A/N: Aaaaaand we're back!
Long chapter ahoy! Looking forward to reading your reviews when I get back!
Do you guys and gals still want weekly updates? Kinda need to hear from you here, it determines my update schedule.
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 these over if you like...though it would make me sad T_T
Q: LET NARUTO LOOSE!
A: You're about to see just how the world reacts to him and what he's capable of when he's truly angry...and empowered by three Great Runes. I'm sure you've gotten the hints from Radahn's Great Tune, but remember, that's not the only one he has. Slowly but surely, those runes DO influence you...
Q: What's next on the update line?
A: A bunch of things! I also finally got around to seeing Kenobi. It was...alright, I guess? Stirred up a few ideas in my head. Handed those off to Slifer, so we'll see what he comes up with.
Q: Naruto's not gonna woo every lady in the Lands Between, is he?
A: Be assured, he won't. Wouldn't be any fun that way. I will say this, though. You're not prepared for Tanith and Rya.
Q: When we gonna see Ranni again?
A: In essence, she's been avoiding him. Unlike "For Love of a Witch" in which our boy came crashing into her life, this iteration of Ranni knows next to nothing about Naruto and likewise, is terribly wary of him. That's not to say she's unaware of his deeds, of course. She's been kept appraised on his victories as she's aware of all things.
And with Radahn long gone...we all know the path to Norkon is wide open.
Q: He's getting all the tall girls, ain't he?
A: Remember, Rennala is quite human. Not a demigod. Of course, she's quite powerful in her own right.
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.
"I call upon you, Tarnished. Fulfill your promise. Grant me vengeance against the all-hearing brute."
...if you're sure that's what you want, Latenna."
"Yes. Please. Grant my request."
~?
You Know Nothing
"Why did you do it?"
Beneath the shadows of his helm, Gideon Ofnir felt a faint frown crease his pale face. He didn't deign to look up from the papers strewn atop his desk. Ah, sentiment. Such weakness. He should have known Nepheli would falter. The girl was a useful tool, but she had only ever been that. A tool. A weapon to accomplish a singular purpose. He'd always known time and experience would blunt her edge sooner or later. Still, he'd hoped to get more use out of her before she finally succumbed.
"Father, please! Answer me!"
Mewling whelp. Whining on like that. Who did she take him for?
"You ask me why?" here at last he raised his gaze to look her in the eye. She glared back at him, palms spread upon the table, face mere inches from his own. "You know full well the reason. No, don't make that face." he silenced her with a wave of his hand when she made to protest. "I will not hear of it. The Elden Ring is all that matters. Anything else is a secondary concern at best."
Another lie, alas. None must take the throne. All knowledge must be his, all in order to prevent such a terrible occurrence. Including the medallion.
"Secondary?" the whelp reared back as if she'd been struck. "Even me?!"
A curious twinge hit his heart. He strangled it. "...even you."
"But why!?" she demanded to know. "Why hurt those poor people? For the medallion? Where does it lead and to what?"
"To a land beyond the mountains." he answered in kind. "I came to them in good faith. They refused to grant my request. I asked only the medallion of them. No more. They were the ones who forced that fight."
"They were helpless!" She didn't believe it; neither him nor the half-truth he'd dangled before her. A pity.
"My men weren't." the words hung between them. "And you butchered them."
She snarled at him. "As they butchered those innocents."
Gideon tried to leash his temper. It slipped free. Innocents, she said? Dolores had been innocent. And he knew full well what happened to her. A good woman, slain. Made a puppet by Seluvis, once his friend-turned-rival, that slimy snake. And this whelp dared to speak of such to him?
"There are no innocents!" he thumped a fist down on the table. "Not anymore. There was a time when you understood this." when she didn't answer, another suspicion reared its ugly head in his heart. "That blond oaf's gotten to you, hasn't he? You were to observe him. Not spread your legs for him!"
Her face flushed further. "Father, no! That's not what this is about!"
It was. He knew much, and he realized what she did not. Fool of a girl. She was useless now.
"Isn't it?" He shook his head. "If you cannot see the necessity of what I do, then I have no further use for you."
She flinched. "What are you saying...?"
"Go. Get out of my sight; I've no need of your services any longer." Bright eyes darkened beneath his rebuke. He wondered if she might cry. No. Ignore that. Sentiment would only weigh him down. He couldn't afford such fleeting feelings. "Go serve that oaf if he pleases you so."
Nepheli pushed her hands off the table and loomed over him, shoulders trembling. Her hands twitched at her sides, clenching into fists. For a moment Gideon thought she might actually try to strike him. Pah! As if she could do such a thing. The Pact remained sacrosanct; even now those most ancient magics prevented any such violence in the Roundtable Hold. She knew not how to pierce it, and he'd not tell her in any case. My, she did look furious, though...
"He is a better man than you."
Her words stirred old, dark anger in him.
"Watch your tongue girl, or I'll have Ensha pluck it out."
"You needn't worry about that." Something curious played across her face. "I've said my peace...and heard enough."
Her peace said, she stalked out
Gideon watched her go. Shookd his head as she slammed the door behind her.
