Morning had arrived and the sun was rising on the horizon, causing me to half-close my eyes due to the change in lighting as I left the mansion.
Most of the inhabitants slept in the provided rooms or in the encampment that had formed in the gardens. The cold morning air touched my face and ruffled the vegetation around me while the earth and plants crackled beneath my feet.
I greeted the few I encountered along the way, whether those who had just woken up and were carrying out their morning activities, or the knights and guards who patrolled the area, ensuring its safety alongside the enemies who had been transformed into the mansion's defenses.
I was still thinking about what had happened the previous night, feeling a frown forming on my face for not being able to do more for the queen.
I wasn't good at this kind of situation; I could offer advice and words of comfort, and she made it clear that she couldn't be happier to see Blaidd and Radahn again, but that didn't change the fact that her heart broke a little knowing what her children had done during the war.
According to Rennala, she would have a long conversation with Radahn and Blaidd, but she still didn't know what to do about Ranni and Rykard. The former because of all the horrors she had committed. How would they both face each other after the witch killed Godwyn, faked her own death, and started this war?
Rennala gave me a long lesson about the Two-Fingers and the Empirians, as well as the history of the people of Nokron. Now, Ranni had a plan that probably involved killing the Two-Fingers assigned to her and freeing herself from the influence of the greater will.
There was a prophecy about the Lord of the Night, Nokron's version of an Elden Lord, who would bring a new era, but he never came. So the city's inhabitants used their powerful magic to try and create one they could control, and they also developed weapons capable of harming the servants of the Greater Will.
The Outer God, furious at such audacity, banished the cities underground, condemning their people. Now Ranni wished to make that prophecy come true.
Rykard's situation was simpler; there wasn't enough information about his current situation.
One detail I noticed was her hesitation when speaking about her missing son, which reminded me of the memory of him feeding a rat to his pet serpent. Something was wrong with Rykard, and she knew it.
In any case, our conversation was pleasant, but unlike me, the queen was alive and needed to sleep, so she retired to her chambers and I wandered through the mansion, thinking about my future.
How will things turn out from now on? I fear what Miquella and Malenia might do with the heart and what actions they might take to ensure their plans don't go astray further. Ranni is another person I must keep a close eye on. If Rennala is right, her daughter will try to take Marika's place, and who knows what the Night will bring?
I must also visit the rift I opened to the abyss and ensure the darkness isn't spreading.
I need to continue my mission with Rogier and Fia for the sake of Godwyn, deliver the Falcon's Ashes to Nepheli, help retake Stormveil and the Academy, check on the Misbegotens and refugees at Fort Height, collect more Death Roots for Gurranq, retrieve my crowns and equipment, and collect the remaining Great Runes.
I sighed, trying to remember if I'd forgotten anything else. So much to do in so little time.
I felt a headache coming; the day had barely begun and I was already exhausted with the things ahead of me, not to mention, of course, the fact that many probably expect me to become Elden Lord. After all, why not? I'm helping people and collecting the Great Runes, I'd be a good Lord, wouldn't I?
Except for the fact that I have no desire to rule. I refused the throne in Drangleic and perhaps I'll refuse it here too. When the path to the Erdtree is clear and the land stabilized, the locals can choose a new ruler, power to the people and all that.
I rubbed my face, trying to push away these stormy thoughts, but the more I tried not to think about it, the more my mind brought them back. Anyway, I wouldn't solve anything by standing still; the sooner I started, the sooner I'd finish. First of all, I went to the pool's Grace and called Melina, as I had stockpiled Sacred Tears, Golden Seeds, and Runes.
"Hello, Alden."
She appeared in a golden cloud, removing her hood and smiling at me. I returned the gesture; I couldn't be happier to see her safe and unharmed.
"Greetings, Melina, how have you been?"
She frowned, sending a curious glance before answering.
"I should be asking you that. From what I've witnessed, you cured Rennala and Radahn of their respective afflictions, something thought impossible. But I suppose it's wise to gather influential allies if you plan to become Lord."
I don't know what bothered me more: the fact that it was practically confirmed she was watching me, or that despite having made my objective clear, she still expected me to seize the throne. Well, she's doing her part, so I'll do mine, taking her to the Erdtree.
