> Kelly PoV

“Alright! You want some of this?! Come at me, bro!” (Kelly)

I’ve been looking forward to this! It’s payback time! Don’t think you can push me around like-

“Wait, THAT Kelly?” (Major Brand Darkhand)

…

“What do you mean. THAT Kelly?! How many. Kelly Darkhands. Do you know?” (Kelly)

“Four.” (Brand)

“Only one. Of them is. Your sister though!” (Kelly)

“Prove it!” (Brand)

I’ll prove it, alright! Just don’t complain to me later. You literally asked for this!

“When you were five. You started eating. Your own boogers. Because Luka told you. That would give you. A bigger-” (Kelly)

“Okay! Okay! Stand down everyone!” (Brand)

The soldiers look at each other in puzzlement. Well, I guess it was a bit sudden. This whole thing.

“I said stand down!” (Brand)

These guys finally put away their weapons. I’ll do the same, I guess. Brand points at me with a slightly suspicious look.

“First, let me see your face!” (Brand)

Ahhh! It’s this damn armor again! They probably thought I was a guy using a fake name! I mean, I know the signal stone was the wrong hand, but that couldn’t be helped!

...

Crap, the faceplate is stuck! That blow to the head I took earlier must have dented it bad.

“I said, let me see-” (Brand)

“I heard. Hold on.” (Kelly)

I bend down forward and open Scrappy’s back. After the familiar series of clicks and clacks, I step out of Scrappy.

Brand’s eyes go wide in shock when he sees me.

“Hey big guy. Long time. No see.” (Kelly)

“Medic! Get the medics here! Now!” (Brand)

“Good call.” (Kelly)

I collapse on the spot.

* * *

“------- [Greater Heal]” (Medic)

“Gaaaah!” (Kelly)

“Waah!” (Medic)

I scream myself awake. Again. I should stop doing that. I see an old dwarf with a medic uniform, probably just finished my treatment. All the pain I had just a while ago is gone! The only reason I was even standing earlier was that Scrappy was holding me up. Well, that and liberal applications of healing potions and restorative injections, courtesy of Nano.

“How are you feeling?” (Brand)

I look around the room. Looks like I’m in an Infirmary.

“I’ll live. Where’s Umph?” (Kelly)

“Umph? Wait, that giant bird thing is Umphrumphil the Stoneshaper?!” (Brand)

I nod. My brother signals to the medic to leave the room. Once he does, I resume our conversation.

“How long was I out?” (Kelly)

“Few minutes at most. What’s going on, Kelly?” (Brand)

I sit up and look my older brother in the eye.

“The Calling, Brand. It’s bad. Really bad. Worse than the Loremaster said it would be. We have to go to the Sunstone right away. I don’t think I can survive another night.” (Kelly)

It may be my first time inside this massive hollowed out mountain, but I noticed it instantly. It’s a crystal that shines as bright as day embedded into a sky made of stone. You’d notice it from anywhere in this country.

“The Loremaster said that the Figments would get stronger and more numerous, and that the rage would be more intense the closer a titan gets to Khamis. So what part of it was wrong?” (Brand)

“Oh no, that stuff happened. Except it wasn’t just Figments of Khamis that attacked me. Once we got close enough to the mountain, Figments of Draglael also started appearing.” (Kelly)

Brand’s eyes go wide and his jaw drops. That’s right. It’s not just Khamis the Shadowspinner. Draglael the Steelmother who we assumed to be simply dormant is also a source of power for the Calling.

“And if we don’t want to have a third titan having a nightmare under this mountain, we need to get him to the Sunstone!” (Kelly)

*SCREEEEEE*

As if on cue, Umph wakes up with a screech. The sharp noise seems to snap Brand out of his stupor.

“Sistah of Steel! Are you alright!?” (Umph)

I hear him screaming from outside.

“That’s you, right? Come on, let’s get out there before things escalate!” (Brand)

I try to get out of the bed, but my legs still aren’t moving properly and I stumble over.

“Oops!” (Brand)

He catches me and lends me his shoulder.

“Come on, Lil’ K! I got you!” (Brand)

“Whatever you say, big guy!” (Kelly)

I limp outside while supported by my brother. I almost forgot he gave me that stupid nickname. I’ve not seen him in over 20 years so I’ll let it slide. We open the door to the outside to see the dwarven garrison troops surrounding Umph.

