing brute and his men from the first, even when she'd blindly trusted them. Surely if he believed in this one...
With a sigh, she took the cloth from the Golden Man and bit into it.
"Right, then." the man's head went down, brow furrowing. "On three. One. Two-
PAIN!
Her world went red when the bastard pulled early; her body bucked as she screamed into the cloth. Strong hands came down on her shoulders; in a moment of weakness she allowed herself to curl up against them. But only for a moment. Because now those hands were moving past her, coming to rest on the wound of her ruined leg. She was in far too much pain to protest.
"Easy fix, don't you worry." she heard him mutter over the ringing in her ears. "I've healed worse than this. You'll be right as rain in no time. Just breathe...
With those words a strange warmth pervaded her being; like tiny sunbeams sliding under her skin. Before her eyes the blackened veins fled from her flesh like so much mist before the sun. In no time at all, the wound was all but closed. She ran a hand over it, marveling at the unmarked skin. "How-
He didn't stop there.
"Not done yet. Seems like there's something wrong with your legs...
Shame darkened her features. "We albinaurics have weak legs." she hastened to explain. "Once we reach adolescence, we are unable to walk. That is why I have Lobo-ah!"
Latenna tried to speak further, only for a fresh convulsion to wrack her body from head to toe. Little bolts of lightning raced through her veins, shattering her tenuous self control. She thrashed backward. A hand caught her by the head and lowered her gingerly to the ground. She felt something pop in her back, then her hips, followed now by her femur and tibia. Last of all came her ankles, little motes of golden light dancing over her feet. Made her think of butterflies, it did. Now if only they didn't feel so...strange.
Lobo plonked down beside her and nosed at her shoulder.
"Worry not," she managed to touch his snout with a trembling hand. "I feel fine-oh!" a startled cry fled from her lips as another jolt seized her body. Very fine indeed, if she was being honest. This felt good. Very good. Perfectly pleasant, really. Almost like...something she would rather not speak of.
Her beloved partner whined once and curled around her.
Latenna wasn't sure how much time passed after that. Seconds? Minutes? Or perhaps an hour?
At last, her unusual ally took his hands away, wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, and sat down beside her. The unusual golden glow fled from his body; she looked on curiously as those smoldering red eyes last their cross-shaped pupils and receded into gentle, shimmering blue. Oh, dear. Now that he wasn't shining like the sun he actually looked rather...
"So?" their owner asked of her, "How do you feel?"
Latenna's mind fizzled. "Bwuh?"
Whiskered cheeks dimpled in a surprisingly boyish grin. "Not the answer I expected, but given you haven't tried to skewer me yet, I'll take that as a good sign."
"Ahem!" she coughed into a fist, flushing fiercely. "I feel...better. My thanks you have, for your timely aid."
"Don't worry about it." he climbed to his feet. "Here, stand up."
She frowned at his words. "You know that I cannot."
"You can now." his hand didn't waver.
...what did she have to lose?
Her hand clasped his wrist, if only to prove a point. She whistled to Lobo first, however. Her other half moved in, ready to catch her if -when!- she inevitably fell...
.
..
...but she didn't fall.
It took her several seconds to realize it. She was standing, her hand in his, one of his arms looped around her waist to hold her steady as she looked up at him. At any other time Latenna might've flushed. Such thoughts were far from her ind
Because she could stand! Her legs trembled, yes, but not from weakness. She simply hadn't used them in some time.
"See?" he grinned. "Told ya?"
She drew back a little, wriggling out his arm while still holding to his hand. Lobo nudged up behind her for support and she unconsciously leaned against her beloved lupine friend.
Did this man enjoy shattering her worldview so? Whenever she thought something was impossible, he blazed right past it. Or through it. First her dear Lobo, then her wound, now her legs?! Madness. Utter madness. Still, it was a good madness. She could get used to this...
No, no, no. Focus. She had a mission to complete.
...lets try again, shall we?" mustering the tattered threads of her dignity, she sat up. "I am Latenna. An albinauric, as you can see." her head bowed a little when he nodded in return. "My apologies for my coarse words, earlier. I presumed the worst, seeing that you were a Tarnished, and whatnot, much like that brute. Please, forgive me."
For a moment it looked like he might protest the title of "Tarnished" but with a sigh, he shrugged. "Nothing to forgive. "I'm just glad you're alright."
Alright?! She was more than alright! He'd given her legs again!
Still, if he was willing to go so far for her once, perhaps he might yet again...
.
..
...sod it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as the saying went.