"Unfortunately, I don't know how to play the political game, so I'll have to put an end to your assumptions. I only did what was right."
It was my turn to be surprised when she gave me a questioning look.
"Seriously? Then I must assume you did all this to curry favor with the queen and get into a relationship with her, because if that's the case, you did a great job."
For a second, I didn't know how to respond, remaining still like a statue, only moving when I heard Melina's laughter, which now covered her mouth and turned away in a failed attempt to hide her reaction.
"Hahaha… Very funny… Could you perhaps enhance the vials for me now? I'd also like to strengthen myself with the runes."
"With pleasure."
After calming down, I handed her the tears and seeds, failing miserably to discover the secret behind her work. In any case, I recounted what had happened since the last time we met, omitting or modifying the parts that no one should know.
When it was all over, she returned the vials and then offered me her hand, which I accepted with a gentle touch. I had two options: focus on what I was proficient in and hone my high faith, intelligence, and attunement to even higher levels, or work on what I lacked physically.
Remembering the conflict between Malenia and Radahn, I decided to improve my physical attributes to at least be able to take direct hits without nearly dying and perhaps keep up with them in close-range combat without having to use artifact after artifact to have a chance to parry and block attacks.
With that, I poured the tide of runes I had accumulated into Stamina, Endurance, Vitality, Strength, Dexterity, and Adaptability. Unlike other times where the change was barely noticeable, this time I felt my body slowly transforming.
My muscles grew, my clothes became a little tighter, a new wave of energy coursed through my flesh. I also seemed to have grown taller, as Melina appeared smaller from my point of view.
As she turned away, I set aside the Sword of Night and Flame and removed the massive Crypt Black Sword from my bag, testing its weight and striking a few blows in the air. It wasn't as light as a feather, but it was easier to use now.
"Thank you for all your hard work, Melina, this will certainly help me in the future."
I stored the sword and retrieved the original weapon, resting it on my shoulder. The maiden nodded and prepared to leave, but I stopped her, remembering something.
"Melina, I know I have no right to interfere in your life, but why don't you spend some time with us? With Rennala, Blaidd, Drummond, and me? Or how about with some people at the fort? They don't seem bad. Don't misunderstand me, but we only meet when it's convenient, and I always see you alone, so I'd like to know if everything is alright."
She didn't answer, her face fell, overcome with sadness before assuming a thoughtful expression.
"Alden, I have nothing against you or your companions. In fact, the time we spent together was wonderful, but as you know, I have a purpose to fulfill. It would be good if we didn't become too attached; it would be less painful for all of us."
With that done, she gave me a polite nod and disappeared as quickly as she had arrived, leaving me alone and dejected. I felt something breaking inside me, but even if it wasn't said, the message was clear: she didn't expect to see me again after fulfilling her duty.
That could mean many things, but one stood above all: death.
-XXXXXX-
Godwyn, Blaidd, and I left the Grace on the shore of Liurnia. I summoned Torrent and rode toward the gigantic tower in the distance, with the half-wolf running beside us.
"Drummond, is there a problem?"
I asked Godwyn, who was strangely silent.
"N-no... I just spent some time thinking about what you told me."
"I understand, and what's your conclusion?"
"I'd like to meet them, Malenia and Miquella, and hear from them what they have to say. As well as Radahn's side of the story. And if I don't like the answers…"
He didn't continue, but the message was clear.
"Don't rush into things, you might end up doing something you'll regret."
"And you? Will you kill them?"
"If there's no other option. Leave the dirty work to me, you don't need to hurt yourself like this."
"I suppose you two have some kind of relationship with Marika's twins."
Blaidd commented as we stopped before a smaller tower connected to the long bridge leading to the Divine Tower.
"You could say so. We met them in the past and they didn't seem…"
I hesitated, thinking about how I should refer to my wounded friend's family, however, the half-wolf finished.
"That bad? I suppose so, but all is fair in a war, none of us, mortal or demigod, is an exception. I believe you two must be the kind of ancient Tarnished revived by Grace to remember a time before the war. Have we known each other before?"
