The Roundtable Hold

[Sigurd's POV]

"Let my hand rest upon you.... for but a moment please."

"Right."

Melina grips my hand, and forms a connection to my mind....

"Here we go...."

"You may experience a slight dizziness the first time, but I assure you that this is-"

.....

.....

"Huh?!"

Suddenly, I found myself in the middle of what appears to be a grand meeting hall.

"...Melina...?"

I looked around, not seeing the woman anywhere near me.

"Melina! Where are you?!"

"Rest easy Sigurd, I am by your side. There is no need for shouting."

Melina's voice could be heard from behind, and yet I don't see her anywhere.

"Phew... Melina, what happened? And why are you in your spirit form?"

"To put it simply, you fainted. After I made a direct connection to you, I teleported the both us here, to the Roundtable Hold. Don't worry, it is normal to lose your consciousness when you teleport."

"I see...."

"I burned through much of my energy to teleport the both of us. While time is not a concept here in this realm, I still require a small period of rest to regain my vigor. I am in my spirit form to conserve energy."

"So it would seem." Thank goodness, who knows how bad I would've felt if I failed to protect her....

"Are you perhaps... worried?"

"....No. It's just your imagination."

I'm more about my own safety.... If I had lost her then I'd be trapped in here. Yes, that's all there is to it.

"I see.... The next time you're unsure of my location, use the Whistle."

"You mean the ring?"

"Yes. The ring doesn't actually summon neither me or Torrent, we merely choose to materialize when you call to us. However, no matter where we are we will always be able to hear it's whistle.

Surely if you use it, we will be able to find our way back to you, though I am sure that Torrent would never leave you."

"So I can always call to you if I use the whistle.... That is good to know."

"Precisely. For now however, you should focus on the man approaching you.... I'll be taking a little rest."

"What man?"

I looked around the room.... It is a fancy living room with a beautifully decorated fireplace and others on the walls. In the middle of it all is a giant round table with countless swords impaled to the center.

A giant particle of light hovers just above the swords, shining and covering the entire place in it's veil of gold hue. It looks like a giant Site of Grace.

Of course, there were multiple doors leading to this living room.... Walking out from one of the rooms is a hunched-back man dressed in a platinum-colored weird looking armor.

While his armor is normal everywhere else, there is the design of a giant eye carved to the stomach area. It gave the man a great presence despite his small stature.

The hunched back man spoke, with a deep voice of an old man.

"I have told you all already to not make so many noises, I could hear you even through thi-" Then, the man noticed me. "...Oh. I see now."

"....." I intuitively rest my hand on the club which was put to my waist....

The old man did not react, merely saying

"This may go without saying, but it is safe here. You can let your guard down."

"I suppose so.... If you were hostile you would've attacked me the moment you saw me."

"Indeed.... Now let me greet you again, properly this time."

The man stood up straight, clearing his throat with a cough before talking again.

"Greetings, fellow Tarnished. This is a rare occasion, I can't remember the last time a new face made their way to the Roundtable Hold... As your senior, I bid you welcome."

"Thank you."

"Now that that is done with, allow me a word of advice.... You are but a mere visitor to the Roundtable Hold, nothing more than a house guest yet to earn their keep. Remember your place, newcomer."

"Is that how you welcome a guest...? Well no matter, I've met worst out there. The world is a rather unwelcoming place to us, it's a bit assuring to know that there is a safe haven for us, even if your attitude might be a bit.... rotten."

"At least you do have an idea of how trecherous our job is, there's no doubt you out of everyone will see the value in this hub...."

He is right. A gathering place for Tarnished, warm and safe enough to call home? That's a miracle given how cold and brutal the outside is. I'd never leave this place if I can help it.

"Now, there are nothing more for me to say. Be here at your leisure, and use whatever you deem useful, it is the purpose of this place afterall."

The old man bids me farewell with a wave of his hand, and headed back to the place where he came from.

"At least he's not that bad.... Now then, Melina said there were people here that can guide me, but...."

The living room seems empty for now.

"Hmm...." When the silence finally hits, I could heard a rather familiar tone.... A tone that all warriors should know of.

'Tink.... Tink.... Tink...'

It was the repeated sound of metal bashing together, and it came from the door to the far right. That would be the sound of a blacksmith hammering down on an anvil, the sound of progress itself.

Let's go check them out.

I made my way into the entrance, and sitting there at the side of the walkway is an anvil and a furnace, where the workshop of a smith is located at.

Odd.... Why aren't there any smokes coming from his furnace?

The person doing the hammering is a lizard-like creature with grey scales on his body and an odd looking face. "A Misbegotten....?" They are a minority of intelligent-creature of that were used as slaves by the people here.

I walked up to the smith.... With the first step into his workshop, he had already spoke to me.

"You're a new face, that's rare. No matter, it's all the same. Lay out your arms then, let's get smithing."

"Alright...?" I took out my club and gave it to him.

"Are you...." A face of confusion, a look as if he is asking me 'Are you serious?' with just his eyes alone.

"You said to lay out my arms, here it is."

"Sigh, fool.... Take that thing back, bring me something that actually works as a weapon, then we'll get started."

"This thing was quite durable though.... Do you have any recommendations then?"

"Don't you see these chains? Does it look like I have any more knowledge of the outside than you do?"

I actually didn't notice it at first, but his legs were tied down to the wall by some rusty worn-out chains. Damn, how long has he been here?

"....Oi, what's the deal with them?"

"Nothing special, I'm a prisoner and these were used to keep me from leaving. They keep me trapped by the hold, forced to smith for you idiots haha.... That's all there is to it."

"Sorry about that."

"...Nah, don't read too much into it. My being a prisoner is no fault of yours, it was rude of me to latch out on you.

Besides, I don't mind smithing. Despite my differences the weapon gets stronger all the same. Given time, technique never fails."

"Hmm.... Shall I unchain them for you?"

"You what...?"

"Exactly as I said. You don't seem to want to leave anyway. Might as well remove it, so you can work better that way."

"Don't be such a fool, you don't want to-"

"Hrah!" 'Clank!' I raised my club and slammed it to the raggedy chains, breaking it off without any issues.

"-make the Eternal Queen angry...." The Misbegotten covers his face with his palm, and let out a huge sigh. "You don't want to see her bad side, I tell you."

"What are you stupid? Queen Marika isn't even here anymore, she's been long gone since the Shattering."

"...."

"I'll take that as a thanks, old man. Anyway I'll be going now, so see you when I get a real weapon."

With that out of the way, my next objective is clear in sight.

I want to defeat that bastard Margit, but to do that I need to get a better weapon first and pay this blacksmith a visit later.

"Hmm...." With that being said.... Where am I going to get a new weapon?

"Sigurd, I know of such a place. I think you should head there first before all else."

"Where might that place be, Melina?"

"The Weeping Peninsula, to the South of Limgrave."

(Chapter End)