"...Come in," Adula grunted, pulling back its crystalline claws and making way.
"No fight?" the Tarnished asked, testing the waters.
"Iji informed me... you may pass. But hear me: do not bring harm to that Lady. If you do, I will stake my life to hunt you down until one of us is dead." The dragon pressed its massive snout close to the Tarnished, its slitted pupils flickering with a cold, warning light.
"A loyal knight indeed."
"Go. Lady Ranni resides in the leftmost tower. It is veiled by a cognitive barrier; only those who know of her presence can see its true form." Adula gestured with its head toward the cluster of spires.
Guided by the dragon, the Tarnished reached the base of the Three Sisters. As Adula had described, while two towers were clearly visible, the third flickered in and out of existence amidst a forest of glintstone crystals. It was a sophisticated illusion, one he likely would have missed without the ironmonger's tip.
"It seems the Tarnished recommended by Iji has arrived... enter." A voice—one that sounded strangely familiar to him—drifted from the peak. As the words echoed, the tower solidified, the barrier dissolving.
The Tarnished entered, his brow furrowing as he ascended the lift. When he reached the top chamber and stepped into the dim light of the lunar sanctum, he let out a short, dry laugh.
"You're the one Iji mentioned? We meet again, it seems." Ranni sat upon her high, stone throne, her four doll-like arms resting elegantly. She had been looking down, but as she raised her head to see his face and sense his aura, her tone shifted to one of begrudging recognition.
"I thought the voice sounded familiar. So it's you... Grafting—"
"Quiet." Ranni cut him off before he could finish the word, her voice regaining its icy, noble composure. "It has been quite a while. To think the man Iji would introduce is you... I assumed we would not meet again. Hmm, it seems Torrent is well-tended."
"I don't know you," the Tarnished said bluntly.
Ranni froze. "You don't know me, yet you come here to speak with me?" Even as an unmoving doll, her voice conveyed a profound sense of exasperation.
"Fine... Fine! Let me re-introduce myself then," she said, her tone sharp. "I am Ranni, the Witch of the Night. I once went by the name Renna. Tarnished, do you truly wish to work with me? I am she who once stole Death. I seek a path that leads into the deep, cold dark."
"Oh? Just as I thought," the Tarnished smiled.
"You expected this? Even so, will you ally with a witch? A day will come when I betray all things, and discard all I have."
"If you weren't a witch, I wouldn't be interested," the Tarnished replied. So, this was the architect who had injected the Rune of Death into the Black Knives—the name they couldn't speak.
"You are a strange man..." Ranni murmured, momentarily stunned.
"You knew that the first time we met, didn't you?" He gestured casually, but his eyes drifted toward her legs... or rather, the stack of books on her chair.
"What is it?" Ranni asked, still calm.
"Be honest... are you sitting on a booster seat?"
"..."
Ranni went rigid. Her four hands nearly tangled together in a knot.
"You... you bring shame to a witch once more! How dare you provoke my dignity! Get out!"
"Wait, I—" Before he could finish, a wave of magical force slammed into the Tarnished, launching him out of the tower window. He fell straight down, landing in a heap on the grass below, though the fall felt strangely cushioned, as if she had held back her killing intent at the last second.
"What in the world... Master Iji, what happened?" A spectral half-wolf appeared near the entrance, followed by Iji's projection. The wolf, Blaidd, looked up in confusion. He had never heard Ranni lose her cool like that. What kind of person could break her iron composure?
"I do not—" Iji started, only to see the Tarnished charge back into the tower at high speed. He didn't even notice the two projections; he actually collided with a third spirit wearing a massive, floppy hat, knocking him into pieces of blue mist.
"Who was that!? He's fast!" Blaidd barked.
"Who!? WHO DARES!?" The man in the big hat reformed, trembling with rage.
"Too slow! Move aside!" The Tarnished tried to step toward Ranni's room again, but was promptly repelled by another magical shockwave. Ranni's voice rang out, cold and commanding.
"Go and speak with the three below. They are your comrades now. It is necessary you know their faces."
"You're quite kind, really. So the alliance is on?" the Tarnished called up.
"...You are a truly infuriating man..." Ranni's voice faded, her tone a mix of anger and something else. It reminded her of an old story her mother told—a tale of a "White Wolf" warrior who was so free that even the Golden Order couldn't leash him. She was terrible at dealing with people like this; they ignored the hierarchy she tried so hard to maintain.
Downstairs, the Tarnished dusted himself off. "Twice. She threw me out twice."
"You must be the new comrade," a voice boomed. The Tarnished turned to see a towering half-wolf in heavy armor, a scarred wolf's head unmasked. "I am Blaidd. I am a warrior, and Ranni's blade."
"Oh? A beast-warrior. Nice to meet you." The Tarnished extended a hand.
"Uh... yeah, hello." Blaidd shook it, looking a bit dazed. "We're companions now, though I hear you're an 'ally' rather than a vassal. Regardless, let's fight for Ranni together."
"Are you Ranni's step-brother?" the Tarnished asked suddenly. Blaidd's eyes sharpened. He was a Shadow, a being gifted by the Fingers to an Empyrean.
"Don't be tense. I've seen a pair like you before," the Tarnished said, patting Blaidd's shoulder with a look of deep meaning.
"You... what?" Blaidd was stunned. Shadows were rare. Aside from the royal shadows of Marika and Maliketh, he knew of no others. Did this man know Marika?
Iji and the man in the big hat stepped forward. The hatted man, Seluvis, immediately snarled. "You classless Tarnished! You bump into me and don't even apologize?"
The Tarnished apologized casually, but Seluvis wouldn't let it go. "I don't know why Ranni agrees to work with such a peasant. It's a tragedy to call you a colleague."
"Seluvis, enough," Blaidd warned.
"I gave you a face, didn't I?" The Tarnished stepped forward, the ground cracking under his boot. A sliver of pure killing intent locked onto Seluvis. "How many lives do you have to waste on that mouth of yours?"
Seluvis paled, his spectral form flickering. Blaidd and Iji stood still, realizing that this "ally" was not under Ranni's control and was powerful enough to crush Seluvis's projection like a grape.
"Seluvis," Ranni's voice drifted from above. "He has apologized. Do not be provocative. He is not my subordinate; do not treat him as such."
"I... I understand," Seluvis muttered, cowed.
"Tarnished... I must slumber for a time," Ranni continued. "In the meantime, work with Blaidd. You are infuriating, but we are allies. Though I may betray all, for now, we walk together."
"Sure thing. Just don't make it a habit," the Tarnished joked.
"And Blaidd... try to get along. Try not to let him provoke you too much."
"Last sentence was unnecessary," the Tarnished grumbled.
"You're strong," Blaidd said, his respect for a fellow warrior winning out. "With your help, Ranni will be unstoppable."
"Blaidd," Iji spoke up. "Your next step is the Eternal City of Nokron, is it not?"
"That's right. Tarnished, I'll be in Limgrave. When you're ready, find me in the Mistwood."
"Wait, can't we get to Nokron from the Four Belfries?" the Tarnished asked.
"Ah, those waygates lead to dead ends—broken bridges and ruins where you can't reach the main city. We need a real entrance," Blaidd explained.
"Got it. I'll finish my business in Liurnia and head to Limgrave. I have things to do there anyway."