Where our Problems Began

This was a heavy conversation for the two of them to have, but unfortunately it had become a necessary one. Talyssa listened closely to all the words Artorias said to her, and the father was grateful for his daughter's attentiveness. For now, his sole focus was comforting her, reassuring her that she was safe and not in trouble, and teaching her these hard lessons so that they never needed to have this talk again. She didn't resist him or offer any objections when he declared that she was to never see Sephiran again and that eased his worries some. Knowing that Talyssa now fully understood the dangers of that brute was the best silver lining he could take from this situation. But whether she understood the true nature of his depravity remained to be seen. That line of conversation was far from done yet. "Fată buna," he said when she acknowledged his decree. Of course he believed Taly's promise; he had no reason to doubt her or think she would lie to him. Talyssa was a good girl with a good heart. Too good, sometimes, for her own good, but it was a point of pride in her character for Artorias.

The next request Talyssa had for him took Artorias by a bit of surprise. His little tawny girl wanted to learn some ways to defend herself. The astonishment was apparent in her sire's wide eyes and he hesitated on a response. Of course he wanted all of his children to be able to protect themselves if they ever faced any harm—what parent wouldn't? But at the same time, he didn't want Talyssa to think she had to give up a part of herself or her character because of that. Taly had always been such a gentle, sweet girl, so uninterested in fighting and battle, caring more for exploring and investigating her world and the creatures that inhabited it. Now, as he looked down at his hopeful little girl, he just prayed that she wasn't losing that part of herself that made her so unique. "If that is what you want, then of course I will, Taly," he assured her, reaching a large sapphire paw up to brush over her cheek. "But promise me that no matter what, you'll always stay this sweet girl I've known and loved forever. Being able to protect yourself does not always mean being ready to fight, and I don't want you to feel you must be like your brothers and sisters to stay safe. There are so many wonderful things that make you uniquely you, Lyssa. Please don't ever let the world try to take those from you."

Fixing his daughter with a gentle smile, Artorias slowly released her and motioned with a flick of his head for Talyssa to follow him. He diverted their path off their patrol route slightly, leading her through the plains until they reached the edge of the coast where the plains sloped down to the golden shores. Artorias sat on the grass, looking out over the sea as it began to gradually brighten with the rising sun behind them, the melodic sound of the waves lapping at the beach filling the air with tranquil nature song. "Do you understand why Sephiran was so dangerous to you, Talyssa?" he asked after a few moments of quiet, still wrestling with how he wanted to handle this conversation. "Do you know what he was trying to get from you, what he was after?" Artorias looked down to Taly, trying his best not to make it awkward, but he needed to explain why what that purple brute was doing was bad, and to make sure Talyssa didn't develop a negative association with romance and sex following the event.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "Argent"