(A/N: Friendly reminder to obey the law of equivalent exchange and hand over all your powerstones. If i get 150 by the end of Friday I'll post an extra chapter on Saturday.)
XOXO
Footsteps.
The first set, light with a steady rhythm belonged to Onyx. That man, despite there being almost no scars or defined muscle to denote him as some form of warrior, held himself in a way unlike that of most. More often than not, those very same steps went completely unnoticed, melding into the whistling winds and shifting greenery.
The second set, unsteady and trailing beside Onyx's is what gave him away so quickly.
Who had he brought with him?
Kalé set aside his worn instrument, pulling a sheathed dagger from among his supplies and placing it in the shadow of his crossed legs.
He wouldn't need it.
Among the few he did business with, Onyx was refreshingly direct, much of their conversations centered around satisfying the man's curiosity about The Lands Between. He had the skills to be one, but Onyx was no threat.
He could never be too careful, however.
Sword at his hip and crossbow fastened beneath his cloak with a quiver of bolts at the back of his waist, Onyx stepped in to the old church from between the western crumbling walls as usual.
Kalé dropped his hand atop his leg, just above his hidden knife.
A woman, eyes wrapped in a blindfold, walked in beside him, hanging off his left arm. It was dirtied by travel, but the dress and gloves were that of what the more important members of the Golden Order wore. She was a noble of some sort or close to it, at the very least family to a lower warrior of the Order.
A native.
"Hey, Kalé." Onyx said as he stopped joined him on the patch of dirt in the ruins corner, the campfire kept unlit until night descended. He guided the woman down as they sat down. "Still around?"
"For now." Kalé said sparing him a glance before focusing on the blonde beside. "She is…" He trailed off, unsure of what exactly to say. Onyx hadn't struck him as the type but was this some sort of ploy he wanted him to go along with? Given the blindfold yet careful treatment she wasn't his prisoner but if she bared some sort of affliction to the eyes, she might not be aware that he was a tarnished.
"This is Irina." Onyx said.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, sir." She said, head bowed to him. A member of the Order showing any measure of respect to his kind. That was unheard of.
"She's from castle Morne to the south. I wanted to know if you heard anything from there."
A moment of shifting winds passed. "For what purpose?"
"I'm helping her out. I figured it'd be smarter to get any information on the battle that was going on there."
Ah, so that's what this was. He'd seen Onyx attempt to strike up conversation with those of this land, extending a hand of friendship to those who never would've thought to do the same to him. Still, naïve attempts to avoid battle was a far cry from this.
"You…are aware that her people would us cut down without hesitation?"
The woman grimaced and hung her head, at least knowing better than to dispute that fact.
Onyx nodded. "Maybe but I still want to help her."
"That-" What could possibly be said in the face of something so nonsensical? Misplaced compassion? Pity? Whatever it was that spurred him on to do such a thing, Onyx had made his decision. Quite possibly a decision no one else Kalé had ever crossed paths with would make but it wasn't his place to question it.
"I've heard word from one of my people in that area not long ago." Kalé revealed. "The initial slaughter that took place there has passed but the fighting has yet to stop. It appears the misbegotten there have forced the knights into a corner. The castle will soon fall to them."
The woman's fist clenched, gloves crinkling.
"Anything I should know about these misbegotten?" Onyx, on the other hand, asked a question, curious as ever. He truly was an odd one. At first Kalé had his doubts about anyone, even tarnished and their descendants, being unaware of so many different key things but it'd long since become clear that Onyx had been telling the truth about being ignorant of the Lands Between and its history.
Perhaps that ignorance was why he was willing to risk his life for this woman. He'd yet to learn firsthand how cruel the Golden Order was.
"Whatever history they might've had has been long since forgotten. As far as the Order will have us know, they're savages fit only for slavery." Kalé explained. "Whether that's true or not, they're angry. Don't expect conversation to be of any help."
"Mmmh, thanks for the information." Onyx said, nodding. Offering his arm to the woman, he stood, mindful of her balance, before they said their goodbyes and took off.
The entire time that woman had been downcast, acting as though this was the first time she heard such things about The Golden Order.
Sickening.
Hopefully that free bit of information kept Onyx from dying for someone like that. The sooner he learned to retract the kindness he offered from such people, the better off he would be.
XOXO
"-not easy to get around in a place like that. The snow tended to be thick wherever you went in that land but in some places it was packed together so hard it would be as though you were walking on frozen stone. And all the way to the north on a sea of ice you could come across jagged glaciers that leaked frost so cold you could feel its sting through the thickest gloves."
"What do they call this land?"