"I think not, I'm sure I'd remember someone as remarkable as you."
"And I've lost most of my memories, so I can't answer."
Godwyn spoke, something I added immediately afterward. Murmuring in acceptance, Blaidd accompanied us to the interior of the smaller tower, which despite being called the Hall of Studies, looked more like a small church, with pews, lit candelabras and candlesticks, and a small stone altar with a globe behind it.
We approached the altar, where I placed the inverted statue on its surface. For a moment, nothing happened, and I began to wonder if Ranni had lied, but if so, why did she return my crown?
My musings proved unfounded when the entire tower trembled and the globe surrounded by golden rings spun. The tremor continued, the chandeliers swayed, some of the candlesticks fell, but as quickly as it began, the event ended.
"What the hell was that?!"
The answer to Blaidd's exclamation came as we climbed the staircase beside the altar, going deeper into the tower and seeing an upside-down corridor. Our faces contorted in disbelief; the ceiling was where the floor was, and the floor where the ceiling was.
"Have I gone mad, or are you seeing the same thing I am?!"
My companions let out a strange noise that served as confirmation. With no other options, we pressed on, witnessing the extent of what had happened.
The Study Hall revealed itself in its full form, a gigantic tower filled with massive bridges and staircases, with wall after wall covered in ancient books and scrolls. Despite everything, gravity still worked, as the stacks of books remained stuck to the ground and the gigantic chandeliers below refused to fall.
We walked along the underside of the bridges and stairs, trying to understand what was happening. My head was spinning, not only trying to imagine the level of magical power needed for such a change, but also because I wasn't used to this kind of situation.
I took my binoculars out of my bag and searched for a way out, spotting a wooden elevator in the center of the tower, a pillar with a platform and a pressure plate in its center, just below the ceiling beams with the chandeliers pointing upwards.
I indicated where we should go and then we went the way that would be the opposite if the tower were in its normal state, descending the inverted staircase.
I didn't seem to be the only one disoriented, as Godwyn and Blaidd walked at a hesitant pace, occasionally stumbling over an uneven surface or stone ornament, which could be fatal considering the height we were at.
Of course, our advance wouldn't be uninterrupted; spirits appeared in our path, Cuckoo Knights transformed into puppets, just like those in the mansion, and tall spirits, wearing fine clothes and wielding longswords.
They didn't prove dangerous; we dispatched them easily, whether with blows, enchantments, miracles, or spells. However, a man appeared in a bluish cloud on the other side of the tower, a sorcerer wearing clothes similar to Seluvis's, and in a display of power, he created an energy bow similar to Loretta's, firing an arrow of pure magical power in our direction.
We scattered, letting the arrow explode against the wall in a mass of bluish power, tearing a hole in the wall with a bang followed by a tremor and a shower of fragments.
I conjured a Dark Orb in his direction, but the sorcerer vanished, reappearing further down as we ran towards the elevator. The bombardment continued, arrow after arrow, explosion after explosion, with spirits trying to stop us.
However, their efforts were fruitless; compared to what we had endured, this was nothing. Our objective was near; either he would let us go or he would stand in our way to stop us.
The sorcerer chose the second option, appearing at the bottom of the inverted stairs, just above the ceiling beams, an arrow ready to be fired. It never hit its target; I advanced, swinging my shield, creating a shockwave and parrying the arrow, which exploded in the distance.
Blaidd and Godwyn used the opportunity to close the distance and, with a couple of blows, brought the sorcerer down to his death. The runes and souls followed, as did a spell.
With the dangers eliminated, we leaped into life, and from there, to the elevator, which descended as we stepped onto the pressure plate. Our destination was the lowest level of the tower, or was it the ceiling? I had given up trying to understand.
It was an inverted chamber, just like everything else, and upon opening the pair of large double doors in front of us, we stepped onto the large bridge, which was in a normal state.
I touched the nearby Grace and we moved forward; however, our progress stopped again when a dark sigil appeared in the air, and emerging from a jet of the familiar Black Flame, a figure appeared.
