Chapter Text
“Blaidd, I’m glad I’ve finally found you.” The half-wolf turned to see the Tarnished, Serena. A petite young woman who had recently entered his mistress’ service. Previously, she had helped him find and defeat Darriwil, and he was glad to have pointed her in the direction of Iji. He had been hopeful that she would meet him, and that the war counsellor and Ranni would see her potential, and evidently, she had passed their inspections.
“Ah, good to see you. Apologies mate, but I don’t have much to report. I can see bloody Nokron, right above me,” her head turned to look in the direction where he raised his hand: the ancient buildings hidden beyond the aqueduct they were under. As she returned to his gaze, he added with a shrug of his shoulders, “but I’m absolutely stumped.” Serena had travelled from Liurnia, so he had utilised that time to explore the Siofra River while waiting for her. He had tried various gateways, but had no luck finding his way to the Eternal City. The treasure that Ranni sought was there, tantalisingly close, yet so far away.
He was about to suggest that they ask Seluvis for any details he might be hiding, when he looked back down at the woman, who was barely half his size, to see her nodding in thought with her finger on her chin. “When I arrived here, there was an altar - I lit the brazier and that pillar also came alight,” she pointed in the direction of the temple ruin, where seven pillars stood cold, while one alone was indeed holding a flame, ”So perhaps we need to find the others?”
“Clever thinking,” the Tarnished beamed at him, “Of course there’d be a bloody puzzle to solve first. So how do you want to do this? I can take the north side if you want.” Her smile suddenly faded, and Blaidd wondered if he had accidentally offended her.
“Well… How about we search together? We could be more methodical that way,” he wasn’t sure he believed her excuse, “And besides,” her lips curled mischievously, “I want to show you how much I’ve improved since last we met.” Ah, so that was the real reason, and one he would look forward to seeing.
“Alright then.” Blaidd swung his sword onto his shoulder, and let Serena take the lead, “Show me the power that defeated Godrick then.” When he had learned that The Grafted demi god had been slain, he wasn’t too surprised to hear that she was the one who did the deed. He had taught her some fighting techniques, offering advice on dodging and parrying, and she had been a keen student. Her talents lay in sorceries however, and he wondered if she had found a mentor for that too.
Serena had definitely learned some new tricks, and had vastly expanded her spell repertoire. Blaidd observed that her stance was now a lot more confident, no longer freezing up when attacked. She was able to adeptly move her body to dodge blows, and retaliate with a counter. He felt relieved, knowing he wouldn’t have to worry too much about her. “Found another one!” Serena shouted, as she produced fire with a snap, setting the altar ablaze.
Another thing Blaidd hadn’t really considered before was how enjoyable it was to have a fighting companion again. They weren’t perfectly in sync with each other, but having someone reliable to cover your flank or split an enemy group made their search a breeze. He usually hunted alone, as did the Tarnished, but with practice, they could get used to being a pack.
“Do you feel that?” Serena asked suddenly, as they were walking past a collapsed column. Blaidd looked up and saw what was once a bridge leading to Nokron, but centuries of neglect had left it in a completely unusable state. But no, Blaidd couldn’t feel anything, he raised his eyebrows in confusion, about to ask what she meant, when she whistled, calling upon her Spirit Steed, Torrent. The beast materialised from the ether, like a magical summoning that Ranni was proficient in.
The Tarnished gave a sly grin as she climbed upon Torrent, and Blaidd dropped his jaw in surprise and awe as the horse jumped impossibly high, landing upon a column. As quickly as he had appeared, Torrent vanished, leaving Serena looking down on Blaidd. He was reminded of their first meeting, looking down on her from the top of Mistwood Ruins, only now their roles were reversed. It seemed Serena had the same thought, as she attempted a howl, a weak one, obviously her first try, followed by fits of laughing. “What, not going to snap your fingers?” She called out.
