Elden Ring: Advent of the Game-Given (SI/Multiverse)

The faint glow of torches illuminated the dark tunnels as the two of us approached the Shunning Grounds. 

I walked with a skip in my steps, twirling, or at least trying to twirl the dagger–which, by the way, I'd left stuck in the severed head like an idiot–in my hand, but the only thing I had to show for it was the nicks and cuts from my failed attempts.

Since I was forced to go back to collect my only weapon, I had decided, against my better judgment, to put the head of the Giant Rodent in my Inventory, so that way, I didn't have to carry it with me.

I know, sometimes, my genius is almost frightening.

Though I have no idea what the head could be used for, who knows—it might come in handy one day.

A few steps behind me, Garm sluggishly dragged the large corpse of the rat, having gotten tired of carrying it all the way back. I'll have to give him props for that, considering it looks like it weighs over 200 kilograms.

Seeing him struggle, I felt a bit of pity, almost making me want to retract my words from a week ago about not having any goodwill develop between us. Still, my ego won out, and I silently watched him struggle on the sidelines.

It didn't help that his ego was bigger than mine, as he didn't bother asking for my help even once.

Well, it doesn't really matter anymore since we've pretty much reached our destination.

Getting closer and closer to the Shunning Grounds, my ears picked up the noise of chatter and some hustle and bustle, which was weird since the Shunning Grounds were usually pretty quiet.

However, even if the sounds I heard were outside the norm for this place, it didn't ring any alarm bells since the noise in nature wasn't distressing. 

Not only that, but the only times such a thing occurred within the Shunning Grounds signaled the arrival of visitors… from above.

Quickening my pace, I exited out of the tunnel and entered the main chamber of the place, only to be met with an unusual sight.

People–humans–numbering about 11 or 12, each moving with purpose in their gait. Some checked on the Omen, while others distributed the necessary supplies, like food and clothing.

All of them were decked out in identical clothing, covered from head-to-toe in garbs of white, while a large, golden apron depicting the Erdtree covered the front of their torso, making it hard to tell their gender.

"So they're finally here, huh?" The words slipped from my mouth, a quiet whisper that only I could hear. Behind me, I heard footsteps approaching as Garm had finally caught up.

He heaved a breath as he entered, beads of sweat trailing down his face. Taking a moment to catch his breath, his eyes fell on the Perfumers present, and he froze momentarily.

A snarl found its way onto his face, as he didn't bother hiding his disdain for the humans present.

Huh… what's up with him?

He walked past me, and for a moment, I thought he'd do something outrageous, considering how he reacted moments before. 

Thankfully, he wasn't stupid enough to antagonize them, as he simply made his way over without much fanfare, maintaining some distance between himself and the unexpected guests.

I let out a sigh of relief as I moved to follow him. Since some of the Perfumers had come, that meant she, too, would be here, and considering I didn't see her around, there was only one place she could be.

Walking past the working healers, I received nods from them, which I returned in kind. They knew who I was–sort of–since they'd seen me interact with Tricia a lot.

Stepping close to the room's entrance, I went to push aside the curtains covering it, but someone else beat me to it as an annoyed Garm stomped out of the room, the derision clear on his face.

Seriously, why's he reacting like that?

Even though I was curious about the reason for his behavior, I put the thought aside for now since I could ask Gordon, who probably knew about it.

The moment I stepped inside, the ongoing chatter ceased. I was met with the sight of three people sitting by the table. I was intimately familiar with the first two–Gordon and Mehg–while I hadn't seen the third–a human woman–in weeks.

The woman was dressed in white and gold, similar to the other Perfumers. The only difference was that the hood she used to cover her face was set on the table, folded cleanly, and organized, revealing her face.

Striking blonde-white hair framed her facial features, blended with aged wisdom and youthful innocence. Greyish-gold eyes that shined with kindness and empathy, presenting a hint of her caring nature.

Her hair was worn in a pseudo crown, the streaks from the side braided together, while the rest fell down on her shoulders, adding to her matronly appearance, which was further complimented by her busty figure.

As I entered the room, all eyes fell upon me, including hers, and they instantly lit up in recognition, a gentle smile brightening up her beautiful face.

Without warning, she raised from her seat and speed-walked over to me. Without warning, she pulled me in for a hug, causing my vision to darken as a gentle warmth encompassed my entire body.

With the disparity in our sizes, it was like being hugged by a giant teddy bear, which would've been dandy and all… if only I weren't in danger of being suffocated by her breasts.

I patted her shoulders lightly, signaling her to let me go. She hesitated slightly but still obliged, removing her arms around me. 