Tall and fat, dressed in white from head to toe, with stocky limbs compared to its bulky body, and pieces of what I initially thought was fabric fluttering in the wind, but I changed my mind as soon as I saw faces imprinted on its garments.
"A God Skin!"
Blaidd and Godwyn seemed the most concerned about the presence of the being I had only heard about. It wasn't the worst I'd witnessed, but my companions with divine traits had reason to fear if the Black Flame still possessed traces of its original power.
The God Skin raised his great rapier and his body swelled, then he leaped and spun in the air, transforming into a living ball that charged toward us. The men beside me braced for combat, while I raised my chime and pointed it at the ground ahead, conjuring Emit Force.
A pure shockwave surged forward as the bridge began to tremble under the weight of our enemy. At the precise moment, the miracle exploded, unleashing a wave of power against the God Skin, diverting his trajectory toward the side of the bridge.
He grazed past us, so fast and large that he couldn't stop in time, breaking the stone railing of the bridge and falling to his death. The runes followed, as did his set of clothes, which I kept in my bag.
Godwyn and Blaidd watched me in surprise, while I smiled arrogantly, relishing their reactions.
"That was anticlimactic."
"At least we don't have to deal with that plague."
We crossed the bridge, touching the Grace at the base of the Divine Tower and using its elevator to reach the top, touching another Grace, and at the highest point, in the center of everything, we found the burned and fragmented body of an extremely tall woman, and in her hands, what we had come to find.
It was a kind of white half-wheel with the appearance of a centipede. I put it in my bag, but I didn't leave, because Godwyn and Blaidd were focused on the corpse that was Ranni's original body.
They didn't say a single word before turning their backs and passing by me. I didn't know what was going through their heads, but I could tell that the Night of the Black Knives, in which the two demigods died, was a turning point for both of them.
I gave the body one last look before leaving, using the Grace to transport us to the round table.
-XXXXXX-
Our arrival was met with greetings from those present in the central room, with some curious glances directed at Blaidd. The half-wolf and Godwyn went their separate ways, either to speak with the inhabitants of the round table or to repair their equipment.
I did something similar, going to the balcony where Rogier stood, but to my surprise, he was no longer there, only an empty chair, a blanket, and a letter written in trembling handwriting.
"I forgot to tell you, but it seems D has a younger brother. I heard he rests in a deep sleep in the aqueduct next to the Eternal City of Nokron. And they say he faced the Prince of Death not far from there."
Hmm… I was never close to D, our encounters were brief, and he's a hunter of beings similar to me, but I find it curious that his brother is relevant to my mission. Does that mean he faced Godwyn's transformed corpse?
If so, he must have been infected by the Death Root, just like Rogier, but where was the sorcerer? His legs were failing, and the lack of a body doesn't guarantee his death, so where did he go?
I kept the letter in my bag, thinking about what could have happened to the man. He was a good person who wished to help the unfortunate; he didn't deserve what happened. I pray that he is safe.
I went in search of the second person who had helped me in this search, but I came across an empty bed; Fia had disappeared, and in her place, a letter.
"Dear Alden, I am grateful for the warmth you offered me and for your efforts to help Those Who Live in Death. Unfortunately, I must leave, although brief, our time together was wonderful, but something is happening in the depths of the earth, the Prince of Death is in danger."
I kept the letter just like the first one and hurried across the Round Table, ignoring the stares and comments I received from the others present. D was nowhere to be found, and after a few questions, I discovered that he, as well as Rogier and Fia, had recently left, but at different intervals, without saying where they were going.
I searched for Godwyn and Blaidd, finding them near Hewg, who was repairing his equipment. I did my best to hide my concern; I would discuss matters away from those unrelated to the problem, and I approached Roderika, greeting the young woman who returned the gesture.
As before, I asked if she could turn more of the spirits of my old enemies into ashes. She nodded, and I touched her hand; she showed less effort than last time, and when the bluish glow disappeared, there were two ashes in my hand: two giant men in armor, one wielding a bell-shaped hammer and the other a large mirror shield.
I thanked the young woman and started talking to her, asking about what had happened since the last time we met. It was short but pleasant, however, I had to say goodbye when Hewg finished his work, leaving Godwyn and Blaidd ready to leave.
