Chapter 26

Quick to regret his decisions, her beloved scrambled to collect his senses, his feet tapping against the stone floor. Only to realize that the door had been locked by someone on the outside. Vestia could only shake her head. Had she been able to see, the trap would have been as clear as day. But alas, she was without her sight, unfortunately.

Suddenly, several loud clangs rang in the blonde's ears, alerting her of something to their left. Clutching onto her talisman, the range of her "vision" rose, the slight amount of electricity in the air pinging off the person's appearance and location. Armored head to toe in plate mail, and in its hands were a greatsword and heater shield.

Objects laid strewn across the room, haphazardly at that, as though there was no rhyme nor reason for their placement. Unless they were laid there on purpose. It didn't take long to deduce the scheme or predicament they both had run into. The two of them were supposed to enter this room and die to whoever was menacingly grunting before them, possibly tripping on the several vases and what not that had been left out.

A click ran from her mouth, as sparks of lightning manifested from the knight's feet, dancing across his toes before he could even take a single step forward. At the same time, the gaps between her fingers filled with sparkling light, a rod manifesting itself on her right hand.

It wouldn't take much to completely fry the knight's insides, though his matter of survival was of little concern. Should her miracle fail to kill on strike, she would be very much so open for a counter attack. But at the same time, Vestia was almost betting on that chance. Dave's eyes shifted from the door to her, the commotion finally breaking him out of his initial goal of snapping the hinges off the door.

His left arm shone a crimson light, the cracks littering it glowing with an intense fury, as a semi-liquid flame spooled in his palm, the temperature of the room rising. Both attacks were close to being ready, and with the enemy just barely able to move, it brace for impact, the firekeeper's arm lunging forward, staking him with the bolt.

Her companion followed shortly after, a great combustion bursting forth from his wrist as he abused the stunning qualities of lightning, thrusting his arm straight at the opponent's shield. She was… momentarily blinded. The sound of the explosion had bounced an innumerable number of times around the confined space, a deafening ring numbing any other sound that had reached her ears. Even her field was disrupted by this mess.

Complete darkness had encapsulated the blonde, a seedling of panic residing in her chest. There was little she could do at the moment, and crying out would alert the knight to her location. And though it likely might have been severely injured due to their joint attack, the possibility of it being alive stood clear in her mind. This thought was only reinforced by a series of clangs, each striking in rapid succession.

The world around her slowly bled in, trickling like droplets of water splattering against wet parchment. The wind picked up speed, whistling in her ears as it gradually escalated, an orchestra of sound approaching its climax. Vestia's heart beat faster and faster by the second, the constant displacement of air breaking whatever field she tried to construct.

Swift and carrying the force of a raging bull, the opposition rammed into her lithe body, ramming the fire keeper against the solid wall, expelling all of the air in her lungs. If she had to guess, it was likely his shield that had struck her, but with little time to dwell on the topic, she rolled out of the way of whatever came next, blindly moving until she slammed her head on a solid surface, ripples of pain blurring the lines even further.

Breathily cursing her situation, the words on her lips were quickly replaced by the esoteric chants of tales and stories long past, of disease and of the wounded. A god's feats brought to the present. Whispers flowed like passing river rapids, words etching themselves into the ground as a mental strain mounted on Vestia's mind, the toll of the spell debilitating her somewhat.

It felt as though there was a weight in her head that spun around, each time crashing from one corner to another. Fortunately, there was one upside to this, her hearing had recovered, a majority of her senses returning without a hitch, a map forming in her head as the sound produced by the battle aided in her visualization.

Tightening her grasp around her talisman, a bow formed from electricity, her fingers strumming its string, an arrow following shortly thereafter. Vestia paused for a second, allowing the scene to further unfold, painting a picture with each passing second. Soon, the woman's field reconstituted itself, securing the shot.

Letting the string go naturally, it slid off the pads of her finger, sliding like a well-oiled surface. And just as planned, the projectile found its target, embedding itself between the his chest piece and helmet, the thin gap easily breaking under the force, while shocking his internals. Giving her beloved just enough time to cleave a large chunk of his shoulder, blood spurting out of his wound.

