Maidenless No Longer (Elden Ring)

The Grand Lift of Dectus had not seen use in QUITE some time. The main entryway into Altus Plateau had long been abandoned due to the disappearance of its key, the Dectus Medallion. Of course, those who needed to travel between Liurnia of the Lakes and the Plateau had their ways. Rya was one of them, after all.
 
That said… she’d had faith for some strange reason. One way or another, she knew the Tarnished she’d met in Liurnia would come this way. And so, after returning to Volcano Manor and making contact with Lady Tanith, Rya had gone out again, as a scout should… and had come right here. While it was true that she’d given her hero the secret path, the backway into the Plateau… somehow, she’d just known he wouldn’t use it.
 
A man like him? Taking the easy way out? No, he would most definitely find the Medallion, wherever it had ended up, and enter the Altus Plateau the proper way, via the Grand Lift. He was a special sort, her hero, and so Rya had put herself at the exit of the Grand Lift… and waited. Truly, she did not have to wait long. Oh sure, she had to leave once or twice to carry out missions for Lady Tanith, she couldn’t possibly let her duties lapse.
 
But every moment she was not working on behalf of the Volcano Manor, she was waiting outside of the Grand Lift. Until finally, to her great and abundant joy, she heard it. The slowly cranking of ancient gears. The shaking in the ground as the Grand Lift of Dectus moved for the first time in who knew how long. There was a brief moment of worry, that the old contraption might give out while her Tarnished was on it.
 
Or what if it wasn’t him? What if it wasn’t her hero, come at last? Rya frets for all of a moment, before the platform reaches the top of the Grand Lift… and he steps off, wearing the armor of a Crucible Knight once more, though not the helm. His eyes immediately alight upon her and he begins to stride over with a smile on his face.
 
Rya instantly finds herself getting a little flustered, the tips of her ears turning red with embarrassment as he walks up to her. A-Ah, he’d immediately known she was there. To be frank, she’d worried she might blend into the background. But no… the Tarnished had been looking for her, just as she’d been looking for him, hadn’t he? That was… a-ah, she had to get control of herself!
 
Swallowing thickly, Rya clears her throat.
 
“I’ve b-been waiting for you, dear Tarnished.”
 
She smiles at him, matching his smile with one of her own.
 
“I knew you had the stuff of champions.”
 
Near-vibrating with excitement, Rya straightens up as best as her human form’s hunched back will allow. Which is… not much, but she does her best all the same, for the sake of this very official moment.
 
“I hereby invite you to the Volcano Manor. Take my hand and have audience with my mistress.”
 
She holds out her hand expectantly, and as the Tarnished steps forward, she can’t help but be excited for this. After talking him up to Lady Tanith, she really can’t wait for her Lady to truly see him, to know him as she knows him. She-
 
Rya blinks, when the Tarnished curls her fingers back on themselves, into her palm, and gives her a quick shake of his head. Her stomach drops out and her heart stops, only for the Tarnished to rapidly shake his head and point off into the distance, before holding up a finger as if… as if to tell her to wait.
 
“A-Ah. You… you have something you have to do first?”
 
He smiles and nods.
 
“B-But you DO want to accept the invitation and c-come with me to meet my Mistress?”
 
Another nod, along with the same smile. Rya has to quickly bring herself under control. She was… well, she was moments from being very upset indeed. But this… this was fine! Of course, the Tarnished had business to take care of first! He’d just arrived on the Plateau, and here she was, trying to spirit him away before he could get his bearings! What a silly one she was for being so presumptuous!
 
“A-Aha! A-Apologies, dear Tarnished. Please… go handle your business. I will wait here for you. Not to worry, no matter how long it takes, I shall be here when you return.”
 
The Tarnished just smiles… and pats her gently on the head. There’s some affection, to the touch… and then he’s hopping the low stone wall behind her, bypassing the two massive Guardian Golems protecting this side of the Great Lift from would-be intruders. As he rides off on that Spectral Steed of his, Rya watches him go fondly, before settling in to wait a little while longer.
 
She’d waited this long, hadn’t she? She could… she could handle a bit more time. And the Tarnished was SURE to return quickly enough, right?
 