Blast it. Such a willful lass. He would commend her spirit, but none would take the throne. Certainly not her. All knowledge would flow unto him, and with it, the power to prevent foolish upstarts like her from upsetting the status quo. Everything would remain as it was. Queen Marika had high hopes for them, that they continue to struggle. Unto eternity.
"Thinketh you know her will, little man?"
...what in blazes? Gideon paused, craned his neck about, but there was no one in the room. The hearth dimmed for a moment, then flared anew. He sighed and stifled a yawn behind one hand. What was that? Must be his imagination. He wasn't getting enough sleep. Perhaps later. He still had files to contend with, intelligence to file through, ciphers from his spies to decode. There was much to do.
Plucking up the latest such missive drew a scowl to his lips.
It was that Naruto lad again. His party was making inroads in Liurnia. Did he seek Rennala's rune? Hmm. Getting too big for his britches, that one. Might need to deal with him soon. No matter. Ensha would take care of it. He had friends here at the Roundtable. Weaknesses. Easy to exploit. It was merely of a matter of whom. Roderika, Hewg, or perhaps the still recovering Trish. Best be rid of her soon. The Tree Sentinel was not a foe he'd wish to contend with, and he wasn't sure if she was bound by the Pact.
The door to his chambers crashed open, shattering that thought.
Gideon's head snapped up. Panic bleated in his heart. No. Calm. The pact persisted. The Hold was, by definition, a place where most Tarnished were forbidden from harming one another. The ways around it were known to him -and only him!- and no other. Whoever this newcomer was, this brutish display of violence would avail them naught.
"Ensha! To me!"
Something shot through the shattered door, bounced off Gideon's desk, and skittered to a halt at his feet. An empty helmet carved from steel and gone. A familiar helm. He had all of an instant to see it-to look up from his desk and behold what caused the ruckus. Realization dawned.
Ah.
So his invasion failed.
A pity, but not unexpected.
He looked up, half-expecting to see the Tree Sentinel woman wading her way through the wreckage. Instead he beheld a familiar face; tawny blond hair, blue eyes, whiskered cheeks even now set in a scowl bordering on bloody murder. He saw the Three Great Runes etched into his flesh. Three. He'd worn two only a few days before. Bollocks. Seemed the little fool had been busy since he'd seen him last. Must've felled Rennala and taken her Great Rune for himself. How many more Runes would he claim? Would his lust for power never be satisfied?
"Hello, Gideon," But none of that mattered now; because those blazing blue eyes met his across the desk and he was speaking to him. "Lets have a chat."
Gideon lifted his chin in stoic defiance. "Talked with the girl, did you?"
"Among other things." Naruto didn't lean over the desk as Nepheli had. There was no need for that; his presence alone commanded enough weight. "You could stand to be a bit nicer to her, you know? She's your daughter."
"Foster daughter." he corrected reflexively.
The blond hummed. It was a dangerous sound. "I'm aware."
"Ah, you've already heard? Indeed, it seemed the whelp harbored suspicions. So I had no further use for her." he didn't miss the way those gloved hands curled into fists. "Honestly, what's a man to do." There could be no mistaking it now, the faint twitch of the blond's jaw. "A determined plebeian is more wicked than an Omen horn, quite frankly. I suspect...that's just what the Queen wants. A dose of ambition, to incite the Tarnished.
"You'd know a thing or two about that, wouldn't you?"
Gideon frowned. "I beg your pardon?"
"Ambition." Naruto picked up a book and turned away, humming thoughtfully to himself as he thumbed through its pages. A log crackled in the hearth; shadow and flame flickered across the young man's downturned face. "You know it well." A blue eye glanced back at him and for a moment, a fleeting sliver of a second, it almost sounded as if something -someone!- were speaking with him. "How can you not? You always were the grasping sort, ever reaching above your station, clamoring for more than your hands could hold. Small wonder she pitied you."
A strange feeling twisted in Gideon's chest. He'd heard those words once before, but not from this man.
Radahn...? Nonsense. Radahn was dead and gone. Naruto bore his great rune.
"But it is in man's very nature to grasp, isn't it?" Now he almost sounded like Godrick. "The key is knowledge." No, he realized. Not Godrick, sharper somehow. Wiser. Godwyn. "Knowing when to stop and be happy with what you have. Some know when to be satisfied. Others...others are greedy." Those words felt like a slight against his very soul. "Are you greedy, Gideon?"
Enough! He would not be baited by this brash boy. "I do what I must. As do we all."
"We certainly do, don't we?" the retort was delivered calmly, as though they were discussing the weather and not a potential maiming. "All of us, each of us, do what we deem necessary." Satisfied with the tome he had selected, the blond stowed it into his pack and picked up another, idly leafing through it. Three seconds passed. Six, now. Nine. Gideon waited for the other shoe to drop...and it surely did. "But the way you butchered those poor albinaurics...?" Blue eyes rose over the book to stare into his soul. "Was that necessary?"
"For the sake of the Elden Ring-
"Cut the crap." A fist thumped down and the words died in his throat, his confidence faltering in the face of those now-gold-eyes. "I'll warn you this once. You better have a damn good reason for what you did. Because if you didn't...if you killed those people just because it was easier...
