Claire was rapidly losing blood.

If this kept up she would really be in bad shape. My suggestion was to return to Godrick. but Claire forbade it, instead telling me to carry her up to the mountain west of us. She was extremely adamant about the fact that help would be found there.

I wasn't sure of her state of mind at first but we quickly found the river that she had said would lead us to the mountain path. So we continued, this time with almost no baggage, even the horses were gone now.

Claire was seated on my back. Her weight, added to the feeling of walking all night, was finally getting to me. We sit down on a rock once we arrived at the mountain path.

It was called a path but it was more of a repeatedly switch-backing animal trail.

I honestly don't think I could carry Claire up this enormous mountain. However a single look at the wound on her leg that was still rapidly dripping made me realized I had no choice. Lifting Claire again onto my back we began our way up the trail.

"Thank you." She says as we rounded the second corner of the steep mountain trail.

Her thanks weren't necessary. She was my precious friend. Honestly thinking, I am willing to do just about anything to be sure she survives this.

I begin wondering if a blood transfusion was possible but as I had no way of easily determining blood type it was too dangerous. I have offered to cauterize the wound but she yelped at the thought and said it wasn't necessary. All I could do was believe in what she had said and keep walking this endless trail.

It was unclear how long exactly we'd been walking. The sun had begun to rise at some point. I wonder, what time did that attack occur? It felt like moments after we shut our eyes.

It didn't seem like very long ago. At the same time though, we have made it a great distance from Coil river at this point. I can barely even see it in the distance when I glance in the direction after rounding another switchback corner.

Honestly I'm shaking. Even if she claims help is at the top of this mountain I'm unsure if I could even make it. My body was entirely falling apart.

The only thing keeping me moving is the sensation of drips of Claire's blood landing on my leg. No matter what I have to keep moving. Claire has began to grow pale. I had seen this before while working as a nurse.

She has lost too much blood. Unless on the top of this mountain was the proper equipment for an emergency transfusion I honestly wasn't sure how she would make it.

That's when I notice we are being followed.

I was sure it was more wolves.

But i was awestruck when I saw what it was in reality.

It was a small ball of golden light. Just when I locked my eyes on the tiny dot it darted off and vanished up the mountain.

Maybe it was a hallucination?

I'll just keep walking I guess. The treeline has become less dense so I assume i was nearing the top. The rock structure has changed too. What was once mostly sedimentary rocks was now large chunks of quartz.

I must be near the top.

I take a glance over my shoulder at the slumped over Claire.

She isn't in good shape. My worry grew and began to surpass my other feelings.

Her weight was less of an issue after the hours of walking. Perhaps my mind was just focused on other things now.

As my head sways back and forth with each step I again see the flash of golden light. It was much closer this time. It was heading directly for me. I wanted to take out a sword to fend off the tiny ball of light but if I had Claire would surely fall. She could possibly even tumble down the steep slope. I have no choice but to accept the ball of light head on.

However instead of attacking it spun around my figure at the last moment as if dancing with me. It then landed gracefully on Claire's dripping leg. I begin to shake it away but I was interrupted by a woman's soft voice.

"Don't worry it means you no harm." The woman shrouded in a heavy coat says.

Her outfit made her appear elderly but when I saw her face and heard her soft voice I realized she was likely around the age of my father or a few years younger. She had dirty brown hair that twirled as the wind grasped at it tenderly.

She was beautiful, but I really didn't have time to think about that. I was more concerned about the group lights that were collecting on Claire's bleeding leg.

Oh.

Well.

It's not bleeding anymore.

As I gaze closely the glowing apparitions actually had body shapes, they only appeared as balls of light due to the bright golden aura.

They held their tiny heads down near the heavy gash, with each lap of their tongue the red flesh began to form a light pink scar.

These creatures were tending her wounds.

The woman helped Claire off of my back and assisted me in carrying her. She had passed out moments ago it seems. With the woman's help we carry Claire to the woman's small mountaintop camp.

Was this where Claire was leading me?

How did she know of this place?

And what are these healing creatures?

