Maidenless No Longer (Elden Ring)

Chapter 9: Rya the Scout

A/N: Here we are with the start of Act 2. Our Tarnished has made his way to Liurnia of the Lakes, where he quickly meets the first damsel in need of assistance, the lovely Rya, an unassuming scout from a mysterious place called Volcano Manor!

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She was in... quite the predicament, Zorayas had to admit. No, rather... twas Rya. She was wearing the skin of Rya at the moment, and so she had to think if herself as Rya. Otherwise, the deception might be discovered. Lady Tanith, her beloved mistress, had always been abundantly clear about that.

Still, it changed nothing whether she was Rya or Zorayas at the moment. Even in her more... godly form, she was quite certain that she could do nothing about the situation she found herself in. Indeed, Rya was weak. That was why she was little more than a scout for Volcano Manor, and not one of its esteemed warriors.

It was not her place to fight and do battle, but to complete Lady Tanith's errands to the absolute best of her abilities. And she had! Yes, she had... but at the same time, things had taken a turn for the worst, hadn't they? Wringing her hands from within the relative safety of the pavilion, Rya knows not what to do. By all counts, she should head back to the manor at this point. Her errands are done. She's expected.

But... her necklace. That damn ruffian had it, and she knew she wasn't strong enough to get it back. Oh, if only she could bring herself to learn to fight. If only she could tear his thieving hands from his body, his treacherous head from his shoulders. If only, if only, if only...

In the midst of Rya's fretting, the sound of horse hooves startles her and draws her attention. The splashing as a great beast gallops through the ever-present waters of the Lakes draws Rya's attention, as an armored individual draws up to her pavilion and hops off of his Spectral Steed, the horned beast of burden disappearing into the ether out from under him.

Ah, but he has perfect balance all the same, and Rya... Rya can't help but blush just a little bit. The newcomer, a Tarnished by her estimation, is wearing the same armor as Lady Tanith's Knight! The armor of a Crucible Knight, from what Rya knows. And he's wearing it quite well, at that! The Crucible Knights were said to serve Godfrey, the first Elden Lord. While Lady Tanith's protector never spoke, Rya knew a little about him and his armor. It was said to hold the power of the crucible of life itself, the primordial form of the Erdtree.

Now, Rya was not foolish or naïve. She understood that for this Tarnished to be wearing that armor, he had likely taken it off of the corpse of a Crucible Knight. And yet... was Rya supposed to be afraid? Was she supposed to be scornful of the Tarnished? The Lands Between were not a kind place. One needed every advantage one could get... or the backing of the more powerful, as in the case of Rya herself.

If anything, this Tarnished wearing the armor of a Crucible Knight sans the helm... it put her at ease. As did his warm, caring smile as he ascended the pavilion steps and came to a stop in front of her. He neither looked disgusted or pitying of her hunched back, and for a moment Rya feels a strange warmth. Ah, but there's still her predicament to be dealt with... and of course, pleasantries to be observed first and foremost.

"Hello!"

The Tarnished inclines his head in greeting. Hm, quiet type, is he? Rya will have to do enough talking for both of them then, despite any nervousness she might feel!

"Rather chilly out here, isn't it? Alas, my mistress sent me off on an errand..."

She pauses for a moment, but when the Tarnished just looks at her, paying her more mind than she would have expected, Rya startles and continues on.

"I'm in a bit of a bind though now, you see. I was accosted by a ruffian, and he stole something from me. Could I ask you to lend a hand, perhaps?"

Forging onwards, not waiting for a reply, Rya explains her predicament, hoping to play off of this Tarnished's visible empathy. He might not pity her, but he seemed... surprisingly nice.