Ha! As if he would be intimidated by such a remark. "My reasons are my own. I hardly need explain myself to a whelp like you."
Naruto's shadow twisted behind him, taking on the likeness of a grinng fox. "Thought you might say that."
...clearly we have nothing more to discuss." he looked back to his papers. "You may leave, now."
Wrong response. Those azure orbs narrowed to cerulean slits.
"Trish. Take him."
Something impossibly large and terribly fast barreled through the remnants of the ruined door, vaulted the desk, and seized Gideon by both shoulders. Overpowered him, despite his struggles. Not enough to hurt or harm, but easily able wrestle him out from behind cover all the same. In short order he found himself driven to the floor, head pressed into a dusty pallet. A knee slammed down into his back, forcing him lower still. His joints creaked ominously. Even then Gideon felt no fear. He craned his neck back beheld the gilded, golden armor of his captor, and knew who had him.
Ah. The blasted Sentinel-Woman.
"You can't kill me." he sneered at her. "You wouldn't dare. Your oath won't allow it."
Her scarred face twisted in a silent scowl. She tightened her grip on him. His helmet began to buckle around his head. "...!"
"Hold, little one." A soft, unfamiliar voice spoke somewhere over their heads, giving her pause. "If we break the pact of the Roundtable, if you butcher him here, the Hold will no longer be a place of peace. Tarnished will slaughter one another wholesale. Your precious spirit tuner will not be safe, to say nothing of the Smith."
Gideon smirked silently in his helm.
The bloody blond didn't. "...what do you propose?"
"Why, that's simple." he still couldn't see the speaker, but he heard the smile in their voice. "Take him elsewhere."
"That sounds grand." yet another voice hummed. "Trish! Keep him still."
Horror broke like the dawn in his mind. Take him out the Hold? No! They couldn't! They wouldn't! His back arched beneath the blond's knee, body bucking violently. Too little, too late. Firm fingers tightened on the back of his head. Golden grace flashed. The world folded in on itself, taking his stomach with it and bringing on a profound pang of nausea.
He must've blacked out for a moment; for when he came to, the hard floor was gone, replaced by a carpet of soft grass.
A cursory glance confirmed his suspicions; this wasn't the Hold at all. He didn't know where this was. Somewhere in Liurna, perhaps? He could see the academy of Raya Lucaria in the distance and the light of the Erdtree besides, but beyond that, the waning light of the setting sun cast everything in shadow. He liked it not. He'd never liked the dark...
An all too familiar voice dragged him back to reality. "Must we do this?"
"We tried it your way, Nepheli. Now its her turn."
Here at last, dread seized Gideon.
They'd dragged him out the hold. Such shouldn't be possible. Not without consent. Such required ancient magic; spells long since lost in the Shattering. He tried to move, but that stupid Sentinel had an iron grip on him, and her Master was glaring bloody red daggers at him. There were others with him, a redhead he vaguely recognized from the hold and...oh. He saw Nepheli with them. And there, behind her. The Albinauric Woman. Her eyes sharp and posture tense. Standing on her own two feet, wolf at her side.
So this was how it was to be, then? He'd been had.
Trish grabbed his helm and tore it free, exposing his face to the waning light. He squinted against it with a snarl.
"Gideon Ofnir." The Albinauric woman -he'd never bothered to learn him name- stepped forward and drew her bow. "You stand accused of genocide against my people. How do you plead?"
He knew nothing he said would convince her of the necessity of it all. In her eyes, he was already damned.
"What a sad state of affairs this is." So he sneered at her instead. "So you've slipped into his good graces too, then? What did this one promise you, hmm? Salvation for your people? Killing me won't bring them back. You know this. Whatever miracle has been bestowed upon you will die with you-
A peal of laughter, short and sharp silenced him.
"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?" She reached down and seized him by the chin, pinching his face. "But you're wrong, oh-all-hearing brute. So very wrong. Someday, a new generation of Albinauric shall live through me." she touched a free hand to her flat stomach. "Happy, healthy, and free of your kind's interference. This is the moment everything changes."
He didn't miss the way the blond buffoon flushed. Was he sweet on the woman? Didn't matter.
His gaze sought out Naruto's allies, from the steadfast swordswoman to the timid seamster. Each glared at him in silent anger. He found no footholds there. There was another with them, standing in the shadows of a the trees, but he couldn't see them. In a fit of rage, he squirmed against the Sentinel holding him and glared her way.
"And you, then?" he cast a black look at Nepheli. "You would turn your coat for a man such as this? You must realize he'll fail."
Nepheli held his gaze...and looked away. "...I tried to reason with you, Father. This is for the best."
He hissed. "Your birth-father never loved you. Hoarah Loux cast you aside out of shame!"
Nepheli flinched.
"That's a lie." Naurto chimed in. "Nice try."
"And what of you?" Gideon glared his way, spiteful now that he knew these to be his final moments. "Do you think you'll be any different than those who came before you? You won't succeed. You'll falter, boy." Poison crept into his words, bubbling with venom. "Just like Vyke, Bernahl, and all the rest. And even if by some miracle you survive, even if you make it all the way there, your work will be for naught." he strained against his bonds, lips parting in a twisted rictus of a grin. "Your maiden will die."