"Skyrim." Onyx revealed as he twisted around a skewer of meat, the flames of their small campfire flickering up to cook the other side and shedding more light on little darkness was allowed to exist beneath that tree's glow. "Like any land it faced its fair share of conflicts, but it was home to a hearty people that faced it all head on."
Irina sat near his left, hanging off his every word. She'd all but forgotten about the vast forest surrounding them, not nearly as on guard compared to when they first sat down. They still had quite a ways to go before they reached the Gatefront, but he'd decided not to push through the night.
"Sir Onyx? Are you truly a warrior?" Irina questioned. "I don't mean that as a way to question your skills but the way you describe things, you sound more akin to a bard or gleeman."
"To be fair, I never called myself a warrior." He pointed out. "There's no reason I can't be both, right? Though I guess if you have to label me, explorer would be a better fit. Travel around enough and you'll pick skills from every walk of life."
"Yes, that does make sense." After a moment's pause, she shifted, facing the fire. "I must admit I'm rather envious. It sounds freeing to be able to travel around as you please, nothing to hold you back." Her ponytail swayed with the chilly night breeze, a moment spent in thought before her blindfolded gaze found him once more. "Sir Onyx you…you've taken me far enough. You don't need to help me anymore."
His brow jumped to his hairline. That came out of left field, but he had a feeling he knew what brought about the sudden decision. "Is this about what Kalé said?" His stories had distracted her, but she'd been wrestling with the way Kalé spoke of the Golden Order the moment they set out from the ruins he camped in.
"It…it is not right that someone like me should be receiving your aid." Irina said, her hands clenched together atop her lap as her head dropped. "There is no need to pull yourself away from your travels for me. I know that you pity me and I appreciate all the kindness you have shown but-"
"Alright." He said, turning their skewers once more.
"Alright?" Irina questioned, her head snapping back up.
"That's what you wanted to hear isn't it."
"I-" Her mouth opened and closed a number of times, Onyx silently chuckling at how gob smacked she looked. Finally, she nodded, resolute in her suicidal decision.
"Though I guess this escort has turned into more of a kidnapping then." He added.
"Pardon me?"
"I can't force you to want my help but that doesn't mean I can't give it to you. You're free to try to stop me though."
"Sir Onyx, please. There is no need for you to feel responsible for me. You-"
"I like kind people like you." He interrupted her. "I want to see this castle Morne. I want to meet these misbegotten for myself. Maybe I do pity your lack of sight. There are a million different ways I could justify what I'm doing for you, Irina, but at the end of the day I want to help you. I don't know about you, but I live my life doing what I want."
"Like I said, you're free to try and stop me but I think we both know you won't be able to do that." He finished, nodding to himself.
"I-" Torn between shock, disbelief, and confusion her words died several times over before she cleared her throat. "I suppose not." She finally said, resigning herself to his decision.
It wasn't long until their skewers were fully cooked, the spectral steed forming and taking a seat behind him, no doubt waiting to be given the wild vegetables and fruits Onyx had set aside.
"Here you go." Onyx said, reaching over the fire and carefully handing Irina her skewer. The greedy horse could wait. He may have allowed Irina to sit on his saddle as her legs grew tired from their walk, but the horse should've offered them both a ride if he wanted to eat first.
"Sir Onyx?" Irina said while he ignored the steed's incessant nudging to his arm. "I apologize for saying so, but you are a strange man."
"Says the blind woman who wanted to walk off into the wilds by herself." He shot back.
Despite crossing where others would've drawn a line by bluntly poking at her lack of sight, his comment drew a small smile from Irina, her cheeks reddening. Rather than trying to explain the sense in that, if there was any, she'd opted to take another a cautious bite of her food.
"The extra one is for you, cyclops." Onyx said before holding some berries out for the horse.
"Cyclops?" Irina questioned after a small bite, completely unaware of his spectral stalker who'd appeared at his side in the same fashion the horse did, quietly grabbing a skewer for herself.
"It's a giant one eyed monster."
Despite the blindfold, the furrowing of her brow spoke volumes about her confusion and skepticism, the woman at a complete lost. "…You are truly a strange man."
XOXO
(A/N: I don't think it was clear since Onyx hasn't had a chance for normal conversation with anyone yet but with this roadside chapter I should've made it clear that while he isn't going out of his way to correct anyone labeling him a tarnished, he also isn't making a real effort to hide the fact that he doesn't belong in the world. References to other series and stuff won't be plentiful but you'll find them here and there where I feel it fits. That's all they'll be since I'm not turning this into some big crossover/multiversal story so don't think much of them.)