-x-X-x-
 
It was beautiful. Certainly, twas a far cry from Caelid, this place. Her journey to Altus Plateau had been fraught with some level of peril, Millicent could admit to herself… but it was nothing she couldn’t handle, now that she was restored to some fraction of her former strength. The needle continued to hold the Scarlet Rot at bay, though this did not mean she was cured.
 
Indeed, for many who came across her, the signs were obvious… and as a plague bearer, they stayed well clear of her. A scant few tried to kill her… but she’d slipped away from those would-be merciful hunters easily enough. She couldn’t afford to lose sight of her goal, after all. Though admittedly, gazing at the Erdtree, not so far off in the distance anymore, had distracted her for the past little while now.
 
It was almost like she was waiting for something… though she knew not what until she heard the sound of horse hooves clopping, and turned to find, to her surprise, a familiar face no longer hidden behind a bandit’s mask. Millicent can only blink, as her savior hops off of his Spectral Steed, the mount vanishing into nothingness the moment he leaves the saddle.
 
Striding over to her, he gives her a smile and a silent nod, before gazing out over the view as well for a brief moment. Blushing in his presence, Millicent grasps for words for a second before finally speaking.
 
“Ah. We meet again.”
 
Tch, why did she have to sound so aloof? Stupid! This man saved you! You could stand to be a bit more affectionate, d-damn it!
 
Flushed, Millicent shakes her head and gazes at the Erdtree.
 
“In truth… it’s been smooth sailing, for me.”
 
What, was she bragging now? It would not have been smooth sailing, if not for him! Hastening to tell him so, Millicent finds herself babbling just a little.
 
“The Scarlet Rot has stilled, since last we met. As such… I’ve been able to continue my journey, thanks to you.”
 
A glance in his direction shows him smiling at her even now. She blushes and averts her gaze, before glancing down at her missing arm. Once more, the words spill forth from her lips before she can second-think them.
 
“Though… rather vexingly, I realize that if I still had my sword arm, I could have aided you in battle.”
 
This time, when she glances at him to gauge his reaction, its to find him taking a step forward and laying a hand on her shoulder. Ah… he’s too good to her. Is he not afraid? To be fair, he knows better than most that he has no reason to fear her. Afflicted though she may be, the needle keeps the rot at bay, meaning she’s… safe-ish to be around, in this state.
 
Still, for him to so kindly touch her… Millicent’s heart flutters, and she quickly changes the subject.
 
“Now, I’m tracing the path Malenia took after unleashing the power of the scarlet rot, during her battle with General Radahn in the Caelid Wilds. I think… I think I should like to meet her; this vanished woman.”
 
She pauses for a moment, to collect her thoughts… before revealing what her clearing mind and returning memories have told her.
 
“I think she’s in the north. In the lands that lie beyond the Erdtree.”
 
Suddenly, the Tarnished’s hand is off of her shoulder and on her face. Millicent startles, her eyes widening as she turns her gaze towards him. Instinctively, she leans into his palm as he caresses her cheek. He’s so… warm. And not just physically either. His gaze is warm too, looking at her like that. Like… like he’s proud of her.
 
In that moment, Millicent is sure she’s on the right path. Her savior doesn’t have to say a word. She just knows that he’s telling her she’s going in the right direction, that seeking out Malenia is precisely what she should be doing. She wonders, for a moment, exactly how he seems to know so much… but honestly, she doesn’t truly care.
 
Just having him beside her, his own path seemingly paralleling hers, is enough for Millicent. It has to be enough. She couldn’t p-possibly…
 
It’s the lack of pain’s fault. That’s her excuse and she’s sticking to it! She’d lived with such horrible pain for so long, that it’s robbed her of all sense of impulse control. That’s why… that’s why, standing there, basking in the Tarnished’s warmth and close proximity, leaning into his palm as he caresses her cheek and rubs soothing circles into her flesh with his thumb… she does what she does.
 