"If it pleases you, Tarnished...would you consider doing me another service?"
"Sure." his face hid no lie. "If its more arrows your after, I know a guy. Hewg can fix you right up."
More ammunition...? My, but he was certainly going out of his way to tempt her to his side. And succeeding!
"Well, then!" Heat speared the back of her neck even as her face flushed with color. Bold, this one. "Perhaps later." she said instead. "First, I must go back. To my village. There is something that I must retrieve there, even it pains me. Will you help me avenge my people, good Tarnished?" she wasn't willing to telling him about the land of Miquella's Haligtree. Not yet. Should he pass this last test...well. She'd consider. "If you accept, I would gladly appraise you of the whereabouts of the medallion's other half."
"And where does this Medallion lead?"
She met his gaze stoically, refusing to flinch. "I shall tell you when we have both halves."
He nodded once. "Fair enough."
...thank you kindly." Yes! Victory was hers! "They say the other half of the medallion is beyond the forbidden lands, north of the Erdtree." she turned and pointed toward a distant peak, smiling a little when his gaze soon followed hers. "You'll find it in Castle Sol beyond the Capital, nestled within the Mountaintops of the Giants, accessible by the Grand Lift of Rold."
"Seems a bit of a walk, but sure." again, he yielded to her request all too easily. "I'll be headed that way eventually. Burt first tell me more about what happened to your village.
Latenna did just that, sparing no grisly detail. She told her tale; a story of a people who wished only to be left in peace and the treacherous Tarnished that had come to them. Deceived them. Slaughtered them, when they would not give him what he wanted. As she told her tale, she watched Naruto's face darken. By the time she finished, he looked fit to spit sparks. His eyes flickered red, then back to blue, red again, before finally centering on stormy cerulean once more.
"The man who did this," he paused, swallowed, then mastered his emotions before speaking. "You never told me his name."
Hadn't she? No matter, easily remedied.
"Gideon." Latenna turned her head and spat. "He calls himself Sir Gideon Ophnir. Even claims to be all-knowing, brute that he is."
His eyes flashed with recognition. "Ahhh..."
The noise Naruto made-the way he reacted to her words!-was more akin to a growl than a sigh; an alpha predator taking a deep breath before pouncing upon its prey. Something in it warmed her blood. She imagined him wringing that all-hearing's brute neck. The thought brought her a small bit of pleasure. Yes, she rather liked the idea of someone chocking the life out of that brute...after she'd stuck a few arrows in him, of course. Once she tracked him down, there would be a reckoning. So she swore.
And then her savior surprise her once more. "...if its that bastard, then I think I'll have a few words with him."
Latenna perked up. "You know where he hides?!"
"I do." he admitted it freely. "If this is true-
She squeezed his hands. "It is!"
"Then I'll personally help you kick his ass once we're done with Liurnia. S'not right, what he did." he shook his head. "If he really did that to your village, he'll pay for it. I promise."
Her eyes met his, half-lidded in challenge. "Do you swear?"
He lifted his chin. "I don't go back on my word."
Silence stretched between then, human and albinauric alike. Neither budged...until one of them finally did. Latenna found herself looking away first.
"Is that so...?"
If this man, he who looked upon the albinaurics so kindly, were to become Elden Lord, there just might be a future for her people.
"Would that all Tarnished were like you." He really was, but she could fee herself smiling in spite of her worries nonetheless. "What say you, Lobo?" she turned to her loyal companion, ever at her side. "My faithful wolf, my better half? Shall we go with the Tarnished now, so that our journey will not have been in vain?"
Lobo gave her a pointed look and barked once in affirmation. It was as good an answer as any.
On her new legs Latenna sketched a clumsy bow. "Very well. We will fight by your side."
First she must go back to the village and check upon old Albus. Perhaps he yet lived. The old mage had ever been good at hiding himself when it suited him. Unbidden her mind recalled happier times, times when she was but a child; a little girl, with no cares in the world. He always won their games of hide-and-seek. But there would be no more games now. No more laughter. Only sadness and sorrow. She stifled a pang of pain at the memory.
If he was dead, she would avenge him.
Yes, she would avenge them all.
Revenge? Yes. She would start with revenge.
"Great!" He tugged her hands, inadvertently pulling her closer, "Really, its a good thing I found you and not one of my clones. They can't heal like I do, and things might not have turned out so well...
Latenna blinked, drawn from her musings. "Clone? What, pray tell, is that?"
"Well," he laughed, "I've got a few boys wandering around...you'll probably meet 'em sooner or later...
(.0.0.0.)
