"Should thee not be more concerned for the merchant?" Marika, floating alongside him as he headed towards the fighting taking place on the downward trail, questioned. "To pursue unnecessary battle while charged with the safety of another. Are thou so certain his life means anything to thee?"
"There's no guarantee this is going to turn into a fight."
"The knights fly the colors of that pathetic cur hiding away in Stormveil whilst those creatures art a step away from being mindless savages. Blood will be spilt." Marika said. "Words and intentions change nothing. Thou will slaughter any in the name of satisfying personal desires. Do not pretend otherwise."
"If you said it, I guess it must be true." His sarcastic shooting down of the conversation was met with hefty dissatisfaction. He wasn't the type to get annoyed by others and however they liked to hold themselves, plenty of lifetimes building an absurd amount of patience, but shrugging off someone he could always walk away from didn't exactly compare to a being making themselves comfortable in his mind and soul.
The way she spoke, each word laid out as though they were the unshakable laws of the world itself, was going to get old fast. Though, there was some truth to what she said.
"Stay on guard." Kalé warned while backing away to ensure no attention came his way, not bothering with any attempt to stop or dissuade him. Melina and Torrent on the other hand, moved forward, the steed's slow trot keeping them trailing just behind him. Onyx threw out a casual wave without looking back, far more interested in the battle taking place.
One on one the knights wouldn't have had much issue with the demihumans they were up against, their skills far outclassing their enemy. Being outnumbered three to nine didn't just level the playing field but put the favor on the side of the demihumans. They were smart enough to realize, or perhaps opportunistic enough to make constant lunges at the unprotected man behind the knights. The attempts were unsuccessful but kept the knights off balance, none able to fully concentrate on battle, concern for the man weighing them down.
Definitely a nobleman. One that completely outclassed Irina if the fancy robes and jewelry that became increasingly prominent as they drew closer were anything to go off of.
Grass turned to dirt, Onyx stepping past the dilapidated wooden fences that outlined the trail.
"You!" The man behind the knights was quick to spot him and wasted no time calling out. "My good sir, I would request your aid! I assure you that you will be handsomely rewarded!"
The man, a blonde noticeably on the rounder side, did remarkably well to maintain some semblance of composure, voice kept steady throughout the yell, though the flinches whenever any knight blocked a lunge for him ensured there was no mistaking him for anyone truly acquainted with battle.
Of course, with that yell the demihumans caught on to his presence as well.
One pulled away from the knights they were attempting to strike down and turned upon him, rusted sword raised up as it sprinted towards him with aggressive shouts and angry eyes.
Those shouts ceased, the sprint slowing.
The demihuman came to a complete stop before him, narrowed eyes widened and its grip on the lowered sword loosening.
Onyx smiled down at the demihuman.
It whimpered, weapon dropped as it scrambled away from him. It didn't dare to so much as look back, stumbling and tripping away from the battlefield. The others were quick to notice, the biggest among the group shouted angrily as a number of them turned upon him.
They froze before they could manage the same sprint the first had, many dropping their weapons as their eyes widened.
Much like predators, any race or being in touch with their more primal instincts wouldn't be able to miss the subtle aura of power granted by his mana unless he went out of his way to hide it. He wasn't surprised demihumans fell into that category. The awestruck look on Boc's face when he first awoke had clued him into that.
He'd have let them all scatter like the first but that was just him.
Blood filled the air, head and limbs rolling across the dirt trail. Confusion tossed aside, the knights put the fearful demihumans to the blade with brutal efficiency, none of the group allowed to flee like their brethren. More than a little anger and frustration fueled those swings.
In the end, blood and dismembered corpses surrounded the trio of knights as they turned their attention upon him.
They lowered their weapons but didn't put them away.
"Ah, it appears Queen Marika herself saw fit to bless us on this day. You must be quite the warrior to be able to strike such fear into others with only a look." A faint exhale left Onyx's nose. Quite an ironic thing to say considering he'd be making a beeline for Castle Stormveil if she had her way. Disgust for the bloody scene already hidden behind a strained smile, the blonde stepped forward, passing his knights.