“Calm down, Breddahs of Steel! I am not your enemy!” (Umph)

“Stand down! That there is a bonafide titan! You lot wouldn’t even injure it!” (Brand)

“De Sistah of Steel! It is good to see you in good health!” (Umph)

“If you were that worried, how about you call me by name for once?” (Kelly)

“Dat is something I cannot do. A titan does not-” (Umph)

“Don’t! Answer! Nevermind. Brand, help me into Scrappy.” (Kelly)

“What’s a Scrappy?” (Brand)

“My armor, it’s a golem. I can walk on my own once I'm inside.” (Kelly)

“Wow, you still have that weird naming sense…” (Brand)

He brings me over to where I left Scrappy. I carefully climb in and reactivate the spell.

“---- [Golem Link]” (Kelly)

Scrappy springs to life and closes up behind me. We quickly climb aboard Umph and strap ourselves in. He starts beating his wings and we slowly gain altitude.

“Umph. We have plenty of time so don’t go too fast. I want to catch up with my brother.” (Kelly)

“If de Sistah of Steel says so.” (Umph)

It’ll be fine. This much distance we can probably cover in an hour if we just fly casually. The Ecebis Mountains don’t go on forever. Our destination is only about 80-90 kilometers from where we are.

At least there's plenty of room here. Umph couldn’t spread his wings inside that needlessly long tunnel. We had to walk the entire way and couldn’t make it through the whole thing in time. The Figments of Khamis were especially nasty in that total blackness.

“So. The Stoneshaper. Is inside a shell of ice. And is currently flying.” (Brand)

“It’s your loss if you mind it.” (Kelly)

“That right?” (Brand)

“Oh yeah. Trust me on that one... By the way, Brand?” (Kelly)

“Hmm?” (Brand)

“I’m kicking your ass later for not letting me through the gate.” (Kelly)

“Uh huh. And can I kick your ass back fo breaking down that same gate?” (Brand)

“You wouldn’t trust your own sister!” (Kelly)

“Oh, really? And at what point did the fully armored, blood-stained stranger who messed up the signal stone even attempted to talk things over?” (Brand)

“That… uh… Calling side-effect. Probably.” (Kelly)

“Mhm?” (Brand)

He raises an eyebrow at me. Yeah, excuses are pointless. It was my bad for being hotheaded. As Ellie would say - let's apologize properly.

“Sorry for breaking your precious gate, big guy.” (Kelly)

“It’s okay. It probably wouldn’t open after being shut for so long, so I’m kind of glad you broke it. Still, I never suspected you’d mess up that signal stone. You were always better at that lore stuff than me.” (Brand)

“Well, I didn’t really have much of a choice, did I?” (Kelly)

I wave Scrappy’s right hand at him.

“... Sorry. I forgot since it moves so well with that armor on.” (Brand)

“It’s okay. I’m over it.” (Kelly)

Even though Nano pretends he isn’t a person.

“So how did you lose that right arm of yours?” (Brand)

“...I couldn't be inside Scrappy when the rage hits, otherwise who knows how much damage I’d do. So I step out of it every night so that the uncontrollable punching and kicking don't actually demolish anything. The first and second nights weren’t that bad. But on the third, a hydra found me while the Calling's after-effects were in full swing.” (Kelly)

A hydra - a huge four headed snake that almost instantly heals from any injury. Even a severed head. I think the Adventurer's Guild gave it Rank A-2. As in, it's twice as strong as a regular Rank A.

“The only hydra around these parts is the King Hydra that was reported to be roaming around the highlands in recent years. Don't tell me it was that one!” (Brand)

“Could have been, I have no idea. By the time I snapped out of my rage, I had already beaten it to a pulp and had ripped off about two dozen heads. At least, that’s how many were strewn around me.” (Kelly)

I vaguely remember it managing to bite my right arm clean off. My arm was gone almost all the way up to my shoulder just like that. The shock and pain snapped me out of the constant flow of R͈̥͙̲͈̩̘I̘̖̟͔̖P̠͓̯̫̼ ̯̯̫͕͖̩̟A̲̙̭͉̝̫N̖̦̫̜̙͓D̳̯ ͕̦̺̜T͉E̟̯̳͕̲̱A̖̬̤̙͓̹R͓͎̱̼̥̫̤ just long enough to apply some of Nano's medicine. Otherwise I'd have died from blood loss.

“In any case, the result of that little kerfuffle was that I'm no longer able to count to ten.” (Kelly)

“You seem… oddly chipper about this.” (Brand)

“Yeah well. I know someone who can probably fix it.” (Kelly)

“There were people like that on the surface, huh?” (Brand)

Nano isn’t a person though. Heh. Or so he likes to say.