Trish snarled and cuffed the back of his head. Didn't matter. Gideon took sadistic joy in the uncertainty that flashed across the man's face.
"Why should I believe a word you say?"
"Ha!" he grinned through bloody teeth. "She hasn't told you, has she? Ask her then! Call to her! Your joy shall turn to ashes in your mouth!"
The others tensed. Gideon saw his opportunity.
"Fools! The lot of you!" he spat a cloud of shadows to blind them and slipped free in the chaos "I will not go quietly! You shall rue the day your crossed-
Moonlight pierced the darkness and struck him low in the chest. Physically blasted through him in the chest, tearing a hole through his ribs. Blood burst from his lips as he slumped to his knees. A quivering hand cupped at his wound. He mumbled a healing incantation, but the injury refused to close. Another came and went, to no avail. Death! This was death! He could feel his lifeforce slipping away. He fumbled for his flask, only for another to rip it from his grasp.
"Little Gideon," a familiar voice crooned from the waning mists. "Did you forget who it was that taught you such spells all those years ago?"
He forced himself upright on trembling limbs and looked upon his killer.
No. Nay. Never. Not her. Anyone but her.
Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, smiled down at him. T'was not a pleasant smile by any means or measure. She was just as he remembered her; worse, she looked perfectly sane. Had his spies been wrong after all? This was not a woman past her prime. Not by any means or measure. He could feel the power thrumming within her, see that strange egg of her slung over her shoulder in a strange satchel.
"Wretched madwoman!" He flung up a barrier and hurled a comet spell her way. "You should've stayed in the academy!"
"Mad?" The taller woman laughed; a rich, husky sound that filled him with dread. "I am rusty dear, not mad." her brow furrowed, promising pain. "And you have forgotten your place."
Her staff tapped down and his spell evaporated, ripping his barrier away with it.
"You call yourself the All Knowing? Poor boy. You know nothing." Gideon gurgled in shock and prepared a counterspell, only for her to return the favor tenfold. "Just as you know naught of fear," His body buckled as another hole opened in his torso, "Because you have never felt it, until now." She smiled as he raised an arm." A torrent of moonlight blasted it off at the shoulder. "Here let me show you...just what if feels like...to experience true terror."
Escape. He had to escape! Before it was too late!
Gideon tried to stand. His left leg buckled, dragging him down instead. He glared at it, not quite comprehending when or how he'd taken an arrow to the knee.
The Albinauric Woman drew her string back. He knew what was to come. He spat a curse, not at her, but that blasted blond.
"I know...in my bones...a tarnished cannot became a Lord! Not even you! A man cannot kill a god!"
"But he is no man." A beautiful golden voice pierced his haze. "And you are. Behold the futures you sought to forestall."
Futures...? Time slowed to a crawl. Gideon's world went white.
For an instant he saw something. In that single blessed instant, he was granted vision; sight of a possible future to come. A new world. Beautiful and gold. Of songbirds and sunshine, of children's laughter. The Erdtree stood tall over it all, but it was not as he knew it. Looking upon it brought him a strange sense of peace, a happiness to fill his hollow heart. This future wasn't certain. Not set in stone, yet real enough to touch. He took a faltering step towards it and the scene changed, replaced by another. More. Yet more. Countless of them.
Epiphany broke like the dawn and Gideon understood.
He had been blind. This was one of many endings, a future that might yet be-no, more than that. There were many worlds beyond this one, each of them bearing an Erdtree of their own. He glimpsed them as one might a reflection through a broken mirror, countless worlds, endless stories beyond stories spinning around him. In some he was an ally of the Tarnished. In others, an enemy. At times, they never met at all. Some tales ended poorly. Most didn't. Yet more ventured into other worlds. Lands of fading fire. Of hunters and beasts. Of a one-armed wolf raging against impossible odds. Of others, not yet born.
It was too much knowledge for Gideon's mind to bear. He broke, shattering under the impossible weight of the truth.
He saw himself in one such fractured image-a world beyond this. A younger iteration of himself lying in a field of flowers with Dolores, a young Nepheli resting in her lap. His heart ached. He'd been wrong. Terribly, horribly wrong. He reached for that dim image, wishing for nothing more than to pull himself through. He wanted it. Needed it. Craved it like nothing else. Gideon strained for it with his remaining arm. Yes, he would drag himself through and-
Then it was gone, snatched out his grasp like a loaf of bread, leaving him wanting more.
Reality rushed back in and Gideon was left to stare death in the face, the slender shaft even now hurtling toward him.
'No! Come back! Give it back!' he gibbered, grasping for the Grace he could no longer see. 'I want to see it! I have to see it! Let me see it again!'
"Nay." The voice denied him. "This is your penance...and your punishment."
An arrow slammed through Gideon's skull. His head snapped back. Blood flew through the air. Pain blossomed. But death did not come. Not quickly. He slumped over, thoughts lingering as darkness swarmed in. The albinauric woman drew a long hunting knife from her belt and raised it high over his neck. He knew what she intended. She would take his head as a trophy, parade it around the Lands Between like some grisly prize. Such was his fate. It was the least he deserved.