Receiving but a moment's respite, she started inspecting my body closely. I could feel her hands run across my body, giving me a slight jolt as her finger accidentally brushed across the base of my tail. 

Seeing my reaction, she gave an apologetic smile before resuming her work. Once she found none, her calloused hands gently gripped my cheeks. She looked into my eyes before she smiled warmly once more.

"Good," she said, pleased with what she saw, "Ye art uninjured."

I acknowledged her words with pride, letting a hint of a smile settle on my face.

"Well, of course, I hath gotten stronger, tis only natural I would be injured less and less." She chuckled, hearing what I said, before flicking me lightly on one of the horns on my forehead.

"Grow too big of a head, and thy ego shalt become thy undoing," she reprimanded me halfheartedly, wagging her finger around playfully.

I pouted in response, unknowingly allowing her to pinch my cheeks, which she did. She started pulling on them, my slightly pudgy cheeks enabling her to form a proper grip.

"Arrr– stauhh ith," I tried to make her stop, my newfound strength coming into play as I grabbed ahold of her hands as tightly as I could without hurting her.

Seeing me move her hands, albeit with some effort, she was left dumbfounded, judging by the slight widening of her eyes and left-open mouth, before Gordon's voice snapped her out of it.

"Come on, Tricia, just leave the brat be. Any more, and he might faint from embarrassment," Gordon said, sitting by the table. Although his words sounded concerning, the shit-eating grin on his face told a different story.

"I am not embarrassed!" I quickly retorted before focusing back on Tricia and releasing my grip on her. Her face, though, no longer bore any shock; it was replaced with a loving smile.

"If I did the same thing months ago, thy strength wouldst not be enough to pull my hands… ye… truly hath become stronger."

This time, I didn't say anything, letting the weight of her words settle. As much as I wanted to be satisfied, this level of strength just wasn't good enough. I wanted to become even stronger.

Those were my honest thoughts, which I kept to myself. I didn't want to be a wet blanket and ruin the good atmosphere with my dispiriting thoughts.

"I wish to take a seat, for I feel tired," I said, feigning exhaustion. I wasn't really tired, at least not physically, but truthfully, I just wanted to change the topic.

She nodded, thankfully, and moved toward her seat with me in tow. I followed quietly, taking my place beside my sister.

When we were both seated, Gordon initiated a conversation, or to be frank, resumed the conversation they seemed to be having before I arrived.

"Anyways, goin' back to what I was gonna say before, I'm sorry about how Garm reacted. I've tried my best to reign him in, but the brat's adamant about stickin' to his rebellious streak."

"Ah, there is naught ye must apologize for. I could tell at a glance the boy's… disdain for us," she said concernedly, "He doth not seem content, spending his days shackled to the underground. He longs for the world beyond the seal… a reality not meant to be."

She sighed as she spoke, the corner of her eyes crinkling as she briefly mentioned the outside world. There was a hint of resignation in her voice that both Garm and I picked up.

"And seeing as we art… at liberty to descend down here and pass the seal without harm, the boy seemeth to resent us."

"Well, he's just wastin' his energy. It's not like you were the one who placed the seal down here, nor were you the one who trapped us–"

He cut off his words, clamping his mouth shut as if he said something he shouldn't have. His reaction brought about an amused chuckle from Tricia, which slowly morphed into a more neutral expression.

"No need to fret. Tis not as if thy words are erroneous. Even so, mayhaps tis for the better we speak of this no further," she said, her words carrying a deeper meaning. It was advice, and perhaps also a warning, for him to be careful with his words, lest they be heard by the wrong set of ears.

"...I guess so," he shrugged, seeing no reason to go against her words.

A silence fell upon us, so brief as if it was never there, as Mehg piped up beside me.

"How long will thou stay this ti'e?" she asked, her tone a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

The question, although harmless in nature, definitely wasn't a pleasant one for Tricia. Her eyebrows furrowed, her finger rhythmically tapping on the table, something I'd noticed that she did whenever she felt dismay.

With a heavy sigh, she averted her eyes guiltily and hesitatingly responded, "Forgive me, little one, for I can only stay for so long. Once the supplies are distributed amongst the rest, I shalt leave immediately."

"I- I see…"

Her answer was dispiriting, dashing her hopes as Mehg looked down disappointedly.

All the while, I sat in stewing frustration, my gaze sweeping across the table as I felt the awkwardness seeping in, trying to stifle the atmosphere.

I guess it's up to me to liven up the vibe. 

"Didst thou know? Some days past, we hunted a ferocious beast," I mentioned the large rat we hunted on the day I recovered my memories, gaining an intrigued look from Tricia.

"Oh, truly?" she leaned forward, elbows on the table as she gestured for us to continue.

