The Fallen Leaves Fall Yet Again..

Death in Limgrave

"Please, I implore you. Would you mind taking a letter to my father, at the castle? My sole wish is that he escape, even if his honour should be the price. Please...I just want him to be safe..." Irina pulled the letter out and stretched it out towards him.

The Tarnished didn't hesitate gently taking the letter from her hand and placing it in his inventory to present to her father later. "Do not worry I will deliver the letter to him, as fast as I can." 

irina smiled as she thanked him, and that's where she stopped talking and began to wait not sure if he was already departing or not. He stepped away and towards the spirits he summoned. Ordovis, Siluria and Tiche all stood ready for his orders, but he simply handed over his spirit calling bell over to Tiche, along with the spirit ashes for his mimic tear.  

"I need you three to protect her while I go to deliver this letter. However, as you all should know since you've retained your memories without me knowing, something will come over me and try to prevent my own preventions. When I walk away I will not turn around for any reason. If I do, stop me from getting that bell at all costs." The three gave a nod and Siluria and Tiche walked over towards Irina to protect her from any prowling demi-humans. 

Ordovis stood in front of the Tarnished and readied himself with his shield in hand. The Tarnished nodded at the knight and walked in the direction of Castle Morne. He could physically feel the force creep up on him, as if an outer god was angry he wasn't following the script of the play and had come to reprimand him. It latched onto him and he was suddenly a passenger in his own body. His body moved towards Tiche, who stood near Irina standing on alert. Besides Ordovis she was the first to notice him, and she protectively held the spirit calling bell. Siluria didn't budge due to Ordovis standing in his path.

The Tarnished felt his hand go up and backhand Ordovis away, but his hand met resistance as the wind picked up from the impact. Perhaps the Tarnished hadn't realized it yet, but the enemies he turned into his companions have long outgrown their former strengths. Even now he stood nervous for Ordovis hoping he hadn't died from the attack, but Ordovis had been enhanced ten times since his death, and he swore to protect his new lord and all his interests until the end. Ordovis's shield had caught the Tarnished's hand, and the Tarnished showed a face of surprise. Even if the strike was no effort it should've had some effect of knockback. 

"Since when could you--" He was cut off by a clean tail swipe. The Tarnished flew back and through the air landing on his feet just as Ordovis finished charging his shield bash attack. The Tarnished felt the hook like part of the shield thrust into his gut, not piercing skin but hurting nonetheless, and lift him into the air. Ordovis followed up with an explosion of golden light that gave him wings and juggled the Tarnished in the air, and then Ordovis followed up with a leg grab into a slam and then a kick in the stomach across the stone path they fought along. 

The Tarnished stood up, mostly unscathed but happy that Ordovis held his own against him while he fought for control over every other part of his body besides his head. "Ordovis! Take me to Castle Morne! Perhaps if I pass a great distance from her I will regain control!" Ordovis nodded and charged at the Tarnished. The Tarnished went to dodge but was forced to stay in his spot by a red and black flame flying past his face. Tiche's surprise attack caught him off guard and allowed Ordovis to headlock him and fly into the air. The Tarnished witnessed as demi-humans began to appear from the trees and bushes from farther down the stone path. They had to be the ones searching for Irina, but with Siluria and Tiche there he didn't even bother to worry about anything else besides the landing Ordovis was about to give him. 

He hadn't noticed that while he was lost in thought his body had torn off one of Ordovis wings, and now they were spiraling out of control towards Castle Morne. More specifically towards a very large red enemy holding a sword made out of other swords. "Ordovis!" The Knight tightened his headlock and placed his shield in front of the two as they approached the ground faster and faster, right up until--

BOOOOOOOOOOM! 

Marika's head turned as the ground shook. "What in my name was that?" Melina appeared next to her worried. "Is there an enemy coming Mother?" Marika shook her head and turned back towards a large cloud of smoke towards the south. She had just finished the newly revised church which had grown to a much larger size from before. She was adding new rooms and new levels almost reaching out to the empty space that her husband's first grace resided just above. She would not allow them to take refuge in just any structure. They were royalty after all.

Kale had also come to see if he could help in the defense of the church. Even with his uncertainty towards Marika, his newfound connection to Melina allowed his heart to bypass that uncertainty. "I heard and felt the great rumble, I'll do whatever to help, Queen Marika." She smiled at the sincerity but shook her head. Trying to focus on her Tarnished but something was blocking her. "I cannot reach the Tarnished, so I'm sure it was him." Melina looked off towards the cloud of smoke that was slowly dissipating. 

"Do you want me to go check on our Tarnished mother?" Marika chuckled and looked off towards her daughter with a sly smile. "Our?" Melinas face turned red and she went to correct herself, but Marika shushed her. She understood that she would likely have to share, but she just had hoped her daughter wouldn't be so eager. Clearly, her hopes were in vain after all. "No, I have someone to handle it." 

She paused her building, and stretched out her hand, hesitating for a moment. After all, what she was about to do was for one, a very bad idea, and she had been a horrible person to him so even she didn't know how he would react to this. She stretched her hand out and clenched it. Her palm leaking a dark red smoke, as something to her left began to raise out of the ground. Melina watched as the beast rose out of the ground. Black and Gold lined armor, white fur, and a sword dipped in death. Her mother had just summoned one of the most fearsome warriors in existence. 

She almost fainted at the sight of Maliketh, but she held strong with faith in her mother. However, she still rushed both herself and Kale back inside to let them have privacy.

"Marika...after all these years?" Marika looked somberly towards her shadow, how could she even have the heart to speak to him after the betrayals, and everything in between? And when she didn't even summon him for him, she summoned him for a man he had never met? She questioned herself if she had actually changed, or if she only pretended to for her Tarnished. Nonetheless, she was a queen and needed to be clear with her intentions. 

"Dear Maliketh, I am sorry for all that has transpired between us, and I am aware that that is nowhere near enough to regain the trust that I have lost, but as your queen and sister, I have a request that I need you to fulfill." Maliketh didn't speak. He had longed for Marikas rejection of him to end, to finally see why everything had happened the way it did, but all of this was too sudden for him. He could not understand any of it, or even why she was here and constructing a church of all things! 

He sighed, and spoke. "O sister, what is it that you need from me." He kneeled low using his sword as support. He would do what she asked before he started asking questions. This was the best way to go about it in his eyes. She let out a breath of relief, before asking him to do what she needed. "South of here in the peninsula, there is a man causing trouble. He is my...husband." Maliketh face palmed internally. Of course there was a man involved. His sister was something else.

"Please make sure he and anyone who he is travelling with returns here safely." Maliketh nodded and turned towards the Weeping Peninsula, setting off to see what type of man his sister had decided to wed this time. Marika watched as he left, her heart pounding in her chest. This was unusual for her, why would she be nervous around Maliketh? 

"Perhaps...I am changing?" She hummed in thought as she added another level to the four story building.