4,458A/N:...this chapter is shorter than I'd like, but I'm back.
I wanted to wait on any Elden Ring updates until Shadow of the Erdtree to start posting things - for the sake of the Lore- but I've grown tired of holding all these chapters back. So here we are; the stockpile I've prepared for you all, posted one day at a time. Now seems as good a time to release them, given what's transpired as of late.
...there's no easy easy way to say this, so I'll be brief. My aunt has passed away.
It happened suddenly, caught me by surprise, and sent me spiraling down into a dark place. Funeral will be soon, so if I vanish for a few days, that's the reason.
My life seems to be surrounded by death as of late; I've taken to writing even more, with the occasional drink to numb the pain.
Of course, I try not to dwell on the latter overmuch; I'm still alive and still writing. In an ideal world, I'd like to keep doing so for as long as I can. But old age is catching up to me and these days, the world is filled with so much madness and death. Feels like everyone's lost their minds sometimes. Even before that, so many friends and fellow writers I once knew are gone, now. Will I still be here in twenty years? Ten? Five? Its a chilling thought. But for now, I'm still here, still writing.
So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.
As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes. They're tributes to legends far greater than I.
I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild world, one word at a time.
Time and feedback will determine if this remains a story. Simple as that.
In other words...its up to YOU, the reader. Do let me know~!
Also a scene from my Shards of Shattering plotbin.
You all know the one!
"If you wish to save your maiden, then heed the words of I, Shabriri...
~?
The Flame Flickers
None challenged them.
Naruto confessed some small anxiety at the distinct lack of enemies they faced as they trekked through the snow; there was a chill in the air here, and not just from the foggy frost of the Forbidden Lands. It clung to him despite his best efforts to ignore it; began to seep into his spirit, the very marrow of his bones, poisoning his every thought not with fear, but doubt. He knew they were nearing the end of their journey, yet it still felt like there was so much he hadn't done, that he still needed to do.
Even with his shadow clones currently scouring the Lands Between for any last lost souls to save, he still felt there was so much he'd missed...
"We'll finish this once and for all. Don't worry."
Easy for Kurama to say...
As they climbed higher and higher, he couldn't help but notice a marked change in his companions; Melina seemed more lively, all too willing, eager even to take the lead as a guide once more. But by contrast, Millicent became more and more distant, her eyes dim and unfocused as she trailed behind them. He'd tried talking to her but receive little in the way of a response; either she was lost in her own thoughts, or she was trying to hide something from him.
Neither sat well with his weary heart.
Latenna took notice as well; but if she cared to remark on it, she didn't say anything.
She flicked a glance his way now, mildly amused as he peeled back a branch for her to duck under. He knew she could've ridden on her wolf, Lobo and ranged ahead of them, but she seemed to be luxuriating in her legs for once. Good on her. He didn't regret healing her, not for a second. Although...
He side-eyed Lobo with a sigh, feeling the wolf's gaze upon him. "I don't think he likes me very much."
"On the contrary," the recovered Albinauric chuckled. "He's rather fond of you."
"How do you know?"
Her lips twitched in the smallest of smiles. "He hasn't tried to eat you yet."
Urk.
"We haven't have much time to speak of late, have we?" Her hand found his, fingers brushing his palm, sending a cool shiver shooting down his arm. "I don't believe I ever thanked you properly for what you did that day."
He studiously avoided her eyes. "There's no need to thank me, anyone would've helped you.
"No," her hip bumped against his, "Not anyone. Not here. Not in the Lands Between."
Emboldened by her words, he risked a glance her way. "Just someone, then."
She laughed a little at that; it was a faint, musical sound. "And to think, I actually thought you little more than a brute at first."
A joke? From his stoic archer? Would wonders never cease? "Careful," he wagged a blond brow her way. "I might be."
"You jest!" She laughed and drove an elbow into his side. "Because of you I can walk, run, sing and dance-
Naruto's brow shot into his hairline. "Wanna run that last one by me again?
Her pale face flushed a lovely shade of red. "Please don't laugh."
"I'm not, really!" He held up his hands when she began to pout. "I don't think I've ever danced in the snow before."
"Then perhaps I could teach you, sometime." There was something in her voice just then, a faint note of longing that made his heart hitch. "Would you like that?"
Would he? He hadn't given much though to what he would do once his adventure here ended. Perhaps he ought to start.
...I would." he decided. "What comes next?
"You rule, naturally." Latenna's shoulder brushed his as they followed Melina up another snowy hill. "You will be fine a fine Elden Lord. The Lands Between could not ask for better."
Would he? Everyone kept saying that, but after this adventure, he wasn't sure what a true Lord was anymore. Idly, he considered the Great Runes etched into his body.