That strong, silent smile… those kind, caring eyes… is it any wonder that she leans forward and steals a kiss? Of course, the moment her lips touch his, she pulls back as if burned, suddenly VERY self-conscious. It’s one thing for him to be willing to touch her, after giving her the needle that’s holding back her affliction. It’s another entirely for her to kiss him like this. She was out of line.
 
Except, just as Millicent opens her mouth to apologize, he cuts her off… with a kiss of his own. The one-armed red head’s eyes widen, but she leans into the kiss all the same, finding herself in his arms, her savior holding her to him. Her hand ends up on the chestplate of his armor, and though it’s not the most comfortable embrace… it’s still absolutely amazing. She hasn’t been kissed in… in forever.
 
Before she knows it, they’ve moved to sit on the nearest, largest, flattest rock together, continuing their makeout session uninterrupted. She can hardly believe it. That a man would find her desirable, in her one-armed state. Part of her fears that this all comes from a place of pity… but no, she sets aside that idea, discarding it out of hand.
 
Her savior was more than just pity. He had gone through hell and back for her, and though she knew not why, what she did know was that he, seemingly inexplicably, cared deeply for her. And she… much more explicably, she in turn cared very deeply for him.
 
Alas, things could only last for so long. She doesn’t know precisely how long they sit there kissing, but it can’t be more than an hour before they pull apart for the final time. Face flushed, lips feeling downright puffy, Millicent stares at the Tarnished as he stands and gives her a smile and a bow, before taking her sole hand and lightly kissing the knuckles.
 
“… T-Thank you again, dear Tarnished. You continue to amaze in all you do. I only hope that one day, I will be able to repay you for your efforts on my behalf…”
 
He just smiles and gives her shoulder one last squeeze before stepping away. Millicent watches him go, feeling the loss of her arm all the more keenly. If only she were whole once more… then she could fight by his side. Then she could reach her goals.
 
Staring out at the Erdtree, Millicent soon turns her gaze towards the lands far beyond it. Where her true destiny lies.
 
Malenia…
 
-x-X-x-
 
The sun has barely moved in the sky, when the Tarnished returns! Rya perks up the instant she hears the thundering hooves across the plain from the direction he rode off in. Naught but an hour has gone by in truth, perhaps even less than that! Hah, she had been oh so foolish for thinking for even a second that he might abandon her. Of course, he wouldn’t. Her hero had the stuff of champions after all!
 
… Not that she really knew what that even meant. Ah, but Knight Bernahl said it sometimes, so she supposed it meant… something good, right? Regardless, Rya beams as her Tarnished hops back over the low wall and comes to stand before her once again. He smiles right back at her, and the look he gives her fills Rya with a strange sort of warmth.
 
“Ready now, are we?”
 
When he nods, she lets out a sigh of relief. Though… even as he steps forward expectantly and she holds out her hand, the Volcano Manor scout can’t help but taste the wind. A quick tongue flick, truly. It’s… it’s nothing, r-really… but is that a new girl’s scent she smells on her savior? Ah, she was probably imagining things. In truth, the Tarnished before her has the scent of MANY different women on him. She imagines he’s something of a ladies’ man, her hero.
 
And there’s nothing wrong with that. Nothing at all. Though the idea that he HAD run off just now to meet with a woman, that they’d been up to something… i-intimate for the past while as she’d been waiting for him. That does… make her feel rather odd.
 
W-Well, it’s no matter! Hmph! Now that he’s finally ready, she can do this properly! As she holds out her hand and he takes it, Rya clears her throat once more, speaking concisely.
 
“I hereby invite you to Volcano Manor. Take my hand and have audience with my mistress. I pray, that you follow the same path as Lady Tanith.”
 
He takes her hand, and Rya brings him along as she reaches out for that connection to her home. Volcano Manor, nestled deep within the peaks of Mt. Gelmir. Some might call it an unforgiving and altogether treacherous place, but for Rya, tis home. The only home she’s ever known.
 
And as the golden fields and sunny sky of Altus Plateau are replaced by the deep red décor of the inside main hall of Volcano Manor, Rya can’t help but beam. She’s made good on her promise. And now her two favorite people in the world are to meet.
 
Oh, how she hopes they will get along. She can’t wait to welcome her savior into their family.

-x-X-x-

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