Castle Mourne was a madhouse.
Naruto's clone crept into the courtyard, swearing softly as he went.
So many bodies. Just looking at it made him feel ill. Piles upon piles of corpses stacked upon another, cooked and burned, while the Misbegotten howled their victory. He almost envied Irina her blindness. She'd never have to see this. But he had. He'd never forget it. Neither would the boss, once he dispelled himself. The sight was already seared into his soul; it made his very blood boil. He had to look away from it all, just to keep himself from flying into a blind rage.
"You alright back there?"
...I am, sir."
He frowned. "Told ya not to call me that."
Irina dared a tentative nod, turning her sightless eyes in his direction. He couldn't see the entirety of her face thanks to the blindfold, but her lips were pursed into a thin white line. Poor girl. She couldn't see anything, but she could hear those monsters howling. Even she knew better than to speak above a whisper here. Doing so would just draw them down onto her. He'd not let that happen. Even if it cost him this meager "life" of his.
He dared to pat her head.
"Remember, stay put." He gave her a nudge. "If you hear footsteps come your way you, take the lift back down. Even if they come after you, the fall should kill them."
She nodded once. "And what of you...?"
He chose an easy answer. "Gonna kill 'em."
Irina balked, bless her sweet soul. "All of them?! By yourself?"
"Yup."
His peace said, he marched to meet death.
The Original could heal Irina. Give her back her eyes. Be there for all the important stuff...
.
..
...the messy bits fell to him.
And he was fine with that, really, he was. He was just a Clone after all. Really, it was a miracle he'd survived this long with what little chakra he had left. He had no way to reliably supply himself with more; he was running on fumes as it was. Best to go out with a bang and all, ya know. The Boss would get all his memories and emotions once he died anyway.
He tilted his head back with a sigh. "What a lovely day."
The plan was simple. Clear out the enemies, take the little miss to her old man, get them to the Roundtable, then wipe out the rest if he still had the chakra for it. He liked simple. Simple was as simple does. Just like him. Easier that way. He'd never been one for complex plans outside of combat.
"Oi!" he raised his voice. "Over here!"
An angry Misbegotten lunged at him. His fist scythed out, bisecting the cruel creature like wheat from so much chaff.
Much to his surprise, it dropped in a single hit.
...seriously?" he considered his bloody fist with a frown. "You're that weak? Huh. Maybe this'll be easier than I thought, then." he patted his cheeks gently, careful not to dispel himself; doing so would leave Irina a sitting duck. "I can do this."
"Worry not." the rune on his finger sang, startling him. "I shall see thee sustained until thy deed is done; until the girl is safe."
The clone grinned. "Thanks."
...think naught of it. Now kill these beast. Rip and tear."
Happily. For once, he actually agreed with the disembodied voice. Whoever she was, at least she had good taste.
He unslung Godrick's ax from his back and bellowed a war cry. All eyes turned toward him. The rest rushed him...just as planed. Too slow. His arm was already winding up, hoisting the weapon high. Now how had that old fart done it again? Something along the lines of...
"HA!"
Shifting his grip on the haft he whirled and brought it crashing down.
It struck with impossible force, splitting the earth. Once. Twice. Thrice. Bodies flew through the air. He caught one by the tail as it sailed past and whipped it into another, rendering them both bloody stains on the wall. An startled wail went up from the others, but he didn't give them the chance to regret their actions. A quick leap and he was among them, repeating the process again.
"No mercy for you bastards!'
They couldn't touch him. Nothing could. Just as well, too; because he couldn't bring himself to stop. His blood was well and truly up now, consequences be damned. His armor proved a boon in that regard; allowing him to conserve what little chakra he had left and wade in, tank hits that, as a clone, he might have otherwise avoided. Misbegotten, mad dogs, an odd creature with a metal head, none came close, and likewise, none of them were spared. These were crazed beasts, not people. Not like the Boss, or even good 'ol Hewg. He showed them no mercy.
Rip.
And tear.
Until it is done.
(.0.0.0.)
Such senseless slaughter.
Nepheli couldn't bear the sight of it. Just looking upon the piled corpses made her sick. This village had not been slain; slaying implied at least some small semblance of dignity, that the opposing party might've died with honor. But there was no honor here, was there? These harmless albinaurics had been slaughtered nearly to a man. What wretches remained, poor creatures dragging themselves across the ground, could barely be called sane.
She'd seen such a slaughter before, back in the badlands. It...brought back unpleasant memories of her childhood.