“Speaking of which, how’d you get in here?” (Kelly)

There’s hardly any Darkhands born inside Ecebis. We have to bring in something of value to the country if we wish to be admitted into it.

“Brought a healing salve recipe that could be made using lichen and mushrooms growing in Ecebis. Elven stuff out of the City State Alliance. It’s slower than healing potions, but as effective as magic if you give it enough time. That was… fifteen years ago, I think?” (Brand)

“I see. That sounds like you. Them Senate geezers must’ve loved it.” (Kelly)

“Sure they did. Still, it doesn’t compare to bringing an actual titan. Circumstances aside, you must be proud for making it into Ecebis after all this time!” (Brand)

He gives a bright smile. Right, Brand is one of those people. The type that insist on coming here and ‘serving their country’ while abandoning the outside world.

“Wasn't by choice. I’m not like you, big guy. I don't belong in here. My home is out there. With a pair of terrifyingly crazy girls, their two adorable daughters and an invisible peeper with a penchant for explosions.” (Kelly)

Even if I live through all this, going back will be hard. Darkhands get in, they don’t get out. That’s the rule. Nobody gets out. Wouldn’t want the world to learn titans are still around and sleeping not-so-peacefully under a mountain.

“Sounds like a fun bunch. Should’ve bro- no. Nevermind.” (Brand)

“Yeah.” (Kelly)

The lore is crystal clear. There was no way to bring them along. If I did, I would be putting them in danger. If my possessed self knew they were nearby, I would definitely hunt them down. And if they tried to bear it in my stead, they would never recover.

But, I cannot ignore my purpose, no matter how much I wish for it. It is something stronger than an instinct, like someone else forcing their will on me. Not just me, but every member of my bloodline. When any of us focuses their senses to the utmost, we start hearing a voice with no beginning and no end.

Through the Calling, nightmares will be created.

Through nightmares, the Shadowspinner will suffer.

Through suffering, the Calling will spread.

Through the Calling, the madness will be known.

Through madness, the titans will succumb.

Through the titans, chaos will take hold.

Through chaos, the Steelmother will rise.

Through the Steelmother, the titans will be saved.

Through the titans, light will be created.

Through light, darkness will know defeat.

Through darkness, vengeance will fester.

Through vengeance, the Steelmother will fall.

Through her fall, the madness will return.

Through the madness, the Darkhand will be chained.

Through the Darkhand, knowledge will be gathered.

Through knowledge, the titans will be protected.

Through the titans, the Steelmother will awaken.

Through the Steelmother, the world will know hope.

Through hope, nightmares will become dreams.

Through dreams, the Shadowspinner will know peace.

Through peace, the Calling will collapse.

Through the collapse, the Darkhand will attain freedom.

Through freedom, happiness will spread.

Through happiness, the Lightbinder will arrive.

Through the Lightbinder, love will take hold.

Through love, jealousy will settle.

Through jealousy, malice will lash out.

Through malice, the Calling will be reborn.

We are all part of some grand cycle. I wonder if the titans actually realize this sort of thing is going on? We literally can't talk about it though. Since we are [Chained].

However, this thing only mentions three of the nine titans. I doubt the Stoneshaper, Windwalker, Woodcarver, Waterbearer, Firebreather and Soulforger are just doing whatever they please this whole time! There might be hundreds of these cycles for all I know!

Thus, for over 1200 years we have been compelled to wake the Steelmother. Out of the 9 recorded attempts, all have failed. Each failure had cost the life of the Darkhand escort and forced the titan to abandon their physical form, unable to re-emerge for centuries.

But, each failure also brought new knowledge and truths into light. This 10th attempt was no different. Knowing that the Calling had control of the Steelmother’s Figments… it is dire news.

“So where did you find this guy anyway?” (Brand)

Ah, that’s right. There was an exception to that story.

“Inside a dragon.” (Kelly)

Until recently, nothing was known about the third attempt, which was some 850-ish years ago. Other than it had failed, of course.

“Uh-huh. Okay. Do I want to know the details?” (Brand)

Turns out that even though titans do not need to sleep, some still choose do it.

“Do you want a giant headache?” (Kelly)

On the day before he was to depart for the Ecebis mountain range, a certain titan decided to take a nap.

“Not really.” (Brand)

He was then swallowed whole by a passing Elder Dragon for no discernible reason.

“Then no, you don’t.” (Kelly)

I did a thing and something vaguely resembling a plot appeared. That was weird~