The sun set.
Her blade screamed down.
It was the last thing Gideon saw.
(.0.0.0.)
Nepheli traipsed away from his corpse.
She had to; rather, she must, for to stare over long at fa-Gideon's headless body any longer would surely make her sick. She couldn't bear to watch her allies strip him of his valuables. Everything was taken from the All Knowing, both possessions and runes divvied up among the lot of them. Latenna took his head and helmet. Rennala laid claim to his staff. Millicent fused over the notes he'd had on him, and now she turned a weather eye to his boots, for her own were in sore need of repair. Even little Bock was taking place in the looting, fussing over the man's cape and boots.
Naruto alone stood apart from it all, and so it was to him she went.
He faced away from her, eyes set upon the lakes and the ruined gate down below it. Melina stood by him in a rare moment of solidarity, but the words they shared were not kind.
...aren't you telling me?" he hissed at her as she drew near.
"There's nothing to tell, Tarnished." she murmured. "Nothing has changed. The purpose I was born for-
"Is to die?!" He rounded on her and Nepheli froze, not liking the look on his face. "Look me in the eye. Tell me it isn't true."
Melina couldn't. Nepheli pitied her for it.
She shouldn't linger her. Shouldn't listen...
.
..
...but she couldn't help herself.
"Ha!" a bitter laugh welled up from Naruto; sure enough, he was the first to look away. "So that's it, then? You're just going to sacrifice yourself? When? After we reach the capital?"
Nephei paused. Gideon's parting words rang in her mind. Had he spoken the truth?
Regardless, Melina didn't speak.
Naruto made an anguished noise. "At least let me know when."
Her lone eye flitted up to meet his. "...if I tell you when, will you try to stop me?"
"Of course I will!" His forehead butted against hers, and to Nepheli's dismay, the Maiden actually leaned into him a little. "You're important to me!" she tried to pull away at that, but he wasn't having it; his hands settled about her waist, holding fast. "I'm not about to let you stand aside and throw yourself on the pyre!" she flinched at the last word and Naruto zeroed in on it, clever boy that he was. "Aha! It has something to do with fire, doesn't it?"
"Cease! Have you not taken enough from me, Tarnished?" Anger burned in Melina's gaze, crackling in her voice like unspent flame. "Must you subvert my purpose, too?"
"Stop that!" His hand snapped up and cupped her by the face. "I'm not trying to subvert anything! I just don't wanna say goodbye! I don't want you to die!"
Her head drooped, if only for a moment. "You...!
Naruto blinked, anger fading. "Me...?"
"You...infuriating man!"
Melina's face rose. Her palm went with it. Nepheli winced, knowing full fell what was about to happen. She was too far away to stop it. There wasn't a thing she could do.
She needn't have.
Naruto took one hand from Melina's cheek and caught her by the wrist. The annoyed noise he made said this was commonplace between the two of them. In the same seamless movement he snatched up her other arm, blocked a furious kick with his left knee, pivoted, and slammed her back against the nearest tree. A shower of leaves rained down on their heads. Neither seemed to notice. Melina certainly didn't. Her composure shattered and she flung herself at the Tarnished like a she-devil, hissing and kicking him with singular fury.
"Absolute oaf!"
She headbutted him. He took it with good grace and stopped a knee from planting itself in his groin.
"Sassy maiden!"
For a moment she thought the Maiden might kiss him. She stomped on his foot instead. "Self-sacrificing blond buffoon!"
"Says the one who wants to die!"
He hooked an ankle around hers to keep her from kicking him again and they were off again; flinging insults at one another like a pair of children. Any tension that might've existed between them evaporated in an instant, and for all her own sorrows, Nepheli found herself hiding a smile behind the palm of her hand.
"Curious pair, aren't they?"
The warrior craned her neck back, alarmed to find Rennala of all people standing beside her. "My lady. I didn't hear you approach."
"Of course not, child. I didn't wish to be heard."
The Queen of the Full Moon baffled her. They said she was mad. Insane. Crazed. She didn't look mad. If anything, the air of Liurnia seemed to do her a well of good. She'd since abandoned her crown -ridiculous looking thing!- to let her hair flow free. Here and now, in the light of the rising moon, she looked every bit a mortal woman. Terribly tall and powerful enough to pick Gideon apart, but mortal nonetheless. She felt another pang of loss at that. She didn't want to think of his words -of his death!- but it was still so fresh.
"Melina has her mother's blood...and temper."
Nepheli turned her gaze back in time to see their squabble come to an ignominious end. Melina lay planted into the ground. Naruto was sitting on her back, legs crossed beneath him, a look of utter satisfaction stretched across his whiskered face. Judging by her struggles, she wouldn't be extricating herself anytime soon.
"Her mother?"
"Indeed." The queen hid a mysterious smile behind her hand. "If I didn't know better, I'd say I was looking at her, here and now."
Curiosity reared its head in Nepheli's heart. "Who is she?"