And all this, for what? What possible purpose could compel such madness? She didn't know-no, she didn't want to know, lest the same insanity take her as it had whoever had committed this heinous crime. These people had no weapons. No means of defensing themselves. They were civilians for god's sake; they'd clearly tried to run -crawl!- away before someone had set them ablaze.
Fury frothed in her heart. Who would do such a thing?
There. Footsteps to her right, coming up the rise. Had the oppressors returned?
She reached for her axes with a snarl. If they were still here, whoever had done this, she would cut them apart...!
"Nepheli?!" A familiar voice crowed, bringing her up short. "I thought that was you~!"
Her eyes widened. "Naruto? Why are you here?"
Against all odds, it really was him. He wasn't alone, of course, nor did Nepheli expect him to be. New companions with him this time, a one-armed redhead she didn't recognize and...oh dear. That was most assuredly an Albinauric beside him, sitting astride a great direwolf. There was another smaller creature riding behind her, but she barely noticed the little demihuman. Because the woman's pale face was writ with fury, eyes blazing with wroth. She looked all of an instant from drawing her bow...no, there it was.
"Warrior!" she all but bit out the word. "Speak thy name and intent or die where you stand."
Nothing to be had for it then. "...I am Nepheli Loux. And you are?"
It was the wrong thing to say; because the woman's fury became downright apoplectic and the wolf snarled at her. Weapons came out. In an instant Nepheli found a bow knocked and drawn to her throat.
"Whoa, whoa!" Naruto flung up his arms, anxious to prevent hostilities. "No need for that, Latenna! She's a friend! I've fought with her before!"
"She serves the All-Knowing!" the words made her flinch. "This is his doing! We must kill her at once!"
"What?!" Nepheli sprang to her feet. "I knew naught of this! My father would never-
Latenna's bowstring drew tighter still. "Lies!"
"Hey, hey!" Naruto thrust himself between them. "Lets just calm down!"
An arrow speared into his neck. A voice cried out. Light flashed and the deadly shaft ricocheted back the way it came, drawing a flinch from all parties present. Nepehli most of all. Blinking the spots from her vision, she found her situation reversed; for now it was the Albinauric woman her wolf pinned. Much to her surprise, Narto wasn't the responsible party. His one-armed redhead had one boot on the beast's throat and sword to the Albinauric's neck, bright golden eyes burning with a rage all her own.
One should not underestimate a cripple, Nepheli knew. This woman was deadly.
"If you ever," Milicent rasped, "Harm my lord in such a manner again, I will end you." her scowl deepened when the archer tried to struggle. "Perhaps I should do so now!"
Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled in a long-suffering sigh. "Mili, let her go.
"But by lord!" She rounded on him, made incredulous by the nickname as much as his declaration. "She shot you!"
"No buts! I'm sure she didn't mean to...right, Latenna?"
"Indeed." The albinauric didn't dare nod, not with a blade to her neck, but she spoke quickly all the same...almost as if she feared this man as much as respected him. Nepheli made note of it. "That was not my intent. She was my target. You put yourself in harms way." Her wolf whimpered beneath her. "Please, forgive me my indiscretion."
The little demihuman -still sitting on the wolf's back- dared to pipe up. "Can't we all just get along?"
"Quiet, Boc."
"Milicent," Naruto tutted. "Be nice."
Milicent looked like she'd rather take Latenna's head, but subsided under a withering look.
"There we go. We're all on the same side here." Naruto stepped between them without missing a beat. "I'm sure we all want to find who's responsible for this mess, eh?"
Seeing her chance for redemption, Nepheli stepped up beside him. "That was my intent to begin with. You needn't tell me twice."
Latenna eyed her balefully. "And if she betrays us?"
Naruto shook his head. "She won't."
"But if she does?"
His eyes slid to her. Nepheli shivered.
"Then I'll deal with her myself. You have my word."
He would, she knew. Something had hardened in him, awoken him to the cruelty of the world.
A tan hand touched her and forced her bow down.
"Been awhile, hasn't it?" His voice had an edge to it that warmed her blood.
...that it has." her smile soured when she looked back to the bodies heaped at their feet. "What do you make of it, then? What's happened to this village?"
"Nothing good."
"Putting it mildly, that." she turned her gaze up the hill where still more bodies could be seen. "I witnessed a sight much the same, in my infancy." her lips thinned at the memory. "the oppression of the weak. Murder and pillage unchecked. A waking nightmare made by men." Even now the reminder stung, her finger ground into fists at her sides. "But this time I am a woman grown. And though the suffering cannot be undone, I can still mete out justice to the oppressors.
