Maidenless No Longer (Elden Ring)

The newest Recusant was too helpful by half. Never in a million years had Tanith believed such a thought would cross her mind… but there it was. The Volcano Manor had existed for quite some time. It had seen Recusants come and go. Most ended up slain in pursuit of their grisly work. Still many others had been sent on to their Lord, to join with his strength.
 
Tanith did not consider this a betrayal, to be clear. Praetor Rykard needed all of the strength he could possibly get, if he was going to eventually take the fight to the Erdtree and the Greater Will. Indeed, it was precisely as she’d told the Tarnished, after he’d come back from his second task for them.
 
“The Erdtree blesses the Tarnished with grace, but it is all too meager, in the face of the enormity of their task. The Tarnished are forced to scavenge, squabbling for crumbs, just like the shardbearers, vying for power in the wake of the Shattering. Only Lord Rykard, our Lord, had the wherewithal to refuse. To scurry about, fighting over what miserly scraps they would allow us. If the Erdtree, and indeed the very gods would debase us so, then we shall raise the banner of resistance, even if it means heresy.”
 
In the wake of these words, the Tarnished had not balked. He had not faltered. Indeed, he had seemed as resolved as ever. And it wasn’t just her tasks and tests that he took upon himself and completed with a singular vigor and determination either. In the midst of his work for her, he also took it upon himself to help the other members of the Volcano Manor.
 
Perhaps it was her mistake, for being so foolish as to call them a family. She should have known that a man like this Tarnished, this Recusant… would care too deeply. He was too kind by half, for all that his savagery and bloodlust on behalf of his new-found family knew no bounds.
 
Patches had been the first to ask for his help. And in doing so, had proven his true character, not that Tanith had expected any different from the man. She would have taken him to task, if he weren’t more valuable to the Manor for his abilities as a merchant, over his abilities as a Recusant. Still… to pass off his work to the newcomer, to make the new Recusant go up against Great Horned Tragoth… well, she’d had no problem exercising her power as Lady of Volcano Manor to make sure the Tarnished returned to Patches for his reward.
 
The man might get away with passing off his duties to the Manor to his fellow Tarnished, but she’d be damned if she’d let him get away with doing it for free. Though, perhaps she’d have thought twice about doing so, if she’d known then what was going to happen…
 
Ah, but she was getting ahead of herself. After the new Recusant completed his first official task, and then returned, much to Rya’s delight, before assisting with Patches’ request followed by taking on his second job… Tanith had begun to wonder at his single-minded fervor. She didn’t mind that he’d reinforced Rya’s rebellious streak by returning victorious from that first task. At least not at first. It wouldn’t do, to be unable to accept a humbling from time to time, regardless of her position.
 
But then he’d come back from that second task just as victorious. And Knight Bernahl had taken notice of him. Bernahl was one of Volcano Manor’s stronger Recusants. However, he did not have the strength, nor the inner willpower, for Tanith to send him on to her Lord. Lord Rykard had need of those who did not carry doubt within their hearts… who did not wallow in their own self-recrimination.
 
Knight Bernahl was… well, he was a capable old warrior, and had served Volcano Manor well. And he would continue to serve Volcano Manor well, but never in the way that they most needed. Twas the way of things, sometimes. As something of a consolation, Bernahl had been granted the right to wield the Devourer’s Scepter. A weapon said to be the very symbol of Lord Rykard, it was a powerful weapon, to be sure. And Knight Bernahl wielded it well, as he discharged his duties as a Recusant of Volcano Manor.
 
However, what was abnormal was the interest he took in their latest recruit, after the Tarnished returned triumphant from that second task. To say Tanith had been surprised when she found out Bernahl asked the Tarnished for his help with a mission was an understatement. She was, at least very briefly, gobsmacked.
 
More than that, to have the Tarnished assist him in a long-standing Volcano Manor contract against Vargram the Raging Wolf and Errant Sorcerer Wilhelm… it spoke of a confidence in their newest Recusant that Tanith had only just begun to come to terms with, when the news reached her ears.
 
And of course, the pair of them would come back victorious. Of course, this upstart Tarnished went and helped Bernahl defeat two of the oldest, most successful Tarnished in all the Lands Between. It was said that Vargram the Raging Wolf was one of the first Tarnished to visit Roundtable Hold. It was said that he’d aspired to take on the likeness of a wolf, in hopes of becoming the shadow of an Empyrean himself.
 
His death, and the death of his fellow, the Errant Sorcerer Wilhelm, were necessary to see the Erdtree and the Two Finger’s plans brought to ruin. But even still… Tanith hadn’t been sure what to think, when she heard about their demise. First, demigods begin to fall. Next, Great Runes are collected. And finally, even the most veteran Tarnished were defeated.
 
