Marika
It was a lovely image, she would admit. Riding out of the last cavernous passages of Stormveil, emerging into that gorgeous plateau that oversaq nearly the whole of Liurnia. Beautiful grass and thick trees on lining mountain sides to the east and west. The valley between housing a vast and gorgeous mystic lake where the very air brimmed air magic. It had been a very long time since she had enjoyed the magical air of Liurnia.
In the center of it all was a beautiful academy town in the distance that was built along a rising mountain in the center of these lands. Old and falling to pieces, it was still a sight to behold. An image of sorcery and study.
Which made their current predicament all the more frustrating. This plateau they emerged onto had no clear way down.
"Well.... I could try jumping?" Her knight said with that cheesy, stupid grin.
"Before you begin attempting anything silly, let me establish a sanctuary at a grace." A simple spell she had figured out. It required time, and it was limited to a single grace. Still, it allowed her to give her knight a bit more wiggle room to be daring without risking solitude. It ensured she would reform by this exact grace within moments of death. It would be the first time they really tested it's limits, and knowing her knight, she would likely find those limits.
They settled down by a grace that had formed in an old abandoned church of hers. The sight brought a somber feeling to the gilded goddess. Slipping down the mouth of her scarf, she looked at the old and cracked statue of herself. The image of the penitent Marika was one they'd encountered a few times now as they often held precious treasures. Even old tears that enhanced their flasks for battle. It did not make the view of what had become her greatest shame any easier to see.
She turned from it, deciding to focus on establishing her sanctuary incantation while her knight prepared their camp.
.....
"Alright!" Her knight bounced up from their camp with rope in hand. It had taken around three hours, but the area was now well established. Until they reached a fresh grace, this space would always reform her knight in seconds.
"Now... what exactly is this plan of yours?"
"Told you. I am gonna jump."
"...." she stared at her, and for a second, she swore she could feel the corner of her own eye twitch. She could feel her own mind practically willing this to be some joke, but the determined look in her knight's eye told her to instead prepare for quite the headache.
She followed her knight on Torrent to the edge of the cliff closest to their camp, looking down into the distant drop below.
"You are a fool."
"Yes, but not just a fool," as she wrapped a rope around a nearby tree, "a bold fool." Before proceeding to leap off the cliff. Marika stared at the knot before taking a very long breath. Sure, it certainly would hold. Hold, and as she heard the loud crack of bone, likely snap her spine.
A few moments later, she heard her knight walking up beside her again, scratching at her cheek. "So maybe I didn't fully think that plan through."
"How ever did we coordinate so well against Radahn?"
"W-well, there are various forms of intellect."
"Yes, yes. Very smart, yet as dim as a used up glintstone."
Her knight initially smiled before the sentence sunk in. "Heyyyyy!" She retorted with an almost childish tone, which gave Marika a snicker to hear.
"Oh, come on now, you tried to conquer a cliff by jumping!"
"I was simply scouting the terrain." A pouting tone peeking out.
"Oh, really? And whatever did your scouting uncover?" A little smirk to her lips.
"That gravity is indeed unwilling to bargain." With a matter of fact tone that almost sounded like a merchant admitting defeat.
Marika was not able to contain it. She laughed heavily, a hand over her mouth at just how hysterically silly that all sounded.
"G-gravity- hahahaha!" Holding her stomach, she managed to catch the adorably dorky smile that spread across the knight's face. It only made her laugh so much harder, falling into the grass and pounding the ground as the knight chuckled beside her. It had been too long since she had a chance to enjoy such a moment of silliness. Of goofy, pointless silliness. It was relieving in such a comfortable way.
"Heh heh heh," her knight seemed to intentionally use a far more playfully silly laugh, "Who knew the queen of gold's weakness was the giggles?" Kneeling to a spread crouched stance beside the giggling goddess.
"Ohhhh!" With a hand on her face and a shove, she threw the now laughing knight right onto her back. "Now - hehe, you listen here." Wagging her finger as she tried to recover from the giggles, rising to her feet with a hand on one knee for a moment of support. "I shan't be spoken to with such familiarity." Her tone a mockery of her once proud queenly voice.
"Ohhhh myyy apologies, O Great Queeen of Goooldd," kneeling into an exaggerated cowtow, "Oh woe, spare this jes- Ow!" Laughing as the goddess whacked her playfully with a rolled up scroll.
"Will you knock it off with these theatrics?" Smiling as she tucked the scroll back into her little belt.
The knight chuckled, rising back to her feet. "Well, if it is an order from my Queen." A soft smile, eyes on hers that sent a jolt through her briefly. She turned quickly before the red hew could betray her true feelings.
"W-we need to find a proper way down. You did scoure the edges for any paths while I was preparing the sanctuary, right?"
A pause before Marika slowly turned back towards her knight. "Right?"
"Well... ya see..." her knight scratched at her cheek with an almost sweaty expression.
Marika felt that familiar twitch come to her left eye. "You didn't actually check." In the most deadpan tone, hands on both hips.
"I... may have... gotten distracted... speaking of!" She reached into the special satchel that stored all her collected loot. All tarnished possessed such a bag, and she likely got one when she arrived even without being tarnished. After a few seconds, she pulled out an old and rusty scythe, likely ripped from the hands of those who lived in death. "I got a new weaponnnn." Wagging it enthusiastically about.
Marika had not quite gotten just why this was a benefit when it struck her. Liurnia would almost certainly have a forge of some kind for them to finally let her knight work at. To reinforce her sword, a weapon they had learned was called Moonveil, but also perhaps make other weapons they'd brought more useful. Not every foe could be beaten with a sharp or magical edge.
"But..." As the question could not go unasked, "Why a scythe?"
"They are my favorite! If I can get the right gear, I could even remake my favorite weapon from home!"
"Really now?" As they both began to walk back, having recovered the rope.
"Linebreaker." A seemingly resonant potency to the very name that made Marika think of an edge that dripped with the lives of countless warriors.
"How ominous," she jokingly mocked.
"Haha! Yeah, it is a little overboard, but what can I say? I am a lady of theatrics!" Bowing with her new weapon held to her side as one would otherwise remove and hold a hat mid bow.
"What ever am I going to do with you?" She asked, fighting a little smile that was forming. How comfortable her knight was becoming. Once a brooding distant figure, now she found her comical. It was refreshing. So many companions over the years had been so stoic, loyal, quiet, or warlike. Having someone who seemed to enjoy playing the fool was quite the calming feeling. Especially when she seemed quite interested in making her laugh now.
Both heard a familiar voice shout towards them. "Ayyy! Are you seeking a way down off the mountain top?" As Blaidd approached them. "I know a way!" As the wolfman beamed. Marika sensed they would have Blaidd alongside for quite some time. Her knight ran tight up and hugged the wolfman, both laughing and catching up in seconds. There was a kinship of warriors there that helped Marika understand a little more of her knight.
'Sh -' before the words even finished, his cage tightened. 'You will harm my thoughts no longer.'