He had lost, and they both were able to survive. Still, it was far from the perfect mood. Letting go of a sigh, she shook her head, easing her woes while Dave walked towards another section of the room, having seemingly found something off the ground. Picking it up, he stared at it with an intense curiosity, his brows scrunching together.

"Thou art alright, dear?" She asked, walking to his side. "Have we perchance 'screwed up' if I were to put it in thy words. The chances of it happening are scarcely low. But, it is still a possibility they had to entertain." He dismissed that thought, waving it away as though it were rising steam. "Then what is it, if thou dost not mind."

"Nothing more than a key." Dave shrugged, firmly keeping it betwixt his fingers as they went back to the door, sliding it in with ease. "I think we accidentally went the right way. Supposedly, it's used to open a locked door further up ahead. I cannot confirm this. Though, it could mean that it likely wasn't a trap. At the same time, it could also be repurposed to be one."

The idea held its weight, and with nothing to go against it, Vestia trotted along. Following her partner's lead like a puppy would its master. Not that she would say it in that matter in front of him. Merely even thinking it made her feel embarrassed. Slapping her face thrice, she tried to get rid of the thought, only to end up reinforcing it in her mental space… Throwing her hands up, the blonde gave up, throwing away the thought as she climbed up a ladder. Besides, there were better things she could be worrying about. Like the feeling of being watched.

…

For but a moment, Melina had thought the blind woman saw through her astralized illusion, but alas, her mind had been playing tricks on her.

Over the past few days, she had observed her Tarnished grow by the day, his mastery in weapons other than his fire increasing by leaps and bounds, even if his opponents were of less than favorable quality. It was a wonder, but she had not taken him as her chauffeur to the Erdtree on a whim, a mere gut feeling wouldn't have illicited such response alone.

Though, it would seem like she had gotten more than she bargained for, in both the positives and negatives. Swift as he might have been, there was also his powder keg of a companion. Vestia, from what she's heard. His situation almost felt dire at times. The fact she was pregnant didn't help the situation either.

Had her Tarnished learned how to pull out better, perhaps this would have never happened. At the same time, Melina knew this was going to occur one way or another. With their frequent copulating, it wouldn't take long for them to conceive either way, it was only a matter of time. Whatever the case might have been, he was still on the fast track to being the fastest growing Tarnished in all of the Lands Between.

Or this could be a sign of pride. Many have been known to overestimate their capabilities, some have even thought themselves able to fight a Demi-God after felling a particularly strong demi-human. What a tragedy that was. Still, she had faith in his abilities. If these past few events were anything to go by, it wouldn't take long for them to reach Godrick.

They could also get side-tracked for the next few days wandering the castle. In fairness, it was quite massive, even a single sector of the building was larger than most villages. Its scale was grand, that much she could admit. The Demi-God of Grafting certainly had his intricacies. Whether they were good or bad was not up to her.

Shrugging her head of such thoughts, she continued tailing closely after them, watching conflict after conflict. The enjoyment of which gradually whitling down until it was simply mindless violence. Droves of foot soldiers slain, with little expressed reason other than they were in the way. Had she not seen it from beginning to end, the maiden would have sided with Godrick's men due to Dave's ruthlessness.

Eventually, they came to a stop on a site of grace, resting for several minutes as they took count of their supplies, taking several items out of nowhere and dropping it to their feet. Soon, they had called for her assistance. And with more than a handful of runes lining their pockets, she was able to improve the pair's physique slightly. But where they differed was in intelligence and faith. Both took separate paths, with the pyromancer seemingly more interested in sorcery despite not knowing a single glint stone spell, and for the other, she at least could see why that would be the case.

It had perplexed her to no end why he would do that. Though, with the slight reminder that his "original world" was very similar to the Lands Between, and now it was her turn to second guess herself. Long had she been familiar with the system that maidens used to support their warriors, but with very few opportunities to experiment, her abilities swiftly reached a ceiling she just couldn't break, no matter how hard she tried.

Even with this in mind, Dave acted as though he knew more than her in almost every regard. If his word was to be believed, then it would have made sense. More so when his companion had her runes turned to strength, being more direct with her allocation, specialized in a specific field unlike the former. Who, for the most part, simply spread it out evenly, raising some higher than others, and leaving arcane fairly untouched.

