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Well in fact you are maidenless
Mayonaka stared at the flickering light of Grace, wiping the blood from his mouth.
Well, that fight was bloody hard.
The tarnished walked over these lands, like lambs on slaughter, all hungering for the elusive Elden Ring and those damned demigods that walked over these pathways. He has yet to take a breath to calm his nerves when a hooded young lady came to his side.
“You fought well huh….”
Mayonaka knew that voice too well. It must be Oharu. That person whose purpose was lost in the shadows of time and space, only staring at the glow of the Erdtree. “Got lucky….” Mayonaka mummer, as he sipped a small crimson flask, tasting its sweet liquid. “One missed move and my life is gone thanks to that horrid demigod….”
Mayonaka swore that life should not be taken so lightly, given its recent bloody history of finding his kind “the tarnished” and melding his body into mere monstrosities. “I am Oharu…fellow traveller…Mayonaka…”
Oharu shuffled herself comfortably to the warm light, watching it flicker and glow amidst a hostile world. “What turned the fate, is the willingness of Grace. That Grace that had been lost over in the passage of gods clinging to the runes as keys of power to their last resort.”
“You seems rather wise…for someone would barely know me…”
Oharu forced herself to take some breaths as she took out a certain ring from her heavy cloak “No….I see what is and what is to come…” Oharu gives a small smile. “And you tarnished… are unfortunately maidenless…”
Mayonaka raised an eyebrow before frowning again at that statement. This was repeated to him It was reported to him time and time again on this matter day well in fact that Mayonaka is actually maidneless the moment he stepped on these lands and now.
“A tarnished without a maiden….in lands so harsh….as you said one mistake and your soul will wander at the limbo…” Quietly she laid her hand out to his. “I make you an offer to you… I shall be your maiden…”
Mayonaka frowned slightly. Oharu nodded a little. “You only need to bring me to the foot of the Erdtree…tarnished….”
Wow she is quick. Maybe there is hope in this horrid world. “I shall make your runes your strength Tarnished…” grasping the warm light of grace in her hand, using her slender fingers to trace faint streaks of golden light to the palm lines of his callused hand. “Take my hand, and just let it go….” To that point, the world seems so quiet and so still. Somehow he feels alive… ever since he stepped out from the fog.
The hum of the wind rattled Mayonaka’s ears, and Oharu gave a wistful smile, taking out a hoop from her cloak, and slipped it unto his finger. “And I think walking these lands by foot can be treacherous..” Oharu has a point. The world is indeed perilous. And even with his own strength, anything could perish at that instant. “So I will give you a gift….a companion per say- Aeron….” Mayonaka stared bemusedly at that shiny ring.
It seems…well…meaningless….
“It will come to you, like its master of old….” Oharu spoke wistfully. “After all, its senses that you will be a great friend at dark times, so treat him with respect…” observing Mayonaka slip the ring unto his wrist. “Farwell weary one, should we intersect….it would be sights of Grace that would comfort you in dark times….”
Before long, Oharu disappeared into a mist of blue. And Mayonaka was left observing the dulled ring in the brilliant golden light. Perhaps I should try that…
Reluctantly Mayonaka fiddled with the new ring and give it a strong whistle, quietly it formed into a horse, from the shimmering blue mist, with its pewter mane swaying in the breeze. Mayonaka somehow feels comforted by this new friend of his.
“Huh you must be Aeron…”
Aeron only gave neighs back to him. He observed that Aeron has a saddle and pouch ready for traversing the treacherous roads ahead.
Seems that Oharu knew that he needed Aeron as his long-time companion despite not saying that directly during their brief encounters with the site of grace. Maybe Oharu actually orchestrated that whole entire situation, to let Mayonaka focus on his relentless role to become the new elden lord.
Mayonaka mumbled a little, staring at the flickering lights of the fading Ertree.“I think we shall be making a move right now….am I right Aeron….” Even though the land was dark and mysterious, Mayonaka felt at peace, when he climbed up Aeron onto his saddle, and run his fingers along its mane.”Maybe we are both lost…Aeron…” He stared at the site of grace lamentably, cherishing that brief encounter with another soul. The golden light still flickers and falls at that site, never fading into the darkness.
His eyes staring at the castle ahead, with the crows cawing in the distance and the soldiers walking back and forth, hungering for the next target.
Let’s go….
Who knows? Mayonaka may meet the mysterious Oharu again in the warm site of grace again. For now, his horse Aeron and Mayonaka now walked to the lands in between, determined for what is to come.
//////
Oharu, meanwhile stared at the edges of the Lands in between, staring at the flickering light of Grace. She recalled a simpler time with her siblings but she gave a resigned sigh. To watch her champion ride upon the terrifying lands. “Grace, for its light most follow us…even in dark times…” watching the tree leaves sway in the breeze. “And to you, Tarnished..do it with bravery and grit…” Before long, Oharu dissolved into a blue mist, smiling at her new friend, for now, their fates are intertwined.
A/N: This little piece was something that I wanted to work- on because I made this friendship idea with a friend of mine, which you see in my canon-divergence story The God with Many Names-on Oharu and Mayonaka, in all honestly I can never get them as a romantic couple in that story, and actually by making them as a friendship- it actually works as we could have a wholesome god/human friendship LOL
To be honest, I want to do another Kirinmaru and Toga bro fic, but I be like nah I did like a 6 chapter story of it, for Kirinmaru week last year and instead do something short and sweet, and me watched too much Elden Ring playthroughs (and paring up my ass that I made a character based on Mayonaka in the actual game), which I am like eff this, let me have fun doing an encounter from Elden Ring which every NPC calls your character maidenless that it become a meme itself :'D So I hope to do justice for that idea of mine.
Anyway comments and feedback are so welcome here !!