Failures and disappointments.
Radagon. Her children. The tarnished. Be they her other half, demigod, or mortal, all of them were lacking what was needed to achieve her goal. The shattering of the Elden Ring and her subsequent imprisonment by that thing had left her awareness dimmed and nearly of all her power beyond reach but her status as a god and all that came with it could never be completely suppressed.
She was aware of Radagon's constant presence, the spineless coward having surrendered himself to be an eternal watchdog, ready to take up arms against her should she make any moves to escape. All in an attempt to preserve a farce of an order already crumbling.
And crumbling it was.
While she was not privy to every little thing going on beyond the Erdtree, where there existed Grace she could extend a faint form of awareness. The stalemate her children locked themselves in. The constant failures of the dwindling number of tarnished entering the Lands Between. The fall of towns, forts, and main roads.
Failures and disappointments. Every last one of them.
Through her shattering of the Elden Ring, she'd given her children ample opportunity to obtain more power than their status as demigods offered but they squandered it. Even so she had bided her time, hoping that one of them had what it took. She'd even began guiding the tarnished through the use of Grace, her faint manipulation of the energy going unnoticed in a place like the Erdtree.
All to no avail.
She'd been too hasty. Too quick to think that the any here had what it took to achieve what she couldn't.
What she needed was someone with not just power but grit. Someone that could be faced with impossible odds, their failure all but assured, and spit in the face of common sense, prepared to see their objective through even if it met death.
Even after death.
Most importantly of all, someone free from the influence of the order founded beneath her.
It'd become clear that someone would not be found in The Lands Between, the strongest here now no more than shells of their former selves. Neither would they come from the lands beyond the fog, the returning tarnished too faint of heart.
And so, Marika turned her attention beyond it, a faint strand of energy sent beyond the land and its skies. Beyond the stars and moons above. Beyond and out into the infinite sea of darkness that-
Marika recoiled.
A presence. A presence, so overwhelming that the endless emptiness around it seemed small in comparison, turned its gaze upon her.
She'd faced much in her lifetime, with each battle and acquisition growing stronger than before. The instincts that once warned of danger were nothing more than a memory. A tool necessary for a much weaker version of herself to survive. And for the first time in a long time those instincts were startled from their rest, screeching for her retreat.
She did just that.
And it followed.
By the time her awareness fully returned to her limp form, rendered completely immobile by that thing, a cold shiver ran down her spine, body twitching ever so slightly despite her pathetic state. She hadn't taken the time to analyze the presence but knew that it eclipsed all that she had ever encountered throughout her life.
Even now, distant as it was, she felt it whatever that was speeding down from the unknown void and straight for the Lands Between.
What had she crossed paths with?
The question ruled over her dimming consciousness as Radagon and that thing's attention focused upon her, what little awareness she maintained fading.
XOXO
He was alive.
Returning after death was always a strange experience. It felt as though he'd been floating in heavy water for eons, his awareness dimmed and body numb, yet also as if he'd just met his unceremonious end mere moments ago.
He didn't bother wasting any time trying to figure out the exact details of his latest death, opting to raise himself up to get a look around. His hands sunk into the dark sand all around him, driftwood, rocks, and bits of grass sticking out of the ground. Ahead was a sea of water that stretched out as far as the eye could see, distant fog concealing its true size, while a craggy cliff leading up to more solid ground was behind him.
A beach of some kind. Not tended to by civilized locals by the look of things.
No sign of the thing that led me here. He thought while fully rising to a stand. Normally his bouts of reincarnations were haphazard, with no warning, but this time something, an odd presence he couldn't quite describe, had roused him long enough for him to give chase.
A shame. He'd have rather repaid whoever or whatever was responsible on the spot then set out to get acquainted with this world.
It is what it is. He decided while walking up to the waves gently rolling in from the ocean. He didn't stop until the cold waters were brushing past just beneath his knees and looked down at his reflection.
First and foremost, he was butt ass naked. That possible issue aside, who knew how the locals would react to something like that, he didn't look too different this go around. Short black hair, dark eyes, tan skin with a decently lean build with the lightest drop of muscle taking shape. All normal enough traits. No matter where he ended up, he was always ended up looking similar to the appearance of his original life though things like race and culture could vary it.
Another thing that could possibly pose an issue depending on the status quo, but he'd cross that bridge when he came to it. If someone took enough issue with him being human to attack, then they best be ready to pay the price.
He clenched his fist and frowned.
Hypothetically, anyways.
His physical strength left much to be desired and based off what he was feeling, a distinct lack of any type of energy flow within this body, he wouldn't be slinging around any sort of magic.
Odd. I usually have some measure of mana already present. He noted while dropping his arm. Maybe it has to do with my premature reincarnation? Eh, whatever. It is what it is.
First goal was to build up his power; death might not have much of a consequence for him but weak as he was right now, he'd have more than just that to worry about. Many civilizations were built on the back of slavery after all, and he'd be damned if he got chained up and put to work right at the start of a new life.
A cool breeze blew in alongside the wave passing his legs, an involuntary shiver racking his body. Maybe some clothes, or at the very least a change of scenery, could come first. Yeah, with a body this weak, some sort of shelter was necessary.
He turned only to pause once more.