Releasing her hold of the Tarnished's hand, her foot twisted to leap away from the scene, only for the dark-haired man to grab her by the hand, a flurry of emotion surfacing on the brunette's face. Her features scrunched together, a slight displeasure bubbling up due to the sudden action. "And what is it that you require of me now, Tarnished? I'm afraid I have done all I could with the resources at hand."

He shook his head, a flare of confusion sprouting in her mind like a glowing, pulsating pillar, the passing breeze gently blowing at her cloak. And the next words to come out of his lips didn't help the situation either, her head ache growing by the second. "Is there something wrong with trying to know my maiden better? Other than the occasional sermon at the Churches of Marika, I believe we haven't spoken much at all."

Melina pondered on this thought, trying to come up with some kind of retort that would allow her to leave quicker. But, she was caught, practically red-handed at that. There were very few words she could say. Ranging from deflective to down-right harsh. And for the few she couldn't think of, flew right past her mind, the emphasis placed on the kindling maiden breaking her focus.

In the end, she acquiesced. For better or for worse, the corner of Dave's lips curved, arching as he shown a bright and cheery smile, much to her dismay. Standing up, he had gone to take on the lead, with the blind woman reaching her side without another word, their heads peeking at the sun-lit floor of the castle's walls, barrels with black crosses littering the trail they were suppose to walk through.

A grimace was all that was needed to encapsulate the atmosphere of what was to come their way. A tinge of irritation sprouting in her mind, a dagger finding itself within her grasp soon after. The location they had found themselves in wasn't safe in any definition of the word. And with a set of birds on the horizon, it would certainly be tough.

Honestly, Melina could have escaped as soon as she realized the magnitude of the situation. How it could all end, but she didn't. Pride had kept her there, and it had also forced her to stay, if only to humor the man's words. Suddenly, a hand captured her own, the tension in her heart easing slightly as the blind woman chanted a few words under her breath, the wind beneath her feet kicking up.

Instantly, she felt her entire body become lighter than a feather, likely the effect of the incantation the blonde had recited. The blood in her veins pumped, her eyes darting from one barrel to another, eager to find a target. However, Melina's expectations fell quite short, a casted light shading her face red. Her Tarnished's left arm pulsed, glowing an intense red before dimming.

"The flames of his soul" lit a blaze, her eyes inwardly widening at the sight, her expression temporarily shifting to one of awe, scrutinizing its every detail while she could. Fire spun, like a seamstress' wheel, concentrating into on singular point. Eventually, the blaze liquified, even dripping onto the ground, whiffs of a pungent scent flowing into the maiden's nostrils, smelling closely to spoiled meat left out in the sun.

Did it require that he burn his hand to accomplish such results? Was that the reason why it was in such a state despite the many items at his disposal? She was in no rush to get an answer, but it did stoke her curiosity. A ring of flame quickly surrounded the silent incantation, the mass forming into a sphere as it increased in size, his hands pulling back, his right leg shifting forward as it hurled out of his hand. A massive explosion rumbling forth over the course of a few seconds.

It didn't take long for it to start, nor did it take long for it to end either. And with the threat gone, Dave turned back to face the two of them, motioning for her and Vestia to move ahead of him. "After you ladies. The path should be cleared. Though, that doesn't mean we can afford to totally drop our guard."

Heeding his warning, she stepped forward, inspecting the destruction his spell had wrought upon the land. Multiple parts of the floor had been cratered, that much was obvious. However, the trail of dead birds was a surprised. Even more so when she noticed a pair of blades attached to their feet, likely placed there to take advantage of their talons, extending their reach and possibly even their sharpness.

Still, they were now dead, and they were all the better for it. "If you don't mind me asking," Dave perked up, her head twisting to face him. "What do you do outside of acting as our maiden? From your own words, it appears as though you act as one only in strengthening us." His attempt at small talk was cute, for lack of a better term. Curious, yet also shy, like he was tiptoeing an invisible boundary, scared that he might break the ice too fast.

