Chapter 17: The Twins' Arrival and the Blackfish's Shadow
Aura Bella Fiora, a whirlwind of unrestrained Dark Elf enthusiasm, urged her magnificent griffin, Sky-Screecher, into a steep, exhilarating dive. The wind roared past her pointed ears as they plummeted towards the two figures on the hill below – the boyish Lord Elian and the dignified Master Tian. Even from a distance, the resonant thrum of Ainz-sama's presence, amplified by Sebas-san's steady aura, was an undeniable beacon of joy and relief.
"Ainz-sama! Sebas-san!" Aura whooped, her voice carrying easily over the rush of wind. Sky-Screecher landed with a powerful beat of its thundercloud-grey wings, sending dust swirling, a few feet from Ainz and Sebas. Aura practically vaulted from its back, her heterochromatic eyes blazing with excitement, and launched herself at Ainz.
"Ainz-sama! You're really here! We found you! We found you!" She enveloped him in a hug that, despite her small stature, was surprisingly strong, her words tumbling out in a rush of pure, unadulterated joy. She barely seemed to register his youthful human form in her initial ecstatic outburst, so overwhelmed was she by the sheer presence of her beloved master.
Ainz, caught off guard by her exuberance, chuckled, a warm, paternal sound that was pure Suzuki Satoru. He gently patted her head. "Yes, Aura. It is good to see you too. You and Mare have done well to find us."
Mare, meanwhile, arrived at a more sedate pace, his enormous treant mount, which he'd named 'Moss-Heart,' shambling to a halt beside the griffin. He slid nervously from the treant's bark-like shoulder, clutching his staff, his mismatched eyes wide and already brimming with tears. "L-Lord Ainz… S-Sebas-san…" he stammered, bowing deeply. "I-It is… truly an honor… to be in your presence again."
"Mare," Ainz said, his voice gentle as he disentangled himself from Aura's enthusiastic embrace. "It is a relief to see you safe and sound." He then gestured to his current form. "As you can see, circumstances are… somewhat different from our time in Nazarick. I will explain everything shortly."
The journey back to Greywater Keep was a lively affair, mostly due to Aura's ceaseless, excited chatter, recounting their adventures since arriving in this world. She spoke of taming Sky-Screecher, of Mare coaxing Moss-Heart from a primeval slumber, of their encounters with strange beasts and their careful avoidance of most human settlements. Mare occasionally interjected with a shy correction or a worried observation, his gaze constantly flitting towards Ainz with reverent awe.
Their arrival caused yet another sensation at Greywater. Albedo, in her guise as the imperious Lady Alva, greeted them at the (newly, magically-reinforced and rather grandiose) gatehouse. Her expression was a carefully controlled mask of formal welcome, though Ainz could detect the flicker of possessive jealousy in her golden eyes as she observed Aura's easy affection with him. Entoma, perched discreetly on a nearby battlement, her insectoid features hidden, clicked her mandibles in quiet delight at the sight of more of her 'sisters' (in the Pleiades sense of camaraderie with the Floor Guardians).
Ser Desmond Grell, who had become almost numb to the escalating strangeness of Greywater Keep, simply stared. A griffin. A walking tree. His next report to Riverrun was going to require an entirely new lexicon of bewildered adjectives. He was introduced to Elian's "expert trackers and beast masters from a reclusive mountain clan, long allied with the ancient lineage of House Hollow – Mistress Lyra and Master Marsh," Ainz supplied, improvising names that vaguely fit their appearances. Aura beamed at being called a 'Mistress,' while Mare blushed furiously at being addressed at all.
Later, in Ainz's expanded (thanks to Albedo's subtle spatial enchantments, which she'd explained away as "an old family trick for making small rooms feel more spacious") chamber, the five reunited denizens of Nazarick held council. Aura and Mare recounted their journey in more detail. They had arrived separately in the rugged eastern mountain ranges bordering the Vale of Arryn, found each other through their shared Nazarick energy signature, and then homed in on Ainz's Beacon, their journey aided by their unique skills. They hadn't sensed any other specific NPCs, but Aura did mention a fleeting, unsettling sensation during one of her high-altitude scouting flights – a pocket of unnatural, deathly cold far to the north-north-west, a momentary chill that had reminded her of the icy plains of Niflheim. It had vanished too quickly to pinpoint.
Ainz filed that information away. Niflheim. Cocytus, perhaps? Or some other ice-aspected denizen or artifact? It was a tenuous clue, but a clue nonetheless.
With the arrival of the twins, the capabilities of their small but potent group expanded significantly. Aura, with her tamed beasts (she'd already 'recruited' several large hunting hounds and a pair of incredibly fast messenger hawks for Greywater's service) and her unparalleled Beast Master skills, became their chief scout and reconnaissance expert. Her range and speed far exceeded anything Entoma's insects could achieve over long distances. Mare, despite his timidity, possessed formidable druidic magic. Ainz tasked him with subtly enhancing Greywater's immediate environment. Under the guise of applying the "earth-lore of his people," Mare encouraged the growth of dense, thorny defensive thickets around the keep's perimeter, ensured the well provided an unending supply of pure water, and even 'persuaded' the stubborn soil in the small kitchen garden to yield surprisingly bountiful vegetables, much to Tom the steward's astonishment.