I should come up with a name. He thought, rubbing his chin. He glanced downwards once more, focus drawn to his dark hair and eyes. Onyx seems fitting enough. He nodded to himself, decision made. Until he figured out the local customs that would do.
Making his way back onto the sand, the grainy substance sticking to his wet feet, he glanced above the cliff leading to the rest of this new land. He ignored the giant golden eyesore of a tree, more than likely the direction of the main civilization of this land, and focused on the distant sun for a few minutes.
The sun, or whatever they called it here, rose from the northeast and set in the southwest. Maybe he was a little off, but a few lifetimes of travel left him with a pretty good sense for these things, a sort of instinct keeping him aware of true north. Unless there was something he was missing, entirely possible given his current lack of mana, those instincts should be reliable.
Content to use that piece of information and the distant oversized tree as guiding landmarks Onyx headed straight for the cliff, tracing its cracks and indents until he found himself a handhold.
After he climbed this, he could get a better lay of the land. Maybe-
"Ack!" A sharp yelp came from his right.
Onyx let go of his handhold and headed over, steps kept quiet.
Another yelp filled the air as he came upon its source. A group of creatures, humanoid from a distance but possessing too many departing features to truly be humans. Sharper, monkey like faces, sharp ears, and feet that followed the same pattern. They wore primitive furs, torn leathers, and wielded thick wooden clubs and rusty swords.
They reminded him of goblins and other creatures of that ilk. Whether or not they were sentient and smart enough to create all that gear or it was scavenged loots was a flip of a coin.
The group were gathered around a noticeably smaller member of their kind, having just pushed it out of the dark cave behind them, and were kicking at it.
Kicking out a weak link through force? A common practice among more primitive societies. On its own it wasn't enough to say whether or not the creatures were sentient.
Either way, one spotted him and let lose a screech while waving its sword in his direction. The entire group focused on him, each releasing screeches of their own as they began to approach.
"I don't suppose any of you are willing to talk?" He called out.
They shifted from a jog to a full on sprint, zeroing in on him quickly.
"Seriously, I come in peace." He tried one more time, hands raised.
The universal sign of surrender did nothing to deter the creatures, the one at the front leaping at him and swinging its sword.
He hadn't been looking to shed any blood but hey, self defense and all that. Besides, getting his hands on a weapon early on could be the difference between life and death.
Onyx sidestepped the slow swing and seized the creature's wrist, driving the sword it wielded right through its neck. He yanked the sword out, an old falchion if he had his swords right, and backpedaled, ducking and side stepping attacks from the other creatures. Not even a minute on the defensive and this body of his became winded, sweat dripping down his brow as he gave them the run around.
If it weren't for their simple-minded aggression, the only tactics they made use of being painfully obvious flanks, he might've run away. As things were, he just needed to be quick against such opponents.
Onyx kicked up sand into the eyes of the attacker closest and slipped beneath their blind swing, cutting open their stomach. He didn't stop, moving to one after the other, easily able to weave around their reach while cutting them down.
He released the breath he'd been holding during his brief assault and used an arm to wipe away building sweat. Experience and technique won the day here but this body of his was going to be a liability if he actually went up against something dangerous.
Careful to steer clear of any blood where he could, Onyx passed the corpses, stopping before the one they'd been beating on.
"I don't suppose you're willing to talk with me?" Onyx questioned, not expecting much.
The humanoid creature shifted, sand falling off its hairy body and the few bits of clothes it wore as it looked up at him with dark eyes. "Y-Yes. Thank you."
His brow shot up. What were the chances these things actually spoke his native tongue. "Ah, so your kind can speak. Any reason your friends were so quick to attack me?"
"I…well..." The creature struggled to find its words before lowering its eyes almost shamefully. "That's the way things are for us demi-humans, aren't they? Attack humans or be killed by them."
Demi-Humans, huh? Onyx thought, not particularly surprised by the name considering their appearances. If he was being perceived as a human that it was safe to assume he fit in with whatever constituted one in this world. Appearance wise at least.
Good to know.
"I-I'm lucky you come along. Owe you my life, I think." The creature said. Despite the beating it'd been on the receiving end of, the creature rose up via shaky limbs, slowly coming to a shaky hunched over stand. "You deserve something in return but-" Its gaze turned from him and to the cave entrance. "-when they kicked me out they took all that I own…even my mother's sewing kit."
Its shoulders dropped, all the hallmark signs of sadness overtaking it. Initial aggression from those other ones aside, it appear these demi-humans more than qualified as sentient. And beyond that, were intelligent enough to sow by the sounds of it.
"Are you a seamster?"
The creature shook its head, still looking forward. "I…I don't think I'm skill enough to have that title. My mother was. That sewing kit was all I had to remember her by."
Onyx weighed his options.
On one hand he could offer to help this creature in exchange for clothes being made for him. And, if the others of his kind that no doubt called the cave home weren't willing to talk things out, then he'd be carving out a nice little place to call home for the time being.
On the other hand he could forgo the risk and leave this creature be. One battle against a handful of the creatures didn't compare to wiping out an entire cave of them. This body wasn't one he could place his trust in quite yet.
Onyx glanced towards the saddened demi-human.
Ah, why the hell not. Onyx decided after a moment of consideration. It's not like this would be the first time he lost a life in the same day it began. What worth would it have if he didn't spend it doing what he wanted?