'Tis not my tale to tell." those piercing eyes sought hers, and she stiffened. "I did, however, know your father. Your blood father." The words sent a shiver shooting down her spine. "It was only in passing, but I believe I had the measure of him. The boy speaks the truth. Great Godfrey, or Hoarah Loux as you know him, would not have given you away unless there was no other choice." A hand came down on her head, mussing her hair as a mother might a sullen child. "Know that for certain."
Heat flooded her face. "How do you know...?"
"Godfrey was an honorable man, even as Marika's consort." gentle fingers nudged her scalp and for a moment she felt very small indeed. "Perhaps he did not wish to see you stripped of grace as he and his Tarnished army were. Perhaps he sought to spare you. Who can say? Nevertheless, thou art the child of the First Elden Lord, no matter what some might say. Hold that knowledge with pride.
"Do you," Nepheli swallowed once, choking down a sudden surge of emotion, "Do you know where he is now?"
"Somewhere in the badlands, no doubt. I expect he will return soon."
Confusion had Nepheli cocking her head. "Why?"
"Grace calls to us all, child. I suspect the Queen is calling to him even now. Now, go." She nudged her back. "You've dallied long enough. Go speak with the boy if you wish."
Heat seared through her face. "I said no such thing."
Rennala tutted, ageless in her bemusement. "Children these days...if you want him, then take him for yourself. Or don't. You aren't the only one after him." her gaze traveled back to Mliicent and Latenna, the later already stuffing Gideon's head in a sealed bag for safekeeping while the former helped Boc strip the last of the cloth from his armor. "They will make their moves if you do not."
Her throat closed. "And you...?"
"Undecided." Came the answering hum. "I shall make my decision after Rykard is dealt with. Now, cease thine stalling and move.
Nepheli sputtered and tried to dig her heels in. The Queen wasn't having it. Another nudge spurred her forward against her will, forcing her to walk or trip outright. On faltering feet, she approached Naruto and Melina. Still trapped under Naruto, the latter saw her first and her pale face went red with shame.
"We shall speak of this later!"
She vanished into motes of blue light with those words.
"Run all you like!" Naruto shook a fist after her fading form. "This isn't over!" Nepheli coughed into a fist, drawing his gaze. He looked back her way with a chagrined smile. "...how much of that did you see?"
"Enough." she nudged his shoulder with her own. "You were quite vocal, earlier."
"Eh." he scratched at his cheek with one finger and looked away. "Kind have to be that way with Melina. She'd throw herself on a spike if it meant saving the world. And you?"
Nepheli blinked. "Me?"
"How are you doing?" He granted her a rueful grin. "You look about as exhausted as I feel."
...she'd almost forgotten about Gideon. The thought shamed her soul.
Her entire body felt heavy, both in shoulders and spirit.
In all her years, she'd never thought it would come to this. Perhaps that made her foolish. Naive. Gideon had been her foster father. Raised her, for lack of a better word. She had looked to him for understanding. Wisdom. Guidance. At the end, she'd thought he might be able to explain himself; to say something, anything, justify his horrific misdeeds. Reason it all away. But no, there had been no justifications. Only pain, misery and the bitter, bitter realization of her own foolishness. Gideon had never loved her. She'd been naught but a tool to him. A weapon. Nothing more.
And now he was gone.
Had it all been for nothing in the end.
She would not weep. She would not wall. She was a warrior. She was...urgh...she was...
A hand settled upon her bare shoulder. "Need a minute?"
...yes." Anger sparked. Shame at admitting her weakness as much as being seen in such a state. She tore herself from his grasp, walked a few paces, and plonked herself down. She didn't trust the ground and so glared at the starry sky above. "Do not look upon me. I would not have you see my tears."
"Ain't nothing to be ashamed of." He sat beside her, swinging himself down onto a nearby tree stump. "People cry all the time.
"Even so." she looked away from him. "I shall return to the hold. I need...I need some time to think."
"At least let Boc go with you. He's good at cheering folks up."
...I think I shall do that."
Silence stretched between them. She didn't dare break it.
"I get it." Naruto's head bobbed in understanding. "Gideon raised you, even if he wasn't your blood. Ya can't forget something like that. Believe me, I understand."
Her gaze swung back his way. "You've lost someone too, haven't you?"
"Several someones." he scooted a little closer, surprised her now, by laying his head on her shoulder. "I could fill a book with all the names I've lost, the friends I've buried, the funerals I've seen." a rueful chuckle tumbled past his lips. "There have been so many. I know it hurts." he reached a hand up and past her, as though to grasp at the very stars themselves. "Pain is a part of life. But its what you do with that pain that defines you."
...and what did you do with yours?"
"I embraced it." he looked her square in the eye. "I decided to live on in their memory. You can cry, if you want to. Go ahead. Let it out. I won't say a word."
A single tear rolled down her cheek. It was the prelude to the flood and she lost all control. She turned and slotted against him. Naruto was true to his word. He didn't push her away. An armored arm looped loosely round her shoulders in a half hug. That tore it. Despite her best efforts, a sob tore out of her. It was an ugly, wretched sound.
She buried her head in his chest, trying to staunch her tears. She failed.
Naruto held her while she wailed.
"There you go, let it all out...
(.0.0.0.)
Rya found herself in a bit of pickle.