Godrick? Certainly not. Anyone who Grafted like that had no right to be called such.
Radahn? Noble, but in the end he had chosen to die rather than be saved.
Rennala? She might do, but she didn't seem to want it anymore.
Rykard? No. Just...no. The world was well rid of that snake.
Morgott might've made a good showing, but fell short.
Mohg...well, he'd never met him.
Godwyn was gone, and what remained of him in the world wasn't something he wanted to encounter anytime soon. By contrast, Ranni's ideas of lordship -ladyship in her case- eluded him much like her Great Rune for the time being, but even then he wasn't sure he trusted her with that kind of power. Who did that leave, then? The twin prodigies? Miquella? Malenia? He hadn't met either, but would soon enough. Marika had been the one to bring him here to the Lands Between in the first place, and he'd have to deal with Radagon to get through to her, no doubt.
Why did he have the feeling he'd forgotten someone?
Latenna touched his cheek, distracting him. "Thank you once again, for leading me to the home of my people. I look forward to serving you throughout your reign...if you would have me."
He was still trying to ponder out the meaning of those words when the albinauric archer stepped into him, stood on the very tips of her toes, and pressed her lips to his.
It was a light kiss all things considered; shy, little more than a feather's brush before she drew away, but it left him reeling all the same.
"Many years to come."
Kurama laughed; but Naruto barely heard him; because something clicked in the back of his mind. Wait, wait, wait. What she'd said just now sounded an awful lot like a proposal...!
"If the two of you are quite done?" Melina's flat, unamused voice called up ahead, dragging him from his doldrums. "We have company."
A low grow shook the snow ahead as a beast lumbered out of the fulsome fog. Naruto looked up at it, up, and up some more.
Ohhh, one of those black gargoyle. He raised a hand and conjured a rasenshuriken ready to dispatch it.
Melina moved.
Her blade flashed out as she leaped past him in a single seamless streak of speed, cloak billowing out behind her from the force of her leap. In that instant he caught a glimmer of something; a telltale shimmer across her blade, little more. Then she was gone, alighting in a pointed crouch behind the gargoyle. As for the stone beast...
.
..
...well, he lay in pieces.
Latenna sputtered in quiet confusion. "What in blazes was that?!"
Melina stowed her blade and averted her gaze. "You have your secrets and I have mine, albinauric. Do not begrudge me this."
"That was more than a secret!" the archer stowed her bow, but not her tongue. "You hold a fragment of Destined-
Naruto shrugged, unwilling to take up the argument. "Alright, we'll drop it for now.
Latenna sputtered incoherently "My lord?!"
Melina's good eye widened. "Pardon?"
"I said okay." try as he might, he couldn't help but laugh at their flustered expressions. "You're obviously in a hurry to reach the mountaintops right?" when she nodded, he offered her his hand. "So lets go, Melina. To the end of our journey."
...yes." She took his hand in hers, heedless of Latenna's pout. "Let us go."
Something shimmered in the air behind him. "You cannot pass."
His hackles rose as he heard the faint chime of a bell.
He turned thoughtlessly and found Milicent standing there, swaying where she stood, blade in hand. A faint golden light enshrouded her body, enveloping her from head to toe. And was it just him, or did those golden eyes of hers seem...brighter, somehow? No that wasn't it.
What was this? A projection? He didn't think so. And yet...
Melina swore under her breath. "I should've known you would interfere...
"You cannot reach the Haligtree." The pale specter shrouding Millicent made the girl raised her blade, speaking with another voice. "I am Malenia, Blade of Miquella. And I-
CLONK!
-am not in the mood." Naruto finished as he drove a fist into her skull. "Buzz off and gimme my bestie back!"
Milicent -or rather the specter that had possessed her- crumpled like a house of cards into his arms. He caught her as she crumpled and knelt down, cradling her limp form.
Aw, hell. Although...why did it feel like he was forgetting something.
Or was it someone?
Was he?
(.0.0.0.)
The Mimic Tear plodded forward.
She had been shown mercy, given a task by her Lord.
Such a bountiful blessing. Shewould not forget, never forget. She would repay him...no matter the cost.
(.0.0.0.)
Shabriri considered himself a wise man.
Despite his lack of eyes, he saw what others could not, did what many would not.
He was the embodiment of Chaos, the agent of the new order to come, the very concept of change.
After all, who else would see the world scoured clean, if not him?
So when a Tarnished made his way to the mountaintop of the giants, wounded maiden cradled in his arms, he made him an offer. It was a fair offer...for the Flame. The fool would not know his mistake until it was too late. He would burn, the tree would burn, all of it would burn. Such was the will of the Frenzied Flame.
Let Chaos Take the World.
