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No matter how often he watched the young girl leap without worry from cliffs and bridges and all manner of dangerous environments, knowing full well by now that he would never let any harm come to her from such actions, the Umbral Knight could not help but fret. When he had first met the girl she had seemed so… fragile. Unaware of the world around her and the horrors that lay within. But after watching the blight seep through her skin and stain her hair a visceral red, he knew that the young girl who had become his charge was infinitely stronger than she had first appeared.
Despite her strength, her resolve to see this journey through to the likely bitter end, the Umbral Knight still could not help but worry about Lily.
The Umbral Knight was not alone in this matter, of course. Each and every blighted spirit Lily had met thus far, purifying all without a second thought towards her own well being, would gladly give what little they had left to assist her journey. This was, of course, a fact the Umbral Knight had verified personally with each and every new addition Lily found along the way. Some, like the young boy they had found not long after leaving the White Parish, he simply comforted. These spirits were so young he felt no greater emotion towards them than sorrow. They would not harm Lily. The Umbral Knight doubted that they even could. Others, such as the ruthless Knight Captain by the name of Julius who they had only recently made the acquaintance of, required a rather more direct approach. Never where Lily could see or hear them, of course. No, she certainly did not need to hear the threats he made towards the others.
Unlike the other spirits, however, the Umbral Knight had been right alongside Lily for her entire journey, acting as the primary line of defence between her and each new threat they faced. He knew, first hand, how capable Lily was at protecting herself from claws and blades, poison and fire. Even if Lily was injured by such means, the Umbral Knight trusted in the girl’s healing abilities to fix herself up, and the respites Lily found throughout the kingdom allowed for an excellent opportunity for the Umbral Knight to check her over, just in case. In a somewhat more concerning case, the Umbral Knight was also all too aware of how well Lily could handle the blight. At least he did not have to worry about a lack of pain tolerance distracting Lily mid-battle, if she did get injured despite his and the other’s best efforts. It was a small comfort, but infinitely better than nothing.
It was a small comfort that did nothing in the present, all too common situation.
With Julius' impressive skills in both speed and lancework, Lily and the Knight Captain had swiftly discovered a way in which they could break through the blight-covered doorways that had impeded their progress frequently all throughout their journey. It was one such passage that Lily was swiftly leading them towards now, deep within the bastion found at the edge of the kingdom. The Umbral Knight was always in favour of utilising the spectral cart that would appear whenever Lily called, but the girl did not like to bother the creature too often, especially for short journeys. While he respected Lily’s compassion, the Umbral Knight was far more worried about the snow and ice coating the ground. That, and the falls.
Looking down to the fountain courtyard below, the Umbral Knight’s head swam at the distance between the bridge he and Lily presently found themselves on and their intended destination. Lily, of course, was all too ready to leap for his liking. If it were up to him, they would walk the long way down to the respite, past the many enemies he would much rather face in combat, than deal with the inevitability of gravity. As Lily was the only fully corporeal one there, however, it was very much not up to him. Thus, the Umbral Knight was left with only the ways in which he could mitigate the situation, rather than avoiding it outright.
Travelling together, Lily and the Umbral Knight had discovered that the safest way to ease his worries was for him to drop down first, in order to catch Lily before she hit the ground. His heart still froze when she stepped off of any ledge, but he trusted in his abilities to catch her. To a certain extent. They may or may not have practiced frequently on a much shallower drop, near where they fought Gerrod.
With an unnecessary breath, the Umbral Knight dropped off of the bridge, and signaled for Lily to join him. If it wasn’t for the blight, Lily almost seemed to blend into the snowy landscape surrounding her, so it was the red he focused on when Lily stepped off the edge and fell. After a simultaneous eternity and blink of an eye, she was once more in his arms, then swiftly on solid ground.
She was safe, and he had not failed. That was all that mattered.
This respite was a cold one, given the snow surrounding them and the frozen fountain to their back, but with the small campfire blazing at their feet, there was still time for Lily to rest and the Umbral Knight to check her over for any forgotten or unknown injuries. The place Lily was leading them to was not far from here, so if there was anything severe they could always return, if Lily insisted on exploring the new area first.
For now, however, they would rest.
BONUS:
Breaking through blighted passageways into unexplored territories was always equally fascinating and terrifying. On the one hand, there were new secrets and items to be discovered, more chances to find the truth in regards to both the White Priestess and Lily herself, yet on the other they never knew what dangers they would have to face without warning. The door Lily had led them towards this time, however, was rather underwhelming in both regards.
They found themselves in a simple yet ornate room. No hidden passages, no enemies. Little more than a simple table and chairs positioned at the centre of the room, some once well maintained yet now rusted weaponry, and a portrait carefully hung against the back wall. That, and an intricate floral bracelet resting carefully on the table.
Someone, likely the one who either made or received the bracelet, had imbued countless prayers of sincerity, fondness, and safety into the delicate creation. So much so, that it would likely protect the wearer from harm, or at least minimise any injuries they may receive.
Hopefully Lily wouldn't mind keeping it on whenever possible. After all, her safety was his highest priority, and this would ease that worry greatly. Whenever Lily had to face claws or blades, poison or fire, if she wore this carefully woven snowflower bracelet she would be safe.
Not from falling, of course. He did not want to risk that potential source of injury, not when he promised to protect the young girl.
No matter what, the Umbral Knight would always be there to catch Lily when she fell.