She tore her axes free.
"Let the scars I carve remind them. I am Nepheli Loux. Warrior."
Naruto nodded and clapped her shoulder. "That you are. Now let's do this."
Up they went, expecting great resistance. What few souls they encountered were gibbering idiots, mindless albinaurics broken by pain and torture. These at least, they put out of their misery with decisive blows, but of the invaders there was no sign.
They finally found it in the form of depraved perfumer; a mad lunatic spewing a cloud of flame at them.
Latenna's drilled it through both eyes before Nepheli could hope to reach it. The creature fell with nary a sound. No one else dared to challenge them.
"Wait." Naruto cocked his head to one side, listening to a voice only he could hear. "There's something here."
Before she could think to have him elaborate, the whiskered warrior turned and walked back the way they'd come, trodding over the perfumer's corpse. Nepheli followed, frowning now when the bemused blond reached a heavy-looking pot. He leaned over it, considering it with a keen eye.
Ten his fist swung up and came crashing down.
A startled yelp answered him halfway and quite suddenly there wasn't a pot there at all, but a person. With a shimmer of light an illusion fell away to reveal a hunched old man-no, an old albinauric clutching both hands to his chest. His head bowed, all but scraping the floor in fear.
"Ah! Please, no! Dear me, haven't a clue!" words flowed forth from him in a terrified wheeze. "No secrets lie with me, not a one! Leave me be-
The younger Albinauric nudged her mount forward. "Albus...?
"Latenna?! But who is this with you? Wait, then, you're not one of them? Well, what a relief!" A rasping cough shook his frail form. "Oh, goodness me. I am Albus. An albinauric, as you can see. We're finished. The whole village is finished. The cursemongers have destroyed everything. No one that remains has their wits about them...
Nepheli drew back, feeling an intruder here in this moment, a witness to something terribly personal indeed. But she couldn't bring herself to plug her ears.
She might not catch Naruto and Latenna's whispers, but she heard the old man's words. She heard them all.
"I beg you," the dying man held up a strange half disk for Naruto and Latenna to see, "Would you look after this medallion? You must keep it out of the cursemongers hands. I fear I am not long for this world myself. Ack. Caccck!" another rattling cough shook his wiry frame. "A chosen land awaits us albinaurics. The medallion is the key that leads to the city. Its only a quaint treasure, for we who cannot make the journey. No, no, Latenna. Do not speak. You do this old man proud. Fulfill...your purpose. My legs will soon fade... and with them, my life. Alas, this is the immovable fate of all Albinaurics. I'm so glad...you escaped it...
Latenna came back, tears in her eyes, clutching half a medallion to her chest. No words were needed.
Across the bridge they went, dispatching the mad souls in their path.
Nepheli could feel Milicent's steely gaze blazing into her back the whole way...until they saw it.
A great bonfire burned beneath a twisted tree, piled high with fresh corspes. Dozens of bodies; men, women, children, all heaped atop one another. Fuel for the fire.
There was something here. Something else.
She saw it at last, a masked figure standing before a raging flame.
Omenkiller.
This was no mere human. T'was a beast in the shape of a man, an emotionless husk that lived for but one purpose. To kill and kill and kill; to slaughter all those who might stand in the way of the Golden Order. Omens for one, were their favorite prey. But there were no Omens here, were there? Someone must have lured it here. And she knew whom.
Latenna hollered in heartbreak. "Fiend!"
The abomination turned to face them and branished its twisted cleavers with a roar.
Naruto didn't roar back. Far from it. He started swearing. She heard naught but three words within. "Rotten piece of...!"
The Omenkiller bounded forward. Naruto reached up to his back and drew two paired-black-greatswords. Wait. Black greatswords? Were those...?
To call what followed a fight would've been generous.
Nepheli didn't just see them collide; she heard it, felt it rattle her very teeth. The impact rooted her where she stood.
A glowing hail of arrows skewered the Omenkiller's right knee, causing it to buckle. Naruto stepped in and smashed a boot into its chest, flinging it back. The mad creature when berserk, laying about with its wretched cleavers, flaying the very ground around it, only to be summarily rebuffed as those twin black blades came crashing down.
An arm flew through the air.
Milicent flowed up, over, around, then down, and quite suddenly Omenkiller found its face smashed into the ground.
Latenna's bow sang and a a hail of arrows sprouted from the beast's chest. Naruto raced in on its heels, drawing its attention with a wary cry.
A twisted cleaver slammed into his shoulder.
Naruto looked down at it. Up at the Omenkiller. Down again.