Then we used Grace to transport ourselves to the destroyed bridge on the other side of Liurnia, putting us on a direct path to the Great Lift. I summoned Torrent and thus we began our advance.
On the way, I recounted what I had discovered. Godwyn seemed more surprised than Blaidd. I suppose Ranni had made it clear to him what we wanted; after all, I never bothered to hide it. I believe neither of them minds us reaching Godwyn's corpse as long as we don't interfere with her plan.
We discussed what we should do, and even gave Blaidd the chance to leave, as he didn't need to get involved, but the half-wolf decided to stay, a way of repaying the favor we had done for his family.
Now we just needed to figure out how to reach Godwyn's corpse deep underground.
Apart from that, the journey continued without much trouble. We obtained a sacred tear at the nearby church and approached the elevator, spotting the pair of gigantic statues in the distance.
However, I pulled on Torrent's reins, making him stop abruptly, receiving a neigh from the steed and a cry of surprise from our passenger. I heard Godwyn say something, as did Blaidd, but I didn't understand their words.
My eyes burned and something tingled in the back of my mind. I looked to the side; something was calling me from a distance. I don't know what happened next. I heard screams, felt my body moving, running, but I could only focus on the flame burning in the distance.
-Weeping Peninsula-
On a long, rain-soaked bridge, the Pursuer had felled yet another victim, those strange knights in black armor riding large horses. Normally they only appeared at night, but after eliminating some of them and imprisoning their souls in his armor, his targets had taken the initiative, hunting him day and night.
It was a futile effort; they were no match for the undead, that is, until a strange creature appeared before him in a golden flash: a tall, thin old man, dressed in yellow rags, with a long tail, white hair, and a mass of horns on his head.
The cane the old man carried wasn't the best weapon. For a moment, the Pursuer thought he had won, until his adversary began to summon a barrage of weapons made of holy power, which, against the cursed being that he was, proved extremely effective.
It had quickly turned into a fight for survival; his damaged armor and wounded arm from the battle on Raya Lucaria proved a major disadvantage. The sacred weapons pierced his flesh, leading to his end. His weapons and the ashes of war were not enough against such a skilled and brutal enemy.
With no other options, he whistled, summoning his falcon which swooped down toward the bridge. The old man dressed in yellow dodged, avoiding being thrown to his death as the Pursuer was carried away, disappearing into the distance.
The flight was short; the falcon left him on a distant beach where the great knight fell to his knees, shaking the earth and raising a cloud of sand. Smoke and dark liquid oozed from his wounds as he pondered what had transpired amidst the roar of the waves.
He was the Pursuer, a cursed being, a hunter of the undead who instilled fear in his victims, imprisoning their souls within his body. He piled up countless corpses, amassed numerous weapons, honed his arsenal and skills, but it wasn't enough. There was one undead creature that not only escaped but defeated him repeatedly, and even following it to this land, he had failed again.
The truth was hard to admit, but such a feared being had been left behind; he was no longer a threat. In Dlangleic, he was a big fish in a small pond, but here, he found himself in a sea of predators.
"Well, what do we have here? Why are you so downcast?"
A gentle voice reached his ears. The Pursuer raised his head and reached for his sword, preparing to fight, but something stopped him.
Before him stood a young man, tall, thin, with curly blond hair and a captivating smile. He was dressed in white from head to toe, and his eyes were hidden by a band of the same color as his clothes.
"You seem frustrated about something? I can offer you my help if you wish, but I would like something in return."
The Pursuer did not answer; it was as if an invisible force controlled his body. He lifted the front of his helmet, exposing a pair of bright red dots, then he brought his hands to them. His eyes burned and something screamed in his mind—rage, revolt, despair, failure after failure—his will was broken.
His armored fingers sank into his eye sockets, showing no pain or hesitation, he removed his eyes with a tug. The noises were disgusting, the blood leaking even more, yet he deposited the severed parts in the stranger's hand, and when the Pursuer rose again, a flame burned within him, spreading throughout his body.
Meanwhile, the man watched the transformation of the being from a distant land, smiling contentedly before disappearing as if he had never existed.
END OF CHAPTER