Faeries. That's what the woman tells me once we settle Claire onto a pile of furs. The bleeding has stopped at this point and now each faerie is lined up lightly kissing the sealed wound.

When I ask the woman about it she explains they were offering their own life force to Claire. It seemed to be returning her color. Somehow this act was generating more blood for her.

It disregarded all I knew about the medical field.

But I supposed it wasn't the first time earth-me's memories have been disproven.

Claire whimpers slightly from time to time, the woman rubs her hair lightly and seems to look at Claire adoringly. Oh! I see it now. It's not huge but there's a distinct resemblance. The hair color is nearly identical, and the nose is similar too.

This is clearly Claire's mother.

She had never mentioned her mother before now that I think back on it.

I had only heard her father passed away. So why had she lived with us instead of here with her mother? I supposed there must be some reason.

The woman frowns at me for a few moments. Glancing between me and Claire's now bright pink wound. She finally smiles grimly for a second and then says. "Sorry."

Yeah. Claire's mom.

She bows her head deeply to me. I was unsure what exactly I was supposed to say? This seems like an apology for more than just the long walk, and the lack of a cold drink.

No, there was sadness behind this apology.

"There's more I need to tell you, and it's probably best to tell you it while she is still asleep." The woman says putting her hand once again onto Claire's wet brow.

"You're her mother?" I ask, hoping to confirm the fact at least once.

"Mhm." She says with a proud grin. stroking Claire's hair gingerly.

"So what is it that you needed to tell me?" I ask suddenly curious.

Now that Claire is in the capable hands of the faeries there is quite a bit I'm utterly confused about.

"Well, it's regarding you, your father, your people. It regarding your entire life, perhaps even the entire world."

Oh? My interest is majorly piqued.

Does she really know what is happening to me?

Does she know why my father had to die? I couldn't think of a single question to ask first. It seemed as soon as I thought of one question it lead me to a thousand more. Most important of all, who or what is this other mind inside of me?

"Well I am sure you have many questions. Many I can answer now. But some will have to wait for the moon." She says blankly looking at the sun overhead. "I'd expected you to get here later tonight, but there is no harm in being early."

Her words entered my ears but they weren't easy to hear.

She told me a familiar story. It was a story of the first leader of the 'Blood Hook Tribe'.

The very enemy we had left home to hunt.

In the tale the leader was a strong man, a noble man. Vastly different from the 'Blood Hook Tribe' I had heard stories of, but as what she was telling me sounded important I listened closely.

Perhaps this would explain why they had turned to a tribe of warmongers with strength enough to topple empires.

The leader craved power she explained. But not for reason of dominating people. It was instead so he could use his might to force humanity into the right direction.

He had apparently assumed the best way for humanity to advance was by having a common enemy. So he began to wage war. Forcing the tribes to consolidate and build walls.

Forcing them to advance technology at a pace never before seen. Within ten years the forty eight tribes turned into thirteen strong kingdoms. Over time the thirteen consolidated into the current three empires. She claimed all of this was due to the 'Blood Hook Tribes' efforts.

She also claimed the key to their success was a ceremony, something called the 'Long Sleep'.

She honestly didn't have to say a word to explain it.

But she did anyways.

She described it as a way of carrying a mind over from one person to another. It had apparently been done to every leader of the 'Blood Hook Tribe'.

However the first leaders ceremony was somewhat different. His mind was taken from was another world and not from his predecessor.

A world with technologies vastly beyond our own.

The rest of the leaders had in turn received the mind of their father.

This way that no matter how many generations. That mind, with all that vast knowledge of the other world could be protected.

All so humanity could continue to advance and make use of the technologies that mind held.

The ceremony naturally included the death of the former leader.

Even the ceremony where the mind was first harvested required the sacrifice of the father.

In fact the death was vitally necessary for the ceremony. The mind was loosened through some sort of burnt plant material that both father and son would inhale. From there a Void specialized mage would open a horizontal Void dead center into the predecessor skull.

Killing him instantly, but also prompting the remnants of the mind to latch to the nearby successor.

I understood. But, I could barely accept it. The words while easy to understand angered and confused me. Why hadn't he told me?

What intricate plans did you hide from me dad?