Maidenless No Longer (Elden Ring)

As the Head of Volcano Manor, it’s not unheard for Tanith to receive word of potential prospects long before they reach her doors. In fact, it’s more common for recruits to come with some recommendation or other than to not.
 
This Tarnished though… she’s not quite sure how long it’s been since she had quite so many words spoken on a potential recruit’s behalf. Rya was downright smitten, the poor girl! Tanith had yet to get the full story out of the scout, but from what she understood, Rya had certainly been at a low point, when the Tarnished came along and helped her out.
 
The other members of Volcano Manor all had a kind word to say as well. Patches spoke of how this Tarnished had spared the man’s life after an… unfortunate misunderstanding involving some meager belongings. Meanwhile, Knight Bernahl, talked of how the Tarnished had handled a Bell Bearing Hunter near the Warmaster’s Shack on Stormhill with ease. Even Bernahl, old curmudgeon that he was, had sounded vaguely impressed in his recounting.
 
It was the words of their newest recruit, however, that had truly caught Tanith’s attention if she were being honest. She’d been careful not to let Rya know, as the girl did so love to gush on and on about her hero. But Diallos Hoslow had been the one to provide the most actionable intelligence on this new Tarnished that Rya had extended an invitation to.
 
As the newest among their number here in Volcano Manor, the somewhat foppish young man was also the latest out of Roundtable Hold. The rest of them weren’t quite welcome in that place of course, stronghold of the Two Fingers as it was. But Diallos had been there recently… and when he’d arrived at Volcano Manor, he’d brought with him quite the exciting news.
 
A Tarnished had slain a Demigod and laid claim to a Great Rune. That was the news, as it stood, when Diallos arrived. Godrick the Grafted was dead, his Great Rune claimed, a shardbearer vanquished. And from what Diallos had said, the Tarnished who had done it was on his way to the Academy of Raya Lucaria to add a second Great Rune to his collection.
 
How long, had she and the other denizens of Volcano Manor served their Lord Rykard faithfully in all things? How long had the balance been maintained in spite of their hard work? How long had everything seemed so… sedentary? It mattered not. What mattered was change was coming. Of course, as soon as she heard the news of Godrick’s defeat, Tanith sent out others to gather more information.
 
Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, had indeed been defeated by the same Tarnished who brought low Godrick. Though apparently, she still lived according to the reports. General Radahn, however, did not. Three Great Runes. Three shardbearers defeated. All by the same Tarnished.
 
When it was confirmed that Diallos and Rya’s Tarnished were one in the same, Tanith had been altogether intrigued. And now… he was finally here. To say she was curious would be an understatement.
 
Tis as Rya had said. He comes before her clad in the armor of a Crucible Knight, but with the helm removed to show quite the handsome face. As the Tarnished strides forward, her loyal and faithful bodyguard, the Crucible Knight ever-present at her side, straightens up a fraction of an inch and his grip on his sword tightens, his armor grinding together.
 
Tanith holds up a hand to bid him rest, even as she takes note of how this Tarnished effortlessly raised her Knight’s hackles. Either the repurposing of the armor is what upset him… or this Tarnished is every bit as dangerous as Tanith expects. That said, there is only one option here. She must try to recruit him. As he comes to a stop a few feet away from her seated form, the former dancer offers him a kind smile in greeting and inclines her head in acknowledgment.
 
“Brave Tarnished, welcome to Volcano Manor. I am Tanith, the proprietress of this house.”
 
Cocking her head to the side, she lets the silence hang for half a moment before continuing on.
 
“Rya spoke well of you. ‘A warrior of promise’, I believe she said.”
 
A stronger prospect, perhaps, then their other new recruit. Diallos Hoslow had seemed somewhat promising, when news of his desire for revenge had first reached their ears. Truly, the death of that servant girl Lanya was… a regrettable mishap. Tanith still wasn’t entirely sure how it came about, or what part the Volcano Manor had even played in her death, and she hadn’t actually gone searching for answers either. It didn’t really matter.
 
But Diallos Hoslow had shown some backbone in his initial pursuit of them… and so she’d had an invitation sent to him, to see if he would be of any use. She’d half-expected Bernahl to need to smack him around a few times when he initially arrived, but he’d come almost… pre-beaten into submission, with his tail between his legs. He’d joined up with them in spite of his servant’s death… but since then, his greatest contribution to Volcano Manor had been what knowledge he could provide about this Tarnished before her now.
 
