Specters of our Past and Future

"Artorias..."

Again the voice whispered in his ears with a gentle gust of wind, as if the air were caressing his face while it spoke to his mind. Artorias' heart missed a beat. This had to be an auditory hallucination, his stress-riddled brain playing off his nerves... right? The fireflies all around the plains continued to float about lazily like they hadn't a care in the world, illuminating the fields in their ethereal blue glow. It looked like the plains had been engulfed in some strange world, like the realm of the dead had begun to seep over into the living world with its almost sickly iridescent glow.

"Artorias..."

The black and blue brute spun around, searching for the source of the voice. There was no one around him. Aside from him and the sea of cool-hued fireflies, the plains were barren. Darkness had fully closed in around him, twilight a distant memory. Only the bioluminescent bugs kept total blackness from swallowing him whole. His breathing picked up, a panicked flutter of his heart in his chest. What the hell was going on?! The wind picked up again and Artorias recoiled from its gentle touch rippling through his fur. It felt like the touch of death with how cold it had become, unseasonably so for the Austerian summer. The fireflies around him didn't come close, instead forming an almost perfect circle around him a few yards in diameter, like they were keeping their distance while also surrounding and encasing him in their unnatural light.

"Artorias..."

"Artorias!"

The very real voice of Briar joined the spectral whisper of his mother's voice in his ears, drowning out the ghost and making the young brute startle with surprise. His head turned quickly in the direction of his girlfriend's voice, spotting the Fatalis princess trotting up to him. The sea of fireflies parted to give her a path to him, seeming to vanish before she could make contact with her, only to reappear behind her once more. "Briar!" he called out to her, hurrying to meet her on her approach. He greeted her with a soft kiss in return and an affectionate and relieved nuzzle to her cheek and neck. Thank the gods she was okay! But... what was she doing here? As if reading his mind, Briar explained that she had gotten worried about him when all the strange events got worse. He could echo that sentiment; seeing her here alive and well, it brought him comfort.

"I'm so relieved that you're okay as well," he replied. Had he not had his commitments to the Hallows as their Aegis, he would have been up at the Armada to make sure she was all right the second the weird fireflies had begun to appear. Now, in what felt like the end times, he was just glad to see her safe and unharmed. "Things have been getting worse. I... I don't know what's going on." It felt shameful to admit that he was scared, so he didn't, allowing his concerned eyes and lack of understanding speak for him. He needed to be brave and strong, for his family, for his pack. No sooner had the two lovers reunited, the wind began to pick up again. Artorias' hackles raised in preemptive defense, stepping closer to Briar until he pressed into her, ready to spring into action to protect her from whatever malevolent forces were at work.

"Artorias... I thought you were better than this..."

Artorias' body went rigid as the unmistakable voice of Resin sent chills down his spine. His stomach twisted into knots, frantic mind racing to try and find a logical explanation to what was happening and the voices he was hearing. "Can you hear that?" he asked Briar, concerned that he may come across as insane if he was the only one hearing the voices. The thin, chilly fog from the previous time he'd seen his mother's ghost began to creep across the plains like an ominous entity. The fireflies continued to surround them, unhindered or impaired by the mist. If anything, they seemed to be embracing it, welcoming its arrival. "Briar... are you hearing voices?" He looked back to her turquoise eyes, hoping to the gods that he wasn't losing his mind.

"Artorias Carpathius"