And all by the hands of one man. All by the hands of their newest Recusant. She hadn’t been sure what to feel, but she’d been leaning towards pride and happiness… until the new Recusant had chosen to get involved with Zorayas even more than he already was.
 
Tanith should have seen it coming, really. But she’d been so focused on other matters, that she hadn’t thought twice about what it meant for dear, sweet Zorayas to finally have a friend. And not just a friend, but a confidante. Tch, she’d let herself be distracted by the other goings-on in the manor. From making sure Patches paid his fellow Tarnished back for doing his dirty work for him, to her surprise at Bernahl’s actions, even to noting the disappearance of the other new Recusant, Diallos Hoslow.
 
It wasn’t like she didn’t see THAT coming a mile away. Diallos was… well, he was an attempt at salvaging their loss after his older brother, Juno Hoslow, rejected their invitation. Such a shame that. The latter was so much more of what they were looking for, then the former. Still, the possibility that Diallos could overcome his inability to commit to action had been enough to give him a chance.
 
Alas, when he’d finally found an action to commit to, it proved to be the action of running away. Tanith hadn’t bothered with sending anyone after him. His loss was nothing for the Volcano Manor to worry about. However, there was no way they couldn’t NOT respond in some way. And so… her newest, more successful Recusant’s final test had become Juno Hoslow. Reported to be all the way up in the forbidden lands beyond the Erdtree itself, Juno should have been an incredibly difficult task.
 
The Tarnished had still hunted him down and slain him all the same. Unfortunately, while he was gone, other things had come home to roost. All of that business with Zorayas had finally come back to bite Tanith in her dancer’s derriere.
 
First it was Zorayas letting the new Recusant in on her secret. Not the end of the world, but still a surprise that had left Tanith flat-footed and kept the Lady of the Manor from properly responding in the manner she should have. If only she’d shut down the relationship then and there… but no, she’d let it continue on, and come to regret it with every fiber of her being.
 
For even though it began with Zorayas revealing a secret about herself to her new friend and hero, it quickly turned into the Tarnished revealing secrets about Zorayas that the Snakeborn did not already know. Things that Tanith had done her best to hide from the girl all her life, for her own safety, for her own peace of mind.
 
The Tarnished had ranged deep into the secret, darker parts of Volcano Manor… far deeper than she would normally have allowed, if he weren’t half as successful as he was. It wasn’t like he was the first curious Recusant they’d had. Some died on their own, facing down the trials of the Volcano. Some had to be ended, lest they caused too much damage to the denizens behind the walls. A handful even made it to Lord Rykard on their own, without the invitation… and were subsequently consumed, so that their power might serve their Lord, even in death.
 
But the Tarnished was the first Recusant in Volcano Manor’s history who had a connection to Zorayas that could not be denied. He was the first Recusant who was both curious and kind to a fault, and who sought out answers on the Snakeborn’s behalf.
 
Tanith only realized what she’d wrought through her inaction when Zorayas went missing shortly after the Tarnished left on that final assignment. Even by the time he returned with news of Juno Hoslow’s death, she still hadn’t turned up. When Tanith brought it up, the Tarnished had turned solemn… and she’d known then and there what must have happened, what he must have shown her beloved daughter.
 
She’d tasked the Tarnished with finding Zorayas and giving her the Tonic of Forgetfulness some time ago now. He’d taken it, giving her a look, before turning and leaving. No nod of agreement, no smile of understanding. He’d been uncharacteristically cold to Tanith, as he’d departed to find Zorayas. But she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he HAD left to go and find Zorayas all the same, and so she’d let it be.
 
Still, she’d spent the last while worrying about the girl, waiting for the Tarnished to return, and considering exactly how she might have made a mistake welcoming him into their family. Yes, he was the most successful Recusant in a long while, perhaps the most successful they’d ever had. Indeed, if not for this situation with Zorayas, Tanith would have already sent him along to Lord Rykard for defeating Juno Hoslow.
 
There was simply no other place for a Tarnished of his caliber. He belonged with Lord Rykard. The Praetor would know what to do with him, would know how to add his power to his own. And maybe they’d be ready to face the Erdtree just that much sooner as a result.
 
But instead of sending him on, she’d been forced to send him on this errand. And all she could hope was that he would return with her daughter. Even if Zorayas’ memory was gone, Tanith would care for her. Of course, she would. Regardless of what had to be done… she hadn’t had a choice. She needed to protect her daughter. She-
 
There’s the sudden sound of boots coming down the hallway, and Tanith straightens in her chair, even as the Tarnished, her most successful Recusant, steps around the corner. He is alone, Zorayas nowhere in sight, and as he walks up to Tanith, he does so with his head held high.
 
“… Did you find her?”
 
He nods, and Tanith’s lips compress into a thin line.
 