Hoisting his blade upon his back straps, Blaidd jumped on some of the raised rubble, and then flung himself towards part of the destroyed bridge, swiftly grabbing the ledge and pulling up, jumping once more to land at a taller part of the pillar. It didn’t take long to find his way to Serena, once again dwarfing the human. “You call that a howl, pup? I’ll show you how it’s done.” He moved his face upwards, took a deep breath, and “Arrrooooooo!”
He became aware and slightly embarrassed of what he was doing, but when Serena started to howl again, he gave himself fully to it, howling as proudly as he could. She couldn’t complete one without bursting into laughter, but that didn't stop her from trying. When he was finally done, Blaidd chortled in a way he hadn’t done in many years, his tail wagging from side to side.
Calming down, they sat on the pillar, legs dangling below, their background a nebula of stars. Blaidd did not look at the view though, instead lost in thought, reprimanding himself for his display. They really should act more according to their station, not playing around like children. They had an important mission after all. Blaidd considered the spectral steed, asking, “If you two can do that trick, can’t you find a way into Nokron?”
Serena shook her head. “Unfortunately only at spirit springs, and I couldn’t find any by the city.” She looked down at the ground, far below where they were sitting, “We have trouble getting down from these places too.”
“Ha! No need to worry about that. Come on, mate, let’s stop having fun and find some more of those altars.” He stood up, and lent a hand to her. She took it, and as she stood, he easily picked her up, and pressed her to his chest. “Hang on tight now,” with her fingers clinging to the cloak around his neck, he jumped swiftly from pillar to pillar, making his way down safely.
When he let her down, he noticed that her face was a few shades more crimson. “Are you alright?” he asked. Serena affirmed, brushing her hair behind her ear and quickly looking away. She was certainly an odd one, even among the Tarnished. Although, as he thought harder on it, perhaps she was acting strange because he touched her. Touch… he had been deprived of it for so long. He missed the nights when Ranni would brush his fur. He missed those halcyon days of getting into trouble, followed by training and then lessons under Iji. How the world had changed so much since then. However touch starved he may be however, more importantly he seemed to have made her uncomfortable, so Blaidd made a mental note to not do so again.
After another fight with a group of giant rats and ancestral followers, another beacon was lit. They were starting to feel quite tired, the underground river was a surprisingly large area and battle did tend to take a lot of energy. So they decided to make camp, Nokron could wait one more night. Blaidd hunted some of the animals that lived down here, and by the time he had returned, Serena had already built a campfire, as well as gathered bowls of berries and water for them. It reminded him of their brief adventure above ground, while they were looking for Darriwil. They would occasionally spend their night at camps together under the stars. This time however, they were able to share more than just a few awkward words with each other, as the Tarnished was keen to speak with him.
“So you’ve been helping Ranni all this time?”
The half-wolf nodded, “Since the beginning. I made an oath to serve no master but mistress Ranni.” He looked at his greatsword, he could recall that night with great clarity. The full moon, the plan of great betrayal, the magic that Ranni sealed into his blade.
“She’s lucky to have a knight so loyal,” Serena yawned, obviously tired from the day’s efforts, “When we were searching for Darriwil, was he an enemy of Ranni’s then?”
“You still remember him, eh?” Blaidd folded his arms. Darriwil was a Bloodhound Knight, a race who were known for their undying loyalty to their master. Yet he had betrayed his own existence. A traitor who received a fitting end. “Iji told me of his crimes, that he was once a knight of Ranni’s, who betrayed the cause.”
“How peculiar that he was in an Evergaol,” the half-wolf hadn’t thought of that oddness before, he had just been delighted to find and end the man. Nothing to worry about now, he supposed. “And of course I remember fighting him with you,” she paused before also adding, “I also recall you saying I seemed strange.”