Naturally, she wouldn't want to admit that she would often watch them from afar. Such words had a high chance of triggering a less than desirable outcome for her, especially when it came to their trust and privacy. "Roam the landscape." She idly answered, stifling a whistle as her vision turned skyward. "Though, I have recently been meeting more often with other Tarnished, seeking veterans for their advice, but to no avail."

"How so?" The pyromancer eagerly questioned, putting her on the back foot of things. "And while we are on the topic, where are the others exactly? I would say I've been actively looking, but Limgrave seems barren as they come. Unless I was missing something… But that wouldn't make any more sense because this very castle would block the way, don't you think so?"

She hummed in response, taking his words into deep consideration. "There are other paths to take. Other routes you have left unchecked. But the most probable answer would be the high death rate. With the number of grafted scions being a testament to this statement."

The hours of research she had done were not wasted after all, even if the knowledge was seldomly used outside of any conversation similar to this one. Though knowledge was useful to keep, some were better than others, that much she could for certain. "Even then, those who enter the larger and more expansive kingdom of Liurnia often find themselves worse off than those who enter Limgrave. Less said about the unlucky souls in Caelid, the better."

His body shivered, a common response to what regular people would regard as a place where all good things came to die. It was truly never the same after Malenia laced it with her rot. "So I suppose we were lucky not to take the full brunt of it?" He asked, taking a ladder down to a lower platform, one near what looked to be a church. "Bet I would have had a tougher time. Either way, I wouldn't have met you or any of the new faces if it weren't for it so it isn't that bad."

Rationalizing the thought as such, the man's expression brightened, helping his partner down then doing the same for herself, a chilling twenty meter drop below them. "Still, we seeketh the flame, felling the Demi-Gods is but a mere bonus in the grand scheme of things." Vestia explained, receiving an arched eyebrow in response. "It has brought us here in what appeared to be an act of desperation. Snuffing it out before this world enters an event similar to an age of fire would do thee a great service."

A question mark sprouted from the top of her head, the kindling maiden's mouth left agape as the thought of what she could have possibly meant ran rampant in her head. 'Does she speak of the three fingers sealed below the depths of Leyndell and their frenzied flame? Or the Fell God's flame, barely clinging onto life with the help of its last worshiper...;

"Thoust should pay no mind to mine ramblings. Thine goal is to reach the roots of the Erdtree, wholly separate from ours." The blind woman dismissed as Melina adopted a grimace. Oh how it was further from the truth. A chain whipped at her heart, her breathing turning a tad uneasy.

Fortunately, neither of them were able to pick up the slight disturbance. A wave of relief passed through her while the tension in the air thickened. An uncomfortable silence following soon after, a booming ring buzzing at the back of her mind, the barest hint of a blush making itself known. The subtle rise in temperature tickling her face.

She had known this was going to happen. It was fairly obvious, even from an outside perspective. They knew little of each other, they might as well have been strangers if it weren't for the scant number of times they had met to discuss topics or convert their increasing number of runes.

In the end it wouldn't matter. Whether or not she became attached to the couple, only the future could tell. Though, with Dave's slight insistence of inviting her, she doubt she could stay distant to their situation for long. Soon, there would come a time where she had to interfere, where too many things couldn't be fixed, and her Tarnished was in genuine risk of death. Her one and only method to the Erdtree's routes gone. She just had to do her best to prevent that kind of situation from ever occurring.

"Melina? Hello?" Snapping out of her thoughts, she returned to reality, finding herself on the other end of a ledge, with a ladder standing close by, waiting to be used. "If you wouldn't mind, there are guards patrolling the floor below us. Just wanted you to know before you stepped off to your doom. Would be a damn shame if you met your end due to a lack of spatial awareness."

She wanted to chalk it up as his version of humor, but she came up dry. Melina had gotten used to using her intangible form for so long and at extensive lengths of time that she had forgotten that gravity was still a factor which could kill her. An over-sight on her part and one that flew right past her head.

The brunette shrunk in place, her shoulders slumping as the duo went ahead and took care of the combatants below, all while she stared at the sky, contemplating when it was the right time to break the news to them. She had no reason to do so, but a feeling in her gut reminded her that doing it too late would likely result in a failure on her part. And one that she couldn't easily recover from, not unless she invited another Outer God… An option she had not even thought of until now.