Disappointing, to say the least. Though, as the newcomer stands before her, silent as the grave, Tanith keeps expecting him to speak up, to list his accolades and demand respect befitting his achievements. After all, he’s done things that no other Tarnished has done in centuries!
 
Ah, but Rya had said he was quiet, hadn’t she? And the others… yes, all of them had reported the same thing, that this Tarnished was the silent sort who let his actions speak for him. Tanith was not unused to this sort of man. Her loyal Crucible Knight was one such creature, after all. Even now, she had never heard his voice. Was this Tarnished the same? Did he… never speak up? Not even on his own behalf?
 
Tanith can’t help the laugh that bubbles up from her lips as she shakes her head.
 
“Aren’t you a precocious one? We rarely receive visitors to the Volcano Manor who are… quite so humble. Fascinating. Still, I assume you would not accept dear Rya’s invitation without being prepared to make a commitment, yes?”
 
Leaning forward a tad, Tanith smiles thinly behind her mask.
 
“Will you join us here, against the rising tide? Why accept the burden of their grace? Why be fooled by the dogmatic ramblings of the Fingers? Rise with us, against the Erdtree.”
 
Tis the moment of truth, she supposes. As silence hangs in the air, following her words, her Knight once more tightens his grip on his greatsword beside her. This time, Tanith does not stop him from doing so. She will not begrudge him his preparations. After all, there is every possibility that this Tarnished has… ulterior motives.
 
It did not quite seem possible, but at the same time, there was every likelihood that, given what she’d already heard, this Tarnished was here for Lord Rykard. It would be ridiculous, of course. The difference between Praetor Rykard and the others the Tarnished had slain was immeasurable. Certainly, General Radahn had been her Lord’s brother, but by all accounts, he was immensely damaged by the Scarlet Rot Malenia, Blade of Miquella, had inflicted upon him. In comparison, Lord Rykard was stronger than ever, for all that those of lesser minds declared his strength blasphemy.
 
No, she didn’t think this Tarnished was quite so foolish as to attack the denizens of Volcano Manor in their place of power in search for a shot at Lord Rykard. If he were here for her Lord, he would play it safe and keep his cards close to his chest. Tanith’s thinking is confirmed when the Tarnished nods and bows his head a moment later, saluting with a hand over his chest in silent agreement.
 
Perhaps it is not verbal confirmation, but in this case… yes, actions will speak louder than words indeed. They shall test this Tarnished’s loyalty, one task at a time.
 
“Your decision is most welcome, Tarnished. Now, you belong to the Volcano Manor family. The drawing room lies down the hall. Make yourself comfortable. But be sure to earn your keep.”
 
As she hands over the Drawing-Room Key to the Tarnished, she leaves the rest left unsaid. It would not do for her to hold his hand too much of the way through all of this. Those who joined Volcano Manor were expected to stand on their own. And if they could not… well, then they would sink, much like the Diallos boy seemed to be doing. Alas, this life was not for everyone. To walk the path of a Recusant, was to walk a path respected by few indeed.
 
Accepting the key, the Tarnished turns and walks down the hall. Only then, after he’s well out of sight and has likely nearly reached the Drawing Room itself, does Tanith’s Knight slowly relax. She hadn’t quite realized just how tightly the armored warrior was holding the pommel of his sword. Glancing up at him, she raises an eyebrow in question, but receives no response beyond a slow shake of his armored head.
 
Hm, most curious.
 
Still, the Tarnished returns soon after, and with the letter already in hand as well. Tanith smiles, as he walks back to her.
 
“Ah, I see you found the letter left for you. Do you understand now, perhaps? That is the task the Volcano Manor desires you enact. You will be compensated, once the deed is done.”
 
Cocking her head to the side, Tanith wonders if she detects a hint of hesitation in the silent Tarnished. She scoffs and waves a hand through the air.
 
“If you are loath to hunt your own kin, so be it. But if that is the case, you must leave this house at once. This is a war against the Erdtree, after all. We have no place for the meek, nor the luxury of keeping clean hands.”
 