The half-wolf scoffed playfully, “Are you not?” he teased, enjoying her reaction. He had seen Tarnished before, some had been rough and ready to see him as a monster, with Blaidd having to douse their little flames. Serena however had been a curious sort, she had explored the Mistwood, returning to him once she had learned Kalé’s signal, eager to learn more about the half-wolf. Her wide eyes relayed her thirst for knowledge, her blue sapphires the same as the scholars of Raya Lucaria. To him, she seemed small, pretty, delicate, almost like the doll that Ranni now inhabited. He had felt compelled to check in on her progress, help teach her how to defend herself. So indeed, she had seemed very strange to Blaidd.
“Well, you can think what you want,” she laughed as she stretched her arms up high, “Besides, I suppose I find myself in likewise company.” He watched as the young woman smiled softly at him, before proceeding to lay down on her bedroll, “I don’t think I can keep my eyes open much longer.” Once she was comfortable, she added, “Sleep well, Blaidd.”
“And you, friend.” The half wolf curled up using his cloak as a blanket, thoughts deep on memories long since unspoken. He didn’t consider himself just a knight. Darriwil was once a knight . Blaidd was Ranni’s shadow, a part of her very being. They were adopted siblings, yet with a bond that went far deeper than blood. He wondered if the Tarnished would understand how he felt, but even if he were inclined to talk about it, it seemed she had already fallen asleep, her breathing light and calm. Blaidd smiled to himself, content with keeping watch for the night.
The next morning, they continued their search. Eventually they were able to find all of the pyres. “And that makes eight,” Serena cheered as she lit the final one, “Time to break into the Eternal City.” Blaidd nodded, hoping this was all that was needed. The way back was thankfully easy going, since they had cut through most of the foes on their way here. They avoided the lightning wisps, instead taking the path by the river, overlooking the underground nebula. There was silence between the pair, as they anticipated the next stage of their adventure, Serena absorbed by the stars while Blaidd lost in his own thoughts.
Soon they approached the steps of the Hallowhorn Grounds, but there was no grand lift, nor a giant monster for them to fight. Just the remains of a great deer. “This can’t be it.” Blaidd muttered.
“I think there’s something coming from the carcass.” Serena was drawn to it, as if she could see something that he couldn’t. Blaidd wasn’t sure about this, but he couldn’t let her go alone, so followed in her shadow. She knelt as she approached near, and then he could see it too, a shimmering, and as her hand touched the antlers, she too began to shimmer. And then disappear. Blaidd quickly went to grab her, but after a single step, his surroundings began to change, and they found themselves in absolute darkness.
The sound of glintstone magic broke the silence, and the blue starlight revealed that they were in a cavern. Nodding at each other, Blaidd drew his blade, and they headed forward. Ahead of them was an entrance, and as they walked in, they found what appeared to be a very large room, with water rising to only an inch, and fog clinging to the sides. There was a pale teal light at the back of the room that seemed to be parting the fog. Except that it wasn’t just a light, but beautiful glistening ore on large antlers, decorated on an enormous skull. The animated carcass of a giant deer was trotting toward them.
A magical bow appeared in Serena’s hands, her eyes closed in concentration as it grew to the size of a greatbow. Her lids snapped open, the sorcery complete, and let loose the arrow, the blue streak finding its mark in the skull in a magnificent explosion. The creature did not seem phased by it and began to gallop towards the pair. Blaidd responded by charging forward, while Serena started casting another arrow. If he could stop the creature’s approach, Serena would be free to unleash her magical barrage.
Another spectral arrow whistled by him, exploding on impact with the skull, cracks already beginning to show. It showed no interest in the approaching half-wolf, eyeless focus set on the sorceress. Blaidd used this opportunity to perform an assault on the front legs, swinging his greatsword and channelling the power of ice, freezing the hooves to the water below. That ought to slow him down.
But now the focus was on him, and with a roar, the great beast swung his head towards Blaidd, who dodged backwards out of reach from the dangerous antlers. The frozen restraints shattered, and now free to swing its entire body at him, Blaidd braced for impact, when the stag was bolted backwards by a stream of magical stars.