Albedo, meanwhile, continued her "improvements" to Greywater Keep. She designed a new, far more defensible gatehouse, complete with murder holes, reinforced iron portcullises, and magically hardened stone. The actual construction was carried out by her undead servitors, working under the cover of darkness and powerful illusion spells, their efforts explained away to the increasingly bewildered Ser Desmond as "skilled masons and engineers, retainers of Lady Alva's house, who prefer to work by moonlight due to their… unique traditions." The keep was slowly, almost imperceptibly to an outside observer arriving day by day, transforming from a crumbling ruin into a formidable, if still rustic-looking, fortress.
The dynamic between Albedo and Aura provided a new source of internal tension, albeit mostly one-sided. Albedo, as Overseer, clearly expected deference, while Aura, accustomed to being a co-Guardian of her floor with Mare, was more free-spirited and openly affectionate with Ainz, which Albedo found both endearing (because Ainz was being loved) and infuriating (because it wasn't her being so openly demonstrative). Mare, typically, tried to stay out of everyone's way. Sebas maintained a dignified, balancing presence, while Entoma quietly and efficiently served, her insect spies a constant, unseen web of vigilance.
With the immediate area around Greywater secured and its defenses significantly upgraded, Ainz revisited the plan for establishing a true, hidden headquarters. The remote mountain peak to the north-east, indicated by the ley line and Aura's initial reconnaissance, remained the prime candidate.
"Aura," Ainz commanded during one of their councils, "I need a more detailed survey of that mountain range. Identify hidden valleys, defensible positions, sources of water, and any potential indigenous threats. Take Sky-Screecher. Be swift, be discreet."
"Yes, Ainz-sama!" Aura chirped, her eyes shining with eagerness for a mission.
"Mare," Ainz continued, "once Aura identifies a suitable location, you will accompany a follow-up expedition. I need your assessment of its geological stability, the potential for magical terrain manipulation, and your ability to encourage the rapid growth of natural defenses – forests, thorny barriers, perhaps even awakening local earth elementals if possible."
Mare nodded nervously but dutifully. "I-I will do my best, Lord Ainz."
Albedo then unveiled her own contributions: meticulously drafted parchments detailing ambitious architectural plans for "New Nazarick." They incorporated YGGDRASIL design principles, multi-layered defensive systems, hidden chambers, and even aesthetic elements reminiscent of their lost home. "With my undead labor force and my own creation abilities, Ainz-sama," she declared, her eyes blazing with fervor, "we can raise a fortress that will make these Westerosi castles look like mud huts! A beacon of your glory!"
Ainz reviewed her plans, impressed by their scope and detail, though he mentally scaled back some of her more… ostentatious… design choices. A thousand-foot tower topped with a perpetually flaming Eye of Sauron might attract a little too much attention, even in this world.
In his shadowed chambers within Harrenhal…
Demiurge reviewed Nyx's latest reports. The arrival of the Dark Elf twins, Aura and Mare, along with their exotic beasts, was duly noted. Lord Ainz was not merely gathering his personal guard; he was assembling specialists, individuals with unique and powerful skill sets. This confirmed Demiurge's assessment that his Master was engaged in a long-term strategic plan, not simply surviving.
Nyx had also relayed the information gleaned from her careful cultivation of Ser Desmond Grell: the most significant unresolved threat currently plaguing the northern Riverlands was a self-proclaimed "Bandit King," a ruthless former sellsword captain named Karse. This Karse had united several disparate, broken companies from the Rebellion into a disciplined and brutal fighting force, establishing a hidden stronghold in the rugged foothills near the border of the Vale. He was systematically plundering trade routes, sacking smaller, undefended villages, and openly defying House Tully's authority. Lord Hoster's forces, already stretched thin dealing with coastal defenses against Ironborn reavers and maintaining the King's Peace across the war-torn Riverlands, had so far failed to dislodge him.
A predatory smile touched Demiurge's lips. King Karse. A perfect "gift."
He began to issue a series of complex, coded instructions to his network of agents, both human and… otherwise… that he had begun to establish throughout the Riverlands. Some were to infiltrate Karse's organization, to learn its strengths, weaknesses, leadership structure, and the location of its hidden fortress. Others were to subtly spread rumors, sow discord amongst Karse's lieutenants, and perhaps even arrange for vital supply shipments to go astray. Demiurge's plan was not simply to eliminate Karse, but to dismantle his entire operation from within, culminating in a swift, brutal, and seemingly inexplicable collapse, leaving a power vacuum that a "loyal Tully vassal" might then be "encouraged" to fill, or at least secure. The downfall of King Karse would be attributed to "unknown agents of justice" or perhaps even "divine retribution," a problem inexplicably solved, much to the relief of House Tully and, by extension, to the benefit of their increasingly powerful and enigmatic vassal, Lord Elian Hollow. Such a demonstration of utility, offered without expectation of reward, would surely elevate Lord Ainz's standing and provide Demiurge with a most favorable position upon his own eventual, carefully orchestrated reunion.