She must get her necklace back. She simply must. She couldn't return to the manor without it. Well, she could, technically speaking, but such would be an arduous journey, and the teleportation afforded her by Mother's trinket was far more expedient.
Lady Tanith would understand, of course...even if she would be dissapointed.
She couldn't bear the thought. But there was nothing that could be done. She'd already tried to retrieve the necklace, and failed miserably for it. Just thinking of her failure made her flinch. Oh, the shame of it all! To lose her most treasure possession to that...that brute! And all for a bit of prawn! He'd tricked her! Deceived her! How was she to know it was meant to be a trade! He'd never said such!
She'd begged and pleaded with that Blackguard, but alas, her cries had fallen on deaf ears.
In the end the heartless fiend had shouted and chased her away until she'd run here, to the this tiny tower in the lake.
She dare not leave it. The lakes were not safe. She could hear things out there, awful monsters that would happily grind her bones.
She spied some movement out beyond the trees and ducked down behind the stones. Hopefully it wasn't more of those terrible Albinaurics with their clubs. She'd barely gotten away from the last bunch. Why must all the creatures here be so wretchedly hostile? Even those awful crustaceans wanted a piece of her!
Really! What was a scout to do?! She wasn't a fighter!
Did she dare wait for night and ambush the braggart then? Such might be possible; she knew he had the necklace on his person. If she could but snatch it from him and bolt, she might be able to get away. Might. Or she might die, pummeled to a pulp beneath those awful metal gauntlets of his. Her knees quivered at the thought.
"Look, I keep telling you," a man's voice came across the water, breaking through her maudlin musings. "We need to find Greyroll, first."
Rya perked up. Her fist instinct was to hide. Curiosity suppressed it. She peeked out from cover, peering into the morning mists.
"Be that as it may, a woman's voice intoned, "We know not where she went.
"She has Therolina and Agheel with her, my lord." A third voice joined the second. She will be fine."
...fine. I guess she'll be fine on her own a little while longer."
Rya could resist no longer. This group didn't sound hostile, and she was in dire need of aid. She dared to lean out yet further. As though waiting for that very moment, the mists peeled away and revealed her quarry. They were not beasts as she feared. On the contrary, they were a rather eclectic band all things considered; a woman riding a wolf, a one-armed redhead, a tall lady in deep blue robs and...oh!
Oh my! My, my, my!
That tall fellow there leading them, the one wearing drakescale armor. She saw something etched into on his chest, arm and neck. Closer inspection confirmed her suspicions. Were those...they were! Three great runes! Each one shining like the sun. Gods above. Three! Mother had never told her of a Tarnished like this. Surely the manor would have known of such.
She took him in at a glance, those bright blue eyes, tawny blond hair, whiskered cheeks dimpling in a smile as he conversed with his companions.
Strength poured from in waves. She could sense it. Taste it on her tongue. This one would be a worthy champion indeed, if she could convince him to join the manor. But how to go about it...oh! She'd just had the most wonderful idea! What was the saying mother always used? Kill two birds with one stone? Yes! That was it!
Well! Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
"H-Hello!" she cupped both hands before her face and called out. "You there! Might I have a moment of your time?"
The party paused. Its leader turned to approach her, ascending the steps at a clip.
He looked at her. Really, really looked at her. Saw right through her, somehow. A faint quirk of his lips had her heart quickening.
And yet he said nothing. Silence stretched between them.
"Its...ah...rather chilly here, isn't it?" Rya piped up at the last, hoping to break the ice between them. "I'm sorry, m' rambling, aren't I? My mistress sent me off on an errand...but I was accosted by a ruffian and now I'm in a bit of a bind." her palm itched anew and she wrung them together, stifling the urge to scratch them. Could I ask you to lend a hand, perhaps? That thug made off with a precious necklace of mine. I need someone to retrieve it. Only...
She gulped a little, worrying at the sudden sharpness in his eyes.
...well, he too, is a Tarnished." she mumbled out. "If you've any qualms confronting your own, I shall find another-
"I'll take care of it."
Even his voice was soothing, most pleasant to the ear.
"Oh! Thank you dearly." she couldn't keep the words from rushing out. "What a blessing that we've met like this!" Eager to make herself useful, she stepped past him and cast a finger in the direction she'd come. "That thug should be resting at an abandoned home down the way. Please, I must have the necklace back...it means the world to me...
"Sure." the blond seemed happy enough to gran her such. "Rennala, you mind watching her for a sec?"
The tall woman nodded once. "Not at all."
Rennala? THE lady Rennala? No, surely not. Perhaps it was someone who shared her name...and appearance...and manner of speech. Oh, dear. She really did feel quite small in her presence. Rya reigned in her emotions with an effort. She mustn't transform here. To do so would surely see her slain. Calm. Must be clam. Don't panic!
Off the Tarnished went without a word, and his two companions with him.
That left the tall woman eyeing her most strangely. "Have I offend you in some manner, m'lady?"
"No," the woman hummed after a thoughtful moment's pause, "You simply remind me of someone. Curious...
A minute passed in silence. Then another. Yet another still.