Taking this opportunity, Blaidd swung his greatsword, and it once again found its mark on the leg, breaking it into a splinter of bone and sending it skimming across the water. With another anguished roar, the beast jumped, but was not quick to return to the ground. Instead, impossibly, it was still in the air, jumping as if there were an invisible floor above them. It had crossed the gap to Serena, it’s slam on the ground knocking off her balance, before a heavy kick sent her flying to the wall.
The sound of boot against water echoed through the room, as Blaidd made his way to her. “I’m okay!” She shouted, through gulps from a healing flask. They turned towards the beast again, who was breathing heavily. Blaidd was shielding the pair with his sword, a defensive position ready for what might come next.
The stag jumped, and was once again finding a path in the air, although now with a terrifyingly beautiful teal flame spewing from his mouth, igniting the water beneath him, quickly nearing toward them. The purple energy of gravity magic shone from his companion, as she brought up the ground from beneath them, creating a barrier of stone around them.
The flame was upon them now, embers coming through cracks of the earth, glowing bright and extremely hot. After a few deadly seconds, the flames began to recede, and Serena sent the rocks flying towards the source, and Blaidd charged along with them. Nearing the creature, he jumped, using one of the boulders as a stepping stone for a second leap upwards, and he was now above the skull. Swinging his whole body for more momentum for his weapon, the boulders and sword made their impact upon the skull, smashing it into the ground. With one last groan, the guardian spirit was no more, fading into runes and dust. Cheers erupted from the pair, but soon they were engulfed in a bright white light, and as quickly as they appeared in this strange cave, they were back in Siofra River, next to the carcass, as if nothing had happened.
“Not quite sure what that was about, but what a sick fight, eh?” The adrenaline of a good hunt, this was what Blaidd enjoyed. He bared his teeth in a smile towards his companion. Then he noticed that she was bleeding from a wound - so that fight was definitely not just a dream - and lent a hand out to wipe the blood away, before quickly retracting it. “Are you hurt?” He asked instead.
“I’ve been through worse, trust me.” She smiled, sitting herself down on the ground. She closed her eyes and breathed a sigh. “Sadly it didn’t get us any closer to Nokron.” She beckoned him to sit too. “Looks like it was a wild goose - err, deer - chase after all.”
Blaidd took his place beside her, still concerned for her wellbeing. “It was a good idea.” Letting out a growling sigh, he added “I think we might need to finally admit we need some help.” The thought of returning to Seluvis, tail between his legs, immediately soured his mood. He shook his head, no, he wouldn’t let that ruin this day.
He looked down at Serena, the woman was half his size and currently bruised, wet and singed. It was hard not to think of her as fragile, so easily breakable, even with the display he had seen today. “The stars here. They are so beautiful.” She said, mesmerised once again by the nebula. Blaidd took this as an opportunity to continue to appraise her. She had scars too, ones he had not noticed before. Of course, every day was a battle in the Lands Between, each scar a memory of survival. “I was an astrologer before I came here. I studied the stars, to see our fates, us who weren’t blessed by Grace.” That wasn’t surprising to hear, yet it was nice to hear her talk about herself. “But alas, the frozen night sky no longer cradles fate.” She finally wiped the blood from her face. “I know these are not true stars, yet they are magnificent all the same.”
Blaidd finally turned to observe the nebula, and took in its beauty. He normally tried not to think about such things. He was a shadow, meant to serve his mistress, to waste time on such trivialities was to waste Ranni’s precious time. But there was beauty in this world. In his mistress’ ideals, in wonders such as these, and in the people that inhabited it. There was no harm in appreciating it.
Or so he desperately wanted to believe. He had a duty. Blaidd shook his head, these thoughts were twisting him in circles. Why couldn’t things just be simple? A weight pressing on his side jolted the half-wolf back to reality. Serena had fallen asleep, clutching his cloak.