...I'm sorry," he frowned, "Was that supposed to do...something?"
Clenched knuckles roared up at speed.
His attacker rocketed into the air, struck a twisted tree, and slumped down atop a pile of corpses.
Anyone else would've died from the impact. And yet this fiend struggled upright, bones twisted, body mangled, seeking its next victim.
Nepheli didn't give it that chance. Even as it staggered upright she stepped in and slashed down with her axes. The Omenkiller took the wound without so much as a word. Less so when Milicent appeared beside her and drove her shamshir blade through the beast's ribs. Caught unawares, the emotionless monstrosity staggered; which in turn gave Naruto time to reach them. Radahn's greatswords sang a mournful dirge in his hands and carved into the towering abomination, driving it down on a ruined knee.
It was a foregone conclusion after that. The three of them ripped and tore, slashed and hewed, fought as they were meant to. It was over in a matter of moments.
Naruto stood tall over the cruel creature's corpse; his eyes were wild, chest heaving from adrenaline.
Their eyes met and Nepheli felt something stir in her.
Her blood quickened, singing in her veins.
She took a step forward.
Latenna beat her to it; all but leaping off her wolf and into his arms. Naruto caught her with a grunt. She flung herself against him, not to embrace him, but to cry, burying her head in his chest. Any desire Nepheli might have felt cooled in that moment, tamped down to fading embers.
"Its over." the poor albinaruic murmured into his shoulder. "Its finally over. They've been avenged...
.
..
...well, now didn't she feel the fool? No matter. So the albinauric warrior was keen on him, was she? Well, she was a warrior herself, daughter to Hoarah Loux. She wouldn't give up that easily. A warrior fought for what they wanted, no matter the obstacles they might encounter, no matter the competition they might face.
She would stand by him.
Even if she had not yet earned that right.
No...not yet, she hadn't. But she was determined to try.
(.0.0.0.)
Irina loathed her blindness.
Her lack of vision had ever been a constant companion to her since she she was a child; an accursed inescapable handicap that hounded her every step. She could no sooner escape from it than she could cease to breathe. It was a part of her, no matter how much she despised it. Had her father not been who he was, she suspected she would've been cast out long ago.
Yet here, in this moment, she almost considered it a blessing.
She'd heard such awful sounds. Ripping and tearing. The screaming of monsters, the clashing of steel. What an awful sight it must've been. It had gone on forever, an endless cacophony of the dying and the damned, and she had no doubts as to who was responsible for it all. It should have frightened her. But it didn't. Strange as it might sound, their screams comforted her.
Sir Naruto must be a most powerful knight indeed, even if he claimed not to be one.
Who else but a knight could be so brave?
Surely he deserved a reward...?
Nnow the world had gone silent. Somehow, that was worse. So much worse. None of those awful misbegotten had come her way. Not once. But she couldn't hear anything now. Even the dogs were dead. He must have wiped out the courtyard, then gone up to the parapets to cleanse the rest of the castle. He must have. Surely he was still alive. He wouldn't leave her. Not after all this. Surely...?
"Hello...?" she dared to call out into the silence. "Good sir, are you there?"
A hand patted her shoulder. Irina nearly jumped out of her skin!
"Its safe." his voice was lower, more weary, but still strong. "C'mon." strong fingers took her by the hand. "Lets go find your old man."
Hand-holding? How forward! And yet...Irina found herself squeezing his palm tightly, clinging on for dear life.
Well. That settled it, then. He...he was Her knight.
She would sooner die than desert him.
(.0.0.0.)
They reach the academy in silence.
It was there that Naruto received a most unpleasant bit of news.
"Wait, wait, wait. So what you're tellin' me is," he cracked his neck and gazed up at the Academy proper, "This Rennala lady, she's a prisoner in her own home."
"She's also quite mad, or so the stories go," Milicent chimed, "But yes, as much a prisoner to that as I am to the Rot."
It was the wrong thing to say, yet also the right. He pivoted in place and opened his senses. Sure enough he felt it. Something powerful. Sad. Heartbroken. But mad? He'd seen madness. Even experienced it a time or two himself. This didn't feel like madness. No, if anything it felt an awful lot like...well. Now that was strange. Very strange indeed.
His eyes narrowed. "I'll be right back."
"Should we not wait for Greyroll and Therolina to return? They've been gone an awful long while.
"Nah. I just need a minute."
