Just Like Home

The mystical autumn that had fallen over most of their home, while strange and unnerving at first, had turned out to be quite the blessing. Artorias loved the fall. It reminded him of his first autumn in the Sunset Falls with his family as a young pup, the games he would play with his siblings, scampering about the falls and cliffs and woods as the leaves shifted colors around them. Now his children would get to grow up experiencing the same in their early lives. That was a whole lot better than the cold and snow of the winter Auster had been experiencing only weeks before. With the change in the weather and seasons spontaneously, everyone in the Hallows was getting out to enjoy the outdoors as much as they could. That included Artorias, and much to his pleasant surprise, Asheila as well! Art knew Bowen had been helping their sister out with her confidence as well, and together it seemed they were gradually bringing Ash back to life and into the folds of their family once more.

Ash had asked him to bring her out to the plains during the evening so she could see the stars again, and of course the Aegis was willing to do anything for his little sister. Together, they had both embarked from the castle at sunset to walk the fields around their home. Originally Artorias had brought Embershard with him, just to make Ash feel a little safer, but as they neared a walking path set up by some of the familiars from the God's Garden, the creatures urged Artorias to leave his weapon behind. He hesitated, concerned for Ash's confidence, but did relent and left his sword back at the castle. As golden sunset bathed the plains in fiery light, the two Carpathians walked the path, fireflies slowly rising from the grasses around them to illuminate the world in their glow as sunlight gradually faded. In the past, the fireflies would have made Artorias feel dread and apprehension, but in this setting, Artorias just felt... peaceful. His amber gaze moved about the golden fields of grasses around the paths, looking to the autumnal trees at the edges of their territory. All around them the world was changing, evolving, going through its natural cycles. It was beautiful.

"I'm very proud of you for doing this," Artorias said to Ash after a moment of walking, casting a warm smile to his sister. "I sometimes wonder what life would've been like if none of us had separated... If you hadn't gone missing and Bowen hadn't been taken. If Mom..." Art's words drifted off into silence, quiet reflection of their departed mother stealing the words from his tongue. Even after all this time, talking about her still hurt. Artorias lifted a paw to his right shoulder, rubbing over the thin lines of scars her teeth had left on his flesh in her final moments. He hoped she had found her peace.

"Artorias Carpathius"