"Ah, a Tarnished. If you wish to save your maiden, then heed the words of I, Shabriri...
He said the words he had said to Vyke once, so long ago, and let him down his dark destined path.
But he did not expect the response that came. Indeed, how could he, when faced with such a strange being?
The blond one considered him for a long moment, staring at him, right through him.
"I don't even see you. You're nothing. No one. Just a vessel."
Shabriri's blood could not run cold, for he was fire incarnate, but it did still all the same.
...nice try." the whiskered warrior smiled. But you reek...I don't like ya, but I'll be taking your hat. Looks nice.
One of the maidens behind him -he knew not their name- drew a bow on him." Foul fiend! Back to the pit from which you came!"
"Never! Let chaos take the worrrrrgh?!
Shabriri gurgled in surprise as a hand burst out his back. He looked down, alarmed to find the rest of the limb jutting through his impaled body. The arm holding him yanked him closer, and quite suddenly he realized this wasn't a Tarnished at all, but something far, far worse.
"You know, I've been thinking a lot about this, and the thing is...I am chaos." those crimson, cat-like eyes regarded him as though he were naught but an ant. "And I will be taking this world." He could SEE the fire in his eyes, not that of the Frenzied Flame, but of something infinitely worse, a beast! "But I won't burn it to the ground. No, I've got other plans. I aim to take it. You won't be around to see that."
The blond tore his limb free, pitched him forward and left him to bleed out in the snow.
The last Shabiri heard wasthe sound of boots crunching away in the snow.
"C'mon, Melina. We've got a tree to burn.
A/N: We'll cut it here for today~!
Well? Did you like this story? Yes? No? Maybe?
Would you like weekly updates? By all means, speak up! Make yourselves heard! Your voice matters~!
Silence hurts worse than any flame. Looking forward to reading your feedback when I get home from work~ If this chapter gets a ton of feedback-hopefully!-then I'll do my best to ensure another early update again. If not...I don't know. I really don't.
Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this story.
If folks don't like this, it won't be continued. Meaning that if the story itself isn't popular? It will remain, but it won't be continued! I'm working two jobs to keep the lights on, as such I barely have time to write; as such, I cannot afford to write something folks don't enjoy. So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that.
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas....Review, Wouldst Thou Kindly?
And have some previews. Some are quite a ways off, but still...
Mind you, most of these previews are the same.
Wouldn't do to spoil what's coming up.
Vote for what you want to see!
And as ever:
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
SPOILERS LAY AHEAD!
YE BE WARNED!
(Previews)
They had him by the throat. So why...why was he smiling?
Naruto grinned, heedless of the blood on his face, the fingers biting down into his windpipe, even the crater he was being crushed into. "Not bad! Lets kick it up a notch or two!"
An open palm smashed into their ribs and they went flying.
She lifted the blanket with a trembling hand, exposing the rest of herself to him, curves all, not a stitch of clothing to be seen. "Lay with me."
His throat went dry. So that's what she looked like under alll those robes.
Daaaamn.
The Roundtable Hold lay in tatters. He flung open the doors. A man's dead body lay on the floor, broken and twisted with black briars. Of Fia, he saw no; she was gone, and his unborn children with her. All that remained was a note nailed to the wall.
...what is that thing?"
Hewg offered him the Weapon.
"Its what she asked for. The power to kill a god."
"I'm so sorry!"
"GIVE HER BACK!"
He grabbed the needle.
"Please don't go...please...I can't do this without you...
"Whoa, now!" He waved up at the fire giant. "Friendly! Friend! No stomping, please!"
The behemoth squinted down at him in utter confusion. Progress.
Naruto beamed up at it. "Wanna be friends?"
It stabbed a hand into its stomach.
"Whoa, hey?! What're you doing?!"
"I AM HOARAH LOUX!"
"I AM NARUTO UZUMAKI!"
Two titans collided with a snarl. And the Erdtree trembled.
Naruto's head snapped back against a rousing right hook barreled into his face, leaving him spitting blood.
Godfrey did the same, eyes squinted shut as he reeled in pain.
They reared back and struck as one with a mighty roar.
Their fists collided in a shockwave
EDIT: Hey, you made it! Hope you enjoyed this!
Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this story, and others. If folks don't like this, it won't be continued. Meaning that if the story itself isn't popular? Well, it won't be continued. I'm working two jobs -might need a third soon!- so I barely have time to write; as such, I cannot afford to write something folks don't enjoy.
So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that. Working nearly all hours of the day keep me absurdly busy, and I can't bring myself to write something folks don't like.
Silence...silence only hurts.
Looking forward to chatting with you all when I get back from work~!
May you have a good day filled with luck and peace,
~Nz.
R&R~!