After one more moment of silence, the Tarnished merely inclines his head and turns to go. However, he takes the letter with him, and Tanith gets the impression that he’s not leaving for good. He will do as he’s told. A smile flits across her face. She can’t help but be a little pleased. Somehow, she suspects this one will be much more useful than the other new recruit, Hoslow. Much more useful indeed.
 
Of course, she wipes that smile from her face when Rya suddenly peeks around the corner. Still in her hunched back human form, the scout bites her lower lip, glancing towards the Manor’s front doors.
 
“H-Has he gone?”
 
Eyes softening, Tanith glances in the direction the Tarnished departed and seeing nobody, slowly nods.
 
“Yes, Zorayas. He’s left on his first mission and likely won’t be back for at least a few days at least.”
 
Flushing at her true name, Rya slowly transforms, growing in height and shedding her human guise in favor of her true form, that of a Man-Serpent. Though of course, Zorayas is special. The only daughter of their Lord, hence the fact that her kind were normally called Man-Serpents. Zorayas was more than her lesser kin. She was so special, in fact, that she’d been entrusted to Tanith, to take care of and raise.
 
Twas a great honor, and Tanith couldn’t lie… she’d come to see Zorayas as a daughter, and herself as the girl’s surrogate mother. Seeing how Zorayas’ true mother was… long gone, it was only right that Tanith step in and support her.
 
“I-I see. That’s… that’s g-good. I’m glad.”
 
Raising an eyebrow and glancing over to her Knight, Tanith hums.
 
“Zorayas… do be careful around that one. Don’t get too attached.”
 
Zorayas’ eyes widen at that, and she stiffens. But before she can protest, Tanith has already raised a hand and is cutting her off.
 
“I just don’t want to see you get hurt, my dear. Tarnished are notoriously unreliable. While this one’s accolades are certainly… something, there is always an end to these stories, and it has never been kind to any of those involved. So, try not to get too caught up with him, alright? He will only disappoint you, in the end.”

Tanith should know. Her life before she’d met Lord Rykard had been little more than a string of such disappointments. As a dancer, she had attracted the eyes of many a man… some of them decent, some of them even good men… but none of them having what it took to be GREAT men. Not until Lord Rykard, that is.
 
She had been glad, to become her Lord’s Consort. She had been thrilled, when he’d taken her here, to his home, and allowed her to make it her own. Volcano Manor was where she belonged… and it was where Zorayas belonged as well. It wouldn’t do for her adoptive daughter to get ideas about leaving and never coming back, all for some fool of a mortal man. No, Zorayas was meant for more than that.
 
“… I respect your opinion, Lady Tanith. I appreciate the advice…”
 
Zorayas’ soft tone almost lulls Tanith into a false sense of security. She certainly sounds as if she’s thinking quite hard about her words. But then, the beautiful Snakeborn child of Lord Rykard lifts her head, and in those serpentine eyes of hers blazes a determination and resolve that takes even Tanith back for a moment.
 
“But I think you’re wrong about him. He has what it takes. He WILL return. And when he does… I shall greet him warmly, as a member of our family!”
 
And then, as if she’s expecting a reprimand, Zorayas turns and scurries deeper into the Manor. She hurries away as if her moment of confidence and rebellion had cost her all the social credit she had saved up for the time being. In truth, Tanith is too taken aback by her outburst to formulate even a basic response before the girl disappears.
 
For a long moment, Tanith stares after her charge in disbelief. Then, there’s the slight sound of metal against metal, her Knight’s armor shifting as he moves beside her, almost seeming to be… shaking? Blinking, she looks over and discovers, much to her irritation, that the Crucible Knight is quietly laughing. Laughing, of all things!
 
Scowling, Tanith shoots him a dirty look, before shaking her head and sighing deeply. Zorayas will learn in time not to count on mortal men, regardless of whether this particular Tarnished returns or not from his first mission. She will learn, just as Tanith did.
 
Really, she hopes that the Tarnished pulls through for them. She hopes that Zorayas’ efforts and hopes are not fully in vain. No mother wants to see their child’s dreams crushed, after all, no matter how much a harsh lesson might be needed.
 
But only time will tell, one way or the other.

-x-X-x-

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