"Careful, my lord." One warned. "That one's a tarnished."
"A-" The man stopped, golden tinged eyes squinting as they met Onyx's. "Ah, a tarnished…I see." He gave something of a clearing cough into his hand as he stood tall though thought better of getting any closer, knights kept close. "Well, the fact remains that you've lent aid to the great Kenneth Haight, servant of the True Order. I assume you've heard of me?"
"Can't say that I have." Onyx said, adjusting the Grafted Blade on his shoulder. He wouldn't lie about being just a little amused by how closely the knights followed the blade and the nervous edge to the blonde's strained smile as he moved it.
"Truly? You've not heard word of I, the next in line as the rightful ruler of Limgrave?" Onyx raised a brow, the response deflating the slight puff to the man's, Kenneth's, chest. "No matter. I suppose such titles matter little given the dire straits I've found myself in. Young tarnished, I would have a boon of you."
"Really? You're asking for help?" Onyx questioned, intrigued. "I was under the impression you were all hunting down every tarnished you came across."
An indignant huff left Kenneth. "What nonsense. Do not lump us in with those from Castle Stormveil. Honestly, Godrick is nothing more than a jumped up country bumpkin. Lord? Hmph, don't make me laugh." He grumbled lowly, shaking his head. "All have their place beneath the splendor of the True Order, even the tarnished. We'll not treat you with the same cruelty you may have faced at the hands of that insane lot."
"That is why, young tarnished, I would ask for your assistance. I know not how you came to be in possession of that blade and shall refrain from asking but it marks you as a capable enemy to that poor excuse of a lord." Kenneth said, carrying on without pause.
"He places himself at thou's mercy yet requests further aid with nothing given in return. Foolishness." Marika criticized.
"I want you to handle a threat to my fort. It lies to the south beyond the Mistwoods, taken by a commander from Stormveil. The lout has lost himself in a cesspool of blood."
"Why not have your knights handle it?" Onyx questioned, Marika's comment ignored.
Kenneth looked back, nodding to one of his people to explain. "The bastard has already cut down our commander. He used some manner of magic to turn his blood into a weapon. We stand little chance against such a thing."
Blood magic? It wasn't everyday he came across someone who made use of that. Seeing what form was adopted by the people of this land would be interesting.
"And you'll be here?" Onyx asked.
"I take that to mean you've agreed to undertake this noble task?" Kenneth said before gesturing further down the trail. "At the curve of this trail, just before the turn into the Mistwoods, there is a church dedicated to Queen Marika. Regrettably it has fallen into disrepair over the years, but we shall be using it as a shelter."
"Alright. I'll let you know if I visit this fort of yours." Onyx said before turning, Torrent doing the same and following after him.
"If?"
Onyx waved without looking back, leaving the trail behind to meet back up with Kalé.
XOXO
Onyx pinched salt off the piece of cloth in his hand, sprinkling down into the pot of boiling liquid placed over their campfire. Finely diced pieces of meat, the herbs he'd come to favor in his time here, and a few other spices added for taste. He'd always intended on figuring out what kind of tasty combinations he could come up with and had doubled down on that in recent days, cooking all sorts of meals.
Partially for his own satisfaction but also for one of his newest long term goals.
After stirring the pot for a while longer, he poured a bowl and handed it off to Melina who sat beside the fire, Torrent laid down just behind her. She brought the bowl up to her lips, heedless of the heat rising from its steaming contents. Then, after tasting the stew, lowered it.
She shook her head.
No surprise there. The recipe wasn't anything special, each ingredient a mundane thing that could be gathered at the drop of a hat. It'd take something special to breach the apparent numbing of her senses. That wouldn't stop him from trying with what he could however.