Nepheli frowned. "Wait, what do you mean a miiiiii-
Her worlds trailed off behind him as he gathered his legs, tensed up, and leaped right at the main spire. He crossed both arms before his face and smashed through. Kept smashing, as gravity dragged him down one level, then the next, sending him hurtling through another now, yet another and another still.
Mad, was she?
Well, they'd just see about that.
Naruto knew a thing or two about madness himself...
(.0.0.0.)
Renala was not mad.
Madness implied a lack of sanity; that she was no longer capable of rational thought. Many might think her such; indeed, perhaps to them, she was. The world believed her to be a broken woman past her prime and out of her mind. Beyond her ken, unable to cope with heartbreak and the tragedy that had befallen her family in the wake of the Shattering.
T'was not true, of course.
She was quite sane; she had simply ceased to care about the outside world, just as it had ceased to care about her. Why should she care, for that matter? What did it matter who fought or ruled past these walls? Most had betrayed her, and those who hadn't were even now suffering fates worse than death. They were, all of them, forsaken. Such was their lot in life. So would it remain until the sun ceased to burn in the sky, and so too would she remain here in isolation with her Sweetings until the day she died.
"Geronimo~!"
Thus it came as something of a surprise, yes, a very great surprise indeed, when the ceiling ruptured overhead and a golden meteor came hurtling through. He crashed through. For a wild moment she thought he was going to crash into her, but no; he changed course in midair and landed in a pointed crouch, one hand flung foward in a fist to catch himself. Her precious sweetings tumbled backward, stunned, but unharmed.
"Heh." she heard him chuckle as he stood. "Always wanted to try a superhero landing, ya know. It really is hell on the knees..."
From there he straightened, took a good long look at her and...kept staring.
Desolate though she was, Rennala was still Queen of the Full Moon. She had her dignity if nothing else. If he didn't stop that this instant she would sic her Sweetings on him-
"Jeez, you're a real tall lady, ain'tcha? You'd make Greyroll look small...
Renala frowned. She frowned hard.
"Oops!" He balked after a moment, only to surprise her by bowing at the waist. "Sorry about your ceiling. I was kinda in a hurry...
Who was this bold blond braggart barging into her home? Clearly he did not seek rebirth. Yet though he was armed and armored for battle, he made no move to attack her, nor to draw his weapons and...oh.
Oh, dear.
She saw his swords then, truly saw the black blades nestled against his back, as she hadn't before. Smaller perhaps, but she recognized the make of them all the same. Her heart hitched against her chest, kicking painfully between her breasts. It could not be. It should not be. It must not be...yet it was.
"Radahn...
The young man flinched. "How do you know that name?"
"His swords." She barely choked the words out. "How do you have those weapons?"
"..."
"Speak!" Renala leaned forward, looming large over him. "Where did ye find those blades? Didst thou grant my son his rest? Speak true, or I shall smite ye where you stand."
The man in dragon armor was silent for a moment, his face twisted in momentary anguish. Not of her. He did not fear her. No, she knew he was recalling a more recent pain. Did it involve her son? What had he done to him? His stoicism did little to soothe her already ragged nerves. Why wouldn't he speak?!
At length he did. "...you're his mother, aren't you? I'm so sorry."
A lone tear rolled down her cheek.
"I tried to save him. Really, I did." the blond hastened to explain, face darkening with shame. "But he wouldn't let me. So...yeah. "He looked away, scratching at the back of his head. "I gave him pace." he seemed to see something past her; whatever it was, it made him shiver and swing his gaze back to her. "I'll leave the swords here with you, but if its a fight you want, you won't get it...I can tell." again he looked away, unable to meet her gaze overlong. "Please. Don't make me fight you."
Another tear rolled from her left eye, touched her cheek, ran down her chin. Radahn, her baby boy...
.
..
...wait. What was the Tarnished doing now?!
"You seem so...sad." Renala blinked as the baffling blond sat down before her and patted the space beside him. "Wanna talk about it?"
She found herself complying. Physically, at least. "No."
"No?" the blond boy blinked, no doubt taken aback by the sudden change in her demeanor. "To the talking, or the fight?"
Neither. She was filled with sorrow, yes, but beneath it lurked relief; for now she knew at least one of her children was finally free from suffering. There was a part of her that believed little Ranni was still out there, in the world somewhere. Perhaps she suffered even now. Maybe thinking such was a madness of its own. Radahn, thankfully, was at peace. She could take some semblance of solace in that. She prayed that he had died as a man rather than a monster...
...because one such monster still lived.
"I thank thee for thy service, noble tarnished." her gaze traveled to his right arm, where son's Great Rune still burned even now. A thought occurred to her. Little more than an arrow in the dark, but still, it spurred her to speak. "Do you seek the Great Runes so that ye might become Elden Lord?"