The legend of Greywater Keep and its sorcerous young lord, now amplified by tales of a griffin-riding elf-girl, a treant-commanding elf-boy, and an imperious sorceress who could mend castles with a gesture, continued to spread through the local countryside like wildfire. Fear and awe were potent fertilizers for rumor.
Ser Desmond Grell, his sense of reality fraying daily, dutifully sent his increasingly fantastical reports to Riverrun. He described the magical reinforcement of the keep, the uncanny skills of the new arrivals, and the general atmosphere of immense, otherworldly power that now clung to House Hollow. He tried to frame it in terms of loyal service to House Tully, emphasizing Lord Elian's repeated pledges of fealty, but he could not disguise the sheer abnormality of it all.
At Riverrun, these reports were met with growing consternation. Maester Vyman, Hoster Tully's trusted advisor, found himself rereading Ser Desmond's dispatches with a furrowed brow. The young knight, while perhaps prone to youthful exaggeration, had always been a reliable and sober observer. The consistency and sheer outlandishness of his recent accounts could not be entirely dismissed.
Lord Hoster Tully, his health continuing its slow decline, conferred at length with his brother, Ser Brynden "Blackfish" Tully.
"This Lord Hollow… this Elian boy…" Hoster rasped, his breath catching. "He slays monsters, commands sorcerers, tames griffins… Are these the boasts of a madman, or is there some truth to Grell's reports?"
The Blackfish, his stern face unreadable, paced the solar. "Grell is no madman, Hoster. Overwhelmed, perhaps. Witnessing things beyond his ken. But his reports are too detailed, too consistent. Karstark also spoke of this boy's unusual capabilities. There is power at Greywater Keep, of that I am certain. Whether it is power loyal to House Tully, or power that will ultimately threaten us… that is the question."
He stopped pacing, his gaze hard. "We cannot afford another rogue element in the Riverlands, not now. Not with the Ironborn growing bolder and the West still smarting. This 'Lord Elian' and his… retinue… require a closer look. A much closer look. Grell is out of his depth."
"What do you propose, brother?" Hoster asked wearily.
"I propose to see for myself," the Blackfish stated, his voice grim. "I will ride to Greywater Keep. Unannounced, if possible, though with the sort of… phenomena… Grell describes, true surprise may be difficult."
A few days later, Aura returned from her extensive aerial reconnaissance of the north-eastern mountain range, Sky-Screecher landing gracefully in Greywater's now considerably enlarged courtyard. Her report to Ainz and his council was detailed and encouraging.
"Ainz-sama!" she announced, unfurling a series of remarkably accurate maps she had drawn. "The mountains are vast and wild, perfect for a hidden stronghold! I've identified three potential valleys, well-shielded, with fresh water sources and defensible chokepoints. And there are caves, lots of caves, some large enough to be the start of… something bigger!" She grinned. "Minimal human presence, mostly just isolated hunter tribes who Sky-Screecher scared off easily."
She then grew more serious. "But on my return flight, Ainz-sama, far to the north-west, beyond the Trident's northern fork, almost to the edge of the Neck… I sensed it again. That pocket of unnatural cold. Like a breath from Niflheim. It was stronger this time, more defined, before it vanished. It felt… old. And very, very powerful."
Ainz listened intently. An unnatural cold, far to the north-west, reminiscent of Niflheim. This was the second time Aura had sensed it. It was too specific to be a coincidence. Could it be Cocytus? Or another ice-affiliated denizen of Nazarick? Or perhaps some native power of this world, something ancient and frigid?
He was contemplating this new mystery, the plans for the New Nazarick expedition firming in his mind, when Tom the steward burst into the chamber, his face pale, his usual deference forgotten in his haste.
"M'lord! M'lord Elian!" he gasped, clutching a small, rolled parchment. "A raven! Not from young Ser Desmond's usual couriers to Riverrun… this one… it bears the Tully seal, yes, but it's… it's addressed from Ser Brynden Tully himself!"
Ainz took the offered scroll. Albedo, Sebas, Aura, Mare, and Entoma watched, their expressions suddenly tense. The Blackfish.
He broke the seal. The message was short, curt, and unambiguous:
To Elian, Lord of Hollow,
Reports of extraordinary occurrences at Greywater Keep and in your service have reached Riverrun. They require clarification. I, Ser Brynden Tully, will personally visit Greywater Keep within the fortnight to inspect its defenses, confer with its lord, and meet these… esteemed guests… who now reside under your roof. Expect my arrival.
Ser Brynden Tully, Knight of the Gate.
The Blackfish was coming. Not sending an investigator, but coming himself. This was no mere courtesy call. This was an inspection, an interrogation, by one of the shrewdest and most formidable military commanders in the Seven Kingdoms. The carefully constructed facade of Elian Hollow, the quaintly powerful minor lord, was about to face its most rigorous test yet.