"Thou wouldst be wise to leave the little one be." Marika said as she appeared, hovering just behind Melina. Even in the darkness of the night, her pale gold eyes stood out despite lacking the molten glow they once had. "She has her purpose. Distractions shall serve only to steer her from them."
"And what is that purpose?" Onyx questioned, turning to pour another bowl. Given Melina's own claim, that was the closest thing to verbal confirmation that Melina was indeed her daughter Marika had given.
"…When the time comes, she will realize it." She might as well have stayed quiet if that's all she was willing to say on the matter.
Though it wasn't like anything she said would've changed what he had chosen to do. Whatever this so called purpose was, it wouldn't stop him from helping Melina. She might not have asked for that help, nor did she voice any desire to achieve some measure of sensation, but how touchy she'd been during when he was dealing with the worse symptoms of his mana high said enough.
That numbing cold wasn't anything he'd wish on anyone and yet she'd gone out of her way to experience it.
Onyx handed off the filled bowl to Kalé who sat on the opposite side of the fire to Melina.
"My thanks." Kalé said. Rather than partaking in it, he lowered the bowl onto his crossed legs, watching him as he finally poured a bowl for himself. "Most would not waste time or resources on such a meal."
"What can I say? I enjoy good food." Onyx said, settling down beside Melina. Despite not being able to taste anything she was slowly making her way through the bowl. He blew away the steam rising from his before doing the same, savoring the warmth of the meal.
All the while, Kalé looked down at his bowl, shifting the liquid about with subtle movements. He was debating something by the looks of it.
"My people…" He began without looking up. "…are wanderers all. You know that, but have you heard of the Great Caravan, I wonder?" Onyx lowered his bowl, giving the man his full attention. "Even we had a place to call home once. The Great Caravan, they called it. It's been lost to us for ages."
Kalé looked up. His mask and hat kept most of his face hidden as always but his eyes. A wistful longing rested within them. "I've been searching for it for as long as I could remember." His mask and brow shifted, hinting at something of a smirk though it didn't strike Onyx as genuine. Not completely. "With a name like that, you'd hope they kept some fine goods there, eh?"
Something flickered across the connection binding he and Marika. Not quite an emotion. Maybe an echo of one. Either way, she wasn't just aware of whatever Kalé was talking about but close enough to the subject to possess some measure of feelings on the matter.
"Is that search why you're headed to the Mistwoods?" Onyx questioned. He hadn't asked for any reason when Kalé requested an escort but if the man was in a sharing mood he might as well ask now. Marika's possible connection to it made it all the more interesting.
"Partially. I intend to exchange information with one of my people." Kalé said. He spared a glance towards Melina and ultimately left it at that, gaze lowered to his bowl.
"Some things are best left in the past and forgotten." Marika stated. "If this merchant's life holds any meaning to thee, thou shouldst put a swift end to his search." She faded away without another word.
Didn't she realize just how counterintuitive those words were?
Good or bad, this Great Caravan must be something significant for the goddess of this land to warn someone off from it. That made it all the more intriguing.
XOXO
(A/N: This here is a toll bridge, you see? I'm going to need some stones before you go any further so cough 'em up! Lol, You know I was playing the Witcher not to long ago and I just can't get over the fact that bandits would try that on a witcher. Some people don't realize when they're out of their depth.
And yes, for those in the know, Kale's cut content will be explored. How that will end for him? Hopefully good but who knows how far off that is. Not even sure how many chapters its going to take to reach Stormveil let alone the conclusion of something like that. Either way, it will be an interesting thing to take on. Not sure if its the only bit of cut content I'll include but its the only definitive one. I need to refresh myself on some other questlines soon.
On a side note, we finally reached ten reviews and are closing in on 2k collections. What does all that mean? No idea but my simple brain loves seeing numbers go up. Thanks to all of you for joining me on this venture. Hope you continue to enjoy it.
And now to finish off with a plug. For those who want to throw some extra support my way and are interested in reading ahead check on my patreon.
patreon .com/thirdratewriter)