Delays · 6:33pm Apr 14th, 2014
BABSCon's going on in San Francisco this upcoming weekend, although I leave Thursday afternoon. Mon-Wed are free for me, but this Twinkie has to run some serious errands. The shitty grown-up stuff like going to the post office to get priority mail on my tax forms, scheduling and attending doctor/dentist appointments and getting groceries for this week's dinner. And then some teenager stuff like folding laundry, washing the car and... yeah. Chores.
But this means I won't really have much time to finish up this week's chapter. I'm thinking about making this a bi-weekly thing so I don't wear myself out of my Dark Souls interest. But I have so much I want to put down on paper, too.
Oh, the struggle.
But probably gonna make this bi-weekly. Also gonna have the chapters run about 5K words each, so it's a semi-decent chunk of words for yall to chew on. Anyways, I'll leave a small preview for you guys, since I won't be releasing this chapter until I finish it next week.
Enjoi.
-Blazer
Black Iron, White Coat
Chapter 2 (TEASER)
“You said that?”
Rarity fidgeted in place. “Yes. In my craze to gain Trenderhoof’s approval… I may have gone completely overboard.”
“Did you follow through?”
The unicorn held her head high. “Of course! I dove straight into the mud. Head-first.”
Muffled laughter emanated from the blackened slits in the knight’s helmet. Although the humor was at her expense, Rarity deemed it worth it to hear Tarkus’ mirth rather than his hollow chuckles from before.
“My, I think I would very much like to share an adventure with you and your friends,” Tarkus sighed, after he had sufficiently calmed himself.
Rarity gave a sad smile. “That would be something.”
They stared at the bonfire in silence as they returned from their emotional high, once again coming to grips with reality.
“Despite all of this bad luck, I’m glad I still had enough of the good variety to have met you. I would be in a much different situation otherwise.”
Tarkus bowed his head. “As am I. I would not have asked for a better acquaintance to have appeared in front of me. In fact, Miss Rarity, I’d go as far to say that you’ve saved me.”
The unicorn cocked her head. “I beg your pardon?”
The warrior turned to the bonfire. “I had already been alone for so long, and thrown myself against that deadly castle so many times, I nearly lost all hope in my abilities. I didn’t think I would have stayed sane had I not met you.”
Tarkus’ gaze rose to meet Rarity’s. “You brought me back from the brink. I would have surely hollowed were it not for your company.”
A genuine smile spread across Rarity’s face. “You’re quite welcome, Mr. Tarkus.” Her smile was quick to fade. “I just wish we had met in better circumstances.”
The knight shrugged. “We cannot dwell on what we wish could happen, nor what has already happened. If we truly want something to happen, we must make it so.”
The unicorn sighed. “Indeed. Except I haven’t the slightest idea where to start on getting myself back to my home.”
“Mmm. About that, Miss Rarity…”
The fashionista raised her head. “Yes?”
“There are plenty of individuals who may have a way of getting you there. Ones who are educated in sorceries that have the ability to do virtually anything within our grasp of reality,” Tarkus explained.
“Continue,” Rarity replied, already intrigued.
“Although I haven’t heard of any sort of spell to suit your need of returning home, there is a place where you may be able to find it.”
“And where is that?” Rarity inquired.
“The Duke’s Archives. It’s situated above the eastern edge of Anor Londo. Inside is a wealth of information gathered by the great Seath the Scaleless.”
“The Everlasting Dragon who betrayed his own?”
“Yes. He wanted to find the secret of immortality, so he looked into studying magic and sorcery to find a way to gain eternal life. Although I’m not sure if he found what he was looking for, he certainly found numerous other spells that are not common knowledge among the greatest of sorcerers. That is why it was called the Duke’s Archives: It was a massive library containing all of the secrets which Seath had unraveled involving two of the three fields of magic: Soul magic and pyromancy. Seath was the greatest connoisseur of magic Lordran had ever seen.”
“I suppose Seath wouldn’t mind helping little old me, right?” Rarity ventured.
“I’m not quite sure myself,” Tarkus replied. “But the only way to find out is to get there and ask.”
Rarity bit her lip. The idea of returning home sounded appealing, but getting there would be a difficult excursion, if it was even remotely possible. And, unlike Tarkus, she was not cursed, and would stay… deceased if she failed.
Her desire to return home overrode all logic. There would be nothing she wouldn’t give to see her family and friends again.
“Miss Rarity?” Tarkus asked, worried by her silence.
“I thank you for this information,” Rarity replied. “No doubt I have been spared countless hours aimlessly wandering this place.” She gave Tarkus another warm smile. “I find myself indebted to you yet again, Sir Knight.”
“So you’re leaving for the Archives, then?”
The unicorn rose to all four hooves. “Of course! With Celestia as my witness, I will make my return home inevitable! Even if I have to stake my life on it!” Rarity proclaimed.
“Quite noble of you, Miss Rarity. However, I will admit that I have seen many knights as noble as you fall in great numbers in Lordran,” Tarkus mused. “This place is unforgiving as it is forsaken.”
There was a moment of silence as reality returned, dampening the atmosphere. Just as hopelessness began to set in again, Tarkus stood up. “That is why I will accompany you to the Archives.”
The unicorn looked up, eyes still watering from her crushed hopes. “B-but I thought you had given up?”
“I owe you my life, and much more. As I have said earlier, you have given me more than just life; I seem to have an excess of that.” The knight chuckled at his own joke, but upon seeing that Rarity did not find it amusing, he immediately continued. “But what you have granted me is another chance for me to achieve my goal: To surpass my Hollowed brethren and survive the trials of Sen’s Fortress.”
Tarkus extended his hand to her. “It would be my honor to provide escort to the Archives, in exchange for saving this old knight’s pitiful soul.”
The answer was a no-brainer.
The unicorn placed her foreleg in the massive hand.
“I humbly accept your guidance and company, Sir Tarkus.” Surprise registered on her face when the knight pulled her towards him as he touched his helmet to her hoof.
“Upon my honor as a knight of Berenike, I swear to protect you with my life.”
Unable to take the fact that she had just lived out a childhood dream, Rarity fainted.
Couldn't Rarity just use a homeward bone? She's not undead.
2010003 Homeward Bones just return you to bonfires. I believe you're thinking of the miracle, "Homeward."
2010200 Right, but still... I guess they're earching for someone that can cast the spell on her then?
2011107 They could, although Tarkus' knowledge of spells in this fic is extremely basic, so he probably wouldn't know what it is.