Rya just begun to lose hope when she heard it; a muffled explosion, followed by the faint sound of gibbering. Had they found the lout so quickly? Odd. It almost sounded as if he were apologizing. Begging for his life, even. Surely she imagined such a thing. He certainly hadn't said as much to her! And so she waited still. Another minute elapsed.
Finally, she heard the footsteps. She wasn't surprised to see him again. Any tarnished who held three great runes was surely no pushover.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." The Tarnished and his silent companions sauntered back, looking no worse for the wear. "It was a bit of a...misunderstanding. He won't do it again."
...did you kill him?"
"Naw." a hand waved. "Thumped him upside the head once or twice. He's learned his lesson. And," he reached into his pouch, removing a familiar bauble. "He coughed this up."
"Yes!" Rya felt heart soar at the glimmer of gold, such that she nearly hissed with glee. "That is indeed my necklace! Thank you kindly. Would you mind...?"
"Not at all."
She turned her back to him, not once doubting his intent. He stepped to her silently. Nimble fingers danced across her collarbone as fiddled with the clasp of her necklace, reaching down and around; the better to fasten it to her neck. This close, he smelled of fire and blood, smoke and sunshine mingling with a sickly sweet scent she couldn't quite identify. Like overripe fruit on the verge of rotting. Such a curious contrast. It made her want to nuzzle him and...wait. What was he doing now? He'd fixed his necklage, but now fingers were stroking her scalp, idly tousling her hair for reasons she couldn't quite comprehend. It felt nice...no! Focus!
Rya straightened with a squeak, heat flashing through her pale face. "Why are you patting my head?"
The blond paused. Blinked. "You know, I'm no sure really. Just couldn't help myself.
...I didn't say stop."
He coughed a laugh into his fist.
She did the same, desperate to hide her embarrassment. "Ahem! Nevertheless, I am in your debt."
His smile set her heart aflutter. How very strange. "Its no problem...miss?
Goodness gracious, she hadn't even given him her name!
"Did I forget to introduce myself? I am Rya," she sketched a quick curtsy, cursing herself for the slip. "In the service of Lady Tanith, of the Volcano Manor." Nor did she miss the bemused looks his party exchanged among themselves. "I seek stalwart Tarnished who might join our house. You...you are very brave yourself." Much more than that, she wanted to say, but such wouldn't be proper. "Not only a steady hand, but a steady heart, merciless even to your own kind."
His lips quirked. "I wouldn't call myself merciless...
"Even so! Please, take this invitation." she pressed a letter into his grasp. "You should seek the Altus Plateau, the realm of the Erdtree." he waved her on, and she was eager to regale him further. "Do so, and the Volcano Manor will fully extend its invitation. To fight, amongst a family of champions- I have faith in you."
"Or you could take us there now."
His words cut through her thoughts.
"I...I couldn't." She looked away. "It wouldn't be proper."
"Well, don't you owe me? I mean, I got your necklace back.
His smile disarmed her at the last. What was the harm? He seemed a kind sort...
.
..
...and she did rather enjoy those headpats.
...v-very well. Let my hand rest upon you, for but a moment.
He gave his hand gladly. My, but his fingers were warm. It was like holding the sun in the palm of her hand...
(.0.0.0.)
Tanith saw the light.
Excellent. Zoryas had returned from her scouting mission.
Much to her surprise, she'd brought champions. Plural. More than one. She spied a man in drakescale armor wearing three great runes -my, my, someone had been a busy boy!- another with lovely red hair, and a third sitting astride a great worl. This tarnished and his companions she knew not, but that was a very large woman behind him. She sat a little straighter in her seat. No. Nay. That couldn't be. It just couldn't...
Oh.
Ohh.
Ohhh, dear.
"Hello, dear Tanith!" Lady Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, smiled upon her. That smile was far too sharp for her liking. "Might you know where my son is hiding? He's in sore need of a spanking." She tried to speak, but her lords mother bulled right over her. "And do take off that mask, girl. 'Tis unseemly to hide your face in such a manner.
A stronger soul would've argued. Railed against her demands.
But for Tanith? There could be only response given.
She complied with a whimper.
(.0.0.0.)
Rykard opened his eyes.
"Hrrrmm? Who disturbs my slumber...?"
Strange. He thought he'd heard a scream just now.
But his cavern remained silent, filled with naught but corpses.
Nonsense. Must've been his imagination again. Back to sleep he went...
More fool he.
A/N: Spanking indeed. I don't think you're ready for the next chapter.
Aaaaand scene.
More of Greyroll next time. The others really stole the show.
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...
(Previews)
"Shall I turn your runes to strength?"
"Damnit! I liked that armor!"
Ranni stilled.
She heard noise outside her Rise.
No. Nay. Surely not. She was imagining things...
"You speak to ME of mercy?!"
"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...?
Why are you here?"
"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!"
The serpent stirred. "Who speaks to me so...?"
"Thy mother!"
"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."
"Hmm." Greyrool seemed strangest of all. "How strange it is to find someone taller than me. I feel almost petite without using my power." Right, right, he'd seen her grow against Radahn, hadn't he? Wait, why isn't she getting angry? Dragons trully were difficult to understand. Still, she'd integrated into their party relatively quickly.
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~!