His face turned a curious shade of red. "Its...complicated.
Such a kind boy. To rebirth him would be truly a waste. And she was so very lonely.
"I will gladly grant thee mine rune of Rebirth," she offered her egg to him, "If ye would but grant me a boon."
...anything."
She turned stern eyes on him.
Moment of truth. "Please, slay my second son as you slew Radahn."
Silence stretched between them. His jaw clicked open. Closed. Opened again. "Tall lady say what now?"
...I would have you do as you have already done before. So be it. No going back now; she was set on this course. "His name is Rykard. He dwells in the Volcano Manor. Once he was a man, but now," the words lodged in her throat for a moment, and she faltered, "He has become a terrible beast. You will know him when you see him. Swear that you will see this done, and I shall swear both mineself and my Rune to thee."
"Eh?" His eyes widened, perhaps misunderstanding her meaning. "You're serious about this? This is your kid you're talking about.
"T'would be a mercy. Do you accept my terms?"
He looked away. Scratched his chin. Sighed, now. "Guess I do. So how does this work? I've never had someone give me a Great Rune before."
She hummed a little. "...be still."
He did not flinch as she took the Rune from the egg. Nor did he speak when branded it against the side of his throat. Not once did he cry out. It was a fitting trade, she felt. This way, he would have the last say in any who might yet be reborn properly. Provided they brought a larval tear to her of course, but she was getting ahead of herself. Her eyes swept back to him now, watching intently as he massaged his neck.
"Ow." he grunted, touching a hand to the silver marking. "Stings a little, but I'll manage." his eyes met hers then, riveting her. "You're coming with me, right?"
Despite her best efforts to remain calm, Renala felt heat creep up the back of her neck. "I...beg your pardon?"
"With me." he repeated, holding out a hand. "You want closure, right? I'll be happy to help ya."
Unbidden, her fingers twitched towards his. Hesitated, now, when he didn't waver in the face of her confusion. "You'd truly accompany me? For so little...?
His smile was sunshine itself. "What can I say? I like helping. Its what I do, ya know? C'mon." he wiggled his arm at her. "Take my hand. Everything's gonna be alright."
Renala reached the rest of the way and claimed his hand with hers.
...oddly enough, she believed him. Such a strange tarnished...
...and his fingers were so very warm.
A/N: Careful, Naruto. You really are too pure for your own good, and you're attracting all sorts of attention.
That...was one of the longer chapters I've written. Phew, writing this really wore me out. Latenna and Nepheli really stole this chapter...until Renala swooped in at the end.
Well? Did you like this story? Yes? No? Maybe? Speak up! Make yourselves heard! Your voice matters~!
Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this story.
If folks don't like this, it won't be continued. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular? POOF! Gone. Completely. I'm working two jobs during the holidays so I barely have time to write; as such, I cannot afford to write something folks don't enjoy. So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that.
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas....Review, Wouldst Thou Kindly?
And have some previews. Some are quite off, but still...
Renala next time, for sure!
(Previews)
The door to Gideon's chambers smashed open.
Blazing blue eyes met his across the desk.
"You. Words. Now."
"Shhhh...lean back...relax."
Rya squeaked. "Why are you patting my head?"
"You know, I'm no sure really."
...I didn't say stop."
"Off with the mask. I won't speak to someone who hides themselves behind a facade."
Much to his surprise, Tanith complied. Huh. How could someone so beautiful have such a twisted heart...?
"He's going to help her kill Rykard. Don't try to stop him."
"When you say kill...
Radahn was to be pitied. That monster will not be."
Rennala raised her scepter at the serpent. "Rykard! I would have words with thee! Show thyself at once!"
"TOGETHA!"
"Finally done hiding, are you?"
Melina was silent for a long moment.
Then she sat beside him. Her head came to rest against his bloody shoulder. As he looked on, her good eye closed.
"I wish to tell you a story."
"And you call yerself a bloody finger! C'mere! I'll show you bloody!"
Glintstone Dragon Smarag was not happy to see them.
Greyroll thumbed her chin. "I do not understand. This one has ever been a good child.
"He's got crystals growing out his skull! If you think for one second she's sane after that-
"She, actually."
...eh? I thought that thing was a boy."
"So do most."
"Mother...?"
"See, I'm starting to realize something. She was right. Maybe I am broken...
His victim gurgled at his feet.
"But I. Do not. Care."
He stabbed down.
R&R~!