“And?”
 
He holds out the Tonic of Forgetfulness, and her eyes narrow as she takes it back from him. It is unused. The Lady of the Manor grits her teeth. If she did not already know his character, she would be worried that he’d slain Zorayas, that he’d killed the girl, either out of some misconception that she was a monster, or because she asked him to.
 
But no, instinctively, Tanith knows he would never lay a single aggressive hand on her daughter. Which only meant…
 
“She left? And you let her go?”
 
The Tarnished gives her a single, solitary nod, and Tanith sits up even straighter in her chair, her face growing stony behind her mask. How… how dare he.
 
“… I will never be a good mother. My heart is too frail. But…”
 
There are a million things she wants to say to this Tarnished. Instead, she cuts herself off mid-sentence and forces a faux smile onto her hidden face. He stares at her, like he’s able to see right through her all the same, but Tanith doesn’t pay it any mind, simply changing tact as she completely switches the subject.
 
“I see that you’ve stayed the path of champions, Brave Recusant. Your usual reward for a job well done. Here, take it.”
 
Handing him the Taker’s Cameo, a trinket engraved with the handsome likeness of Praetor Rykard, Tanith immediately jumps into the invitation. For the first time in her service as Lady of the Manor, she feels a certain… vindication welling up inside of her.
 
“I think, perhaps, that you are ready. Might you see our Lord? He will no doubt welcome you. Another kindred spirit, treading the path of champions.”
 
When the Tarnished nods, a shiver goes down Tanith’s spine, for some reason. She ignores it however, her smile taking on a slightly wicked curve to it.
 
“Wonderful. Close your eyes for a moment. I will transport you to the Lord’s chamber. May your visit be… fruitful.”
 
She’s sent many a Recusant to the Lord over the years. None have ever returned. Even knowing the need, Tanith has felt some small measure of guilt towards a few of the brave souls she’s… fed to her Lord. There’s no other word for it. She knows what happens, between Lord Rykard and those who prove worthy of his favor. He consumes them, adds their power to his… he eats them.
 
For the first time, Tanith feels absolutely no guilt, as she uses her Lord’s magic to send this… this Tarnished onwards to Rykard’s chamber. Let him be consumed. Let this man, who allowed her daughter to slip off into the broader world without any assistance or allies, give his power unto their Lord. He is… undeserving of it.
 
As soon as the Tarnished is gone, Tanith clears her throat and calls out loudly, her voice carrying all the way to the Main Entry Hall.
 
“Patches! Attend me!”
 
It takes the bald man she can see from her chair a moment to register that she’s speaking to him, but after a moment, he notices her. Eyes widening at earning her direct attention, Patches hops out of his crouch and eagerly scurries into the chamber, and over to her dais.
 
“L-Lady Tanith! What, uh, can I do for you?”
 
Eyes flinty, voice clipped, Tanith holds out the Tonic of Forgetfulness.
 
“I trust you know of the Manor’s Scout, Rya, yes?”
 
At Patches’ nod, her lips thin out again.
 
“She has been misled. You have a new task, one that you will NOT pawn off to anyone else. You will find Rya and give her this tonic. You will tell her it is from her mother, and that I miss her very much. You will make sure she drinks it, and then you will help her return here. Am I understood?”
 
Patches’ eyes dart between her face and the tonic as she speaks, and craven though he is, Tanith suspects he knows more than he lets on about… just about everything, probably. Even still, he gives a jerked nod at her last questioning words and begins to reach for the tonic. Only then does Tanith allow a thin smile to form as she prepares to hand it over.
 
Except, just before his fingers can close around the vial, there is a sudden rumble, followed by an earth-shattering BOOM throughout the entirety of the Manor. The ground shakes, and the walls tremble, and everything seems to threaten to crumble down around them as she, Patches, and her faithful Knight all tense in bewilderment and shock.
 
For Tanith, it is more than just the sudden quake, however. For Tanith, it is the sudden loss of an ephemeral connection she’s had for many, MANY years.
 
Her fingers open, but the Lady of the Manor doesn’t even notice as the tonic of forgetfulness falls from her grasp and shatters across the ground, ruined. Patches lets out a yelp and leaps back as if he’s afraid she’s going to blame him… but it matters not.
 
The Volcano Manor does not crumble, and in fact the quake stops almost as soon as it started, with no visible damage in the opulent blood-red halls around them. But it doesn’t MATTER. None of it matters, because Tanith knows exactly what’s happened.
 
She’s made a terrible, terrible mistake, sending the Tarnished onto her Lord. There’s no doubt in her mind, that the Volcano Manor’s newest Recusant, and its Praetor, have met face to face. Because she can feel it. The consequences of her actions.
 
Lord Rykard… is dead.

-x-X-x-

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