"Twas quite large too, as big as us– slightly bigger. Also, twas as ferocious as it was sizable," I spoke, making animated gestures to give her an idea of its size. She listened attentively with a smile on her face.

As I spoke, I noticed that I was the only one talking. Taking a glance at my still-sulking sister, I nudged her discreetly with my elbow, snapping her out of her thoughts as she reacted with a jump.

She looked at me with an irked expression, her perpetually bared teeth making her look menacing. I nudged her again, gesturing toward Tricia with my eyes.

She huffed and gave me a nudge of her own before joining back into the conversation.

"It gave chase as he lured it closer to the Shunning Grounds, where I laid in wait 'or an am'ush. Twas a great 'o– 'oon, as it quite tired itsel' out be'ore we were a'le to attack it."

While she spoke, I once again nudged her in the side, this time with slightly more force, momentarily cutting off her words. She stuttered, giving me a nasty side-eye before quickly recovering and continuing talking.

We took turns speaking while silently bickering as our elbows repeatedly met with each other's ribs under the table.

Slowly, the topic shifted from talking about recent snippets of our time down here to Tricia's life. Like always, she was hesitant at first, but with enough coaxing and giving her puppy-dog eyes, she started telling us different bits and pieces, like stories from her childhood.

In her words, she was a mischievous child and got up to some small amounts of tomfoolery.

I wouldn't call putting laxatives in your friend's birthday cake "some small amounts of tomfoolery."

God damn, was she a menace growing up.

The sound of laughter rang out as Gordon held on to the table for support, cackling like a madman as he listened to her stories.

My sister, on the other hand, was a lot more tame, giggling in amusement as she heard Tricia speak.

I tried to hold it in, but snorts and snickers would slip through my lips as I tried my best not to laugh out loud.

I was failing miserably.

Time passed by just like this, and an hour had already passed before we knew it. If it hadn't been for one of the Perfumers coming to fetch her, this probably would've gone on for longer as we idled away in peaceful chatter.

We stood by the passage leading toward the seal and, by extension, Leyndell, as the Perfumers started leaving the Shunning Grounds with torches in hand.

Our gazes were focused on Tricia standing beside us, her hood obscuring most of her face as she watched them go before turning toward us. Without saying anything, she bent down and wrapped both her arms around Mehg and I, bringing us into a tight hug.

I had a strange feeling of deja vu as she did so, but I chose not to voice it, feeling it would ruin the moment.

"It shalt be some time before my next visit. Next, I come, I expect to see thee happy and healthy, with nary a scratch or wound on ye."

I rolled my eyes at her words but responded, "Yes, mother."

She stilled momentarily at hearing the word "mother" before her arms tightened around us even more. We stayed like this for a few moments before she reluctantly let us go.

With a pointed stare, she gazed at Gordon, who raised his free hand in appeasement, "I know, I know, I'll make sure they don't do anything too reckless."

She nodded, her eyes crinkling to reveal a satisfied smile gracing her beautiful face. Then she breathed a long sigh, her hands gently caressing our faces as if rememorizing each little contour of our innocent faces.

It wasn't until a few moments later that she finally decided to be on her way, her steps laden with a heaviness that reflected her unwillingness to leave us be.

I took a quick look at Mehg to see how she was holding up, and as expected, she stared at the departing Tricia with a forlorn look on her face. Quietly, I held her hand in silent support, which she returned back in kind. 

Although I felt a similar way, I knew it would be incredibly selfish to try and keep her longer. With the Golden Order as it is now, even just associating with Omens would bring a bad rep at best and a harsh exile at worst. Despite all that, even with her hands tied, she did the best she could for us.

And that was something I'll always be grateful for.

Slowly, she went deeper into the tunnel, her visage becoming smaller and smaller, the only thing pronouncing her presence from this distance being the torch she carried.

Seeing as she'd left, we found no reason to stay put. Gordon went off to his crib, hobbling his way over with the support of his staff.

On the other hand, my sister didn't move until she'd gotten her emotions in order. Plastering a shaky smile, she held my hand, leading us back to our sleeping quarters.

I took one last look behind me before following her lead without complaint, not trying to give much thought to the slight oddity I'd glimpsed.

Perhaps it was the dim light playing tricks on my eyes, but it looked like another presence was trailing beside Tricia. Blinking my eyes repeatedly, I looked again, finding nothing but the faint presence of the disappearing Tricia, who'd already left the Shunning Grounds.

X – X – X – X – X –X

Apologies for the week late chapter.

How was it? It feels like, compared to other chapters, this one came out a little dull. I don't know if it was the lack of dialogue or if it was just too short when taking into account the nature of the interactions that took place.