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Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, and all rights for characters, plots and settings belong to G.R.R. Martin and FromSoftware. I have no ownership.
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Great Elden Ring, root of the Golden Order. Anchor of all lands, giver of grace, wellspring of all joy.
The fundamentalists describe the Golden Order through the powers of regression and causality. Regression is the pull of meaning; that all things yearn eternally to converge.
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Liurnia,
973 year AS (After Shattering of the Elden Ring)
Aerion
Of all the beings he could have expected to encounter in this gods-forsaken place and at this desperate moment, only Queen Marika herself would be more unlikely.
But here, standing upon the cracked stone of northern Liurnia, was the mighty Valkyrie in her full, terrifying glory. Yet, Aerion had to admit that calling it "glory" might have been a bitter understatement.
She was missing her entire right arm, replaced by a dull gold prosthetic extending directly from her shoulder. Similarly, her legs from the knees down were unyielding, artificial limbs of cold metal.
Furthermore, judging by the subtle tilt of her head and the way she tracked her surroundings by sound alone, he was almost certain she was blind, though he couldn't confirm this without forcing off her winged helmet.
It was the horrific, hollow price of the Scarlet Rot's ceaseless influence on her flesh. The mere thought of being consumed from within by the power of that parasitic Outer God sent a chill down his spine, but there was no time to dwell on cosmic horrors when one of them stood in front of them.
The most shocking reality was much closer to home: they were currently fighting side by side against this raging avatar of the Frenzied Flame or whatever name this unholy fusion of flesh and chaos deserved.
He had to admit, the demigoddess was breathtakingly impressive. Even though her body was in such a ruined state, and she was clearly only able to exert a fraction of her true strength, her grace remained intact. Aerion himself couldn't begin to imagine wielding a weapon, let alone moving with such lethal fluidness, using nothing but crude metal limbs.
Looking now at the scorching yellow flame of chaos blazing dozens of meters into the air, painting the sky in a sickening, mad color, he felt an inexpressible wave of gratitude to have her by his side.
Without her intervention, he would already be dead, his ashes scattered into air. And he couldn't truly say what would happen to his soul if he died at the hands of an Outer God's avatar.
Would the Guidance of Grace still find him? Would he return to life at the nearest Site of Grace? Or perhaps a fate far worse than total annihilation awaited him, a permanent dissolution into the melting pot of the Frenzied Flame?
He shook his head, clearing his mind. There was no point in dwelling on what might happen if the fight wasn't over, for he could very well experience that grim fate in a matter of minutes.
Preparing for the next phase of the confrontation, Aerion focused his mind, channeling a spark of pyromancy. A roaring, miniature sun, the Flame of the Fell God, began to spark and coil within his right hand. But he hesitated, the searing heat licking at his gauntlet, as a wild, desperate idea occurred to him.
Without taking his eyes off the burning, shifting monstrosity before them, he approached Malenia step by step, stopping exactly two meters away.
"I have an idea, and there's a good chance it might work," he said, his voice carrying far more raw tension and bone-deep fatigue than he cared to admit. "Unless you have powers that would be effective in banishing or destroying this thing right now?"
The demigoddess tilted her head slightly toward him, her hidden gaze lingering on his face for a tense second before she gave a slow, deliberate shake of her head. "Nothing that wouldn't simultaneously contaminate this entire area, and perhaps all of Liurnia along with it," she replied, her voice smooth but laced with a grim finality.
"Our only current choice is to drag this fight out until the Flame can no longer remain in its stolen vessel. If you have a plan, Tarnished... let us try it."
Aerion let out a quiet sigh of relief. "Give me time to get close to it. I need to get within a few meters of its vessel without it killing me in two seconds flat."
"So be it," Malenia replied, the faint click of her prosthetic arm aligning with her blade. "Loretta will suppress it from a distance while I pin it down in close combat. Move swiftly... and do not delay."
"Will your companion know what to do?" Aerion asked, but no sooner had the question left his lips than he saw the answer out of the corner of his eye.
Loretta had stopped in the middle distance. She planted her feet, and a massive, shimmering arc of pure, deep-blue energy materialized in her hands, the unmistakable, elegant shape of Carian sorcery.
"Never mind," Aerion muttered, gripping his own catalysts tighter. "I just hope she doesn't shoot me in the back."
His true gambit lay not in fire or steel, but in the Law of Regression. He intended to unleash the absolute incantation against this monstrosity, praying that it would hold true against an Outer God or perhaps, even more so, that the spell would become a direct conduit for the power of the Greater Will herself.
It was an immense and terrifying risk, but conventional blades and sorceries were merely chipping away at an endless ocean of fire. Nothing else could fundamentally alter the tide of this battle.
The Law of Regression was based on the absolute foundations of the Golden Order and the very metaphysical laws governing the Lands Between. Its main premise was simple yet absolute: all things eternally converge, returning to their original, uncorrupted state.
Since he had already confirmed that the sheer logic of this incantation could completely cleanse the mind and body of lesser Frenzied infections, he reasoned it could do something far greater here. It could forcibly restore the Outer God's vessel to its state before it was possessed by it.
Deep down, he sensed that the Greater Will had not allowed him to learn this incantation in vain as a mere reward for defeating that horrifying Amalgamation of Frenzy at the walls of Winterfell. The incantation had felt too deliberate. The Outer God likely foresaw that this specific ability would prove to be his only shield against the absolute chaos threatening the future of his journey.
Of course, Aerion didn't intend to just walk blindly into the fire or wait idly for the perfect moment. He needed to weaken the beast first, keeping his distance while the trap was set.
Ahead of them, the massive pillar of Chaos flames had just begun to diminish, condensing back into its twisted, humanoid form. However, the enormous, volatile fireball burning where its head should have been seemed even more intense, crackling with arcs of mad, yellow fire.
Malenia launched herself first, moving with a blinding, terrifying speed that Aerion's eyes could barely track, a streak of gold, scarlet and flashing steel. She was followed instantly by a barrage of heavy glintstone arrows fired by Loretta, each one hitting the avatar with absolute precision.
Wasting no more time, Aerion dispelled the pyromancy, summoned his glintstone staff with a sharp flick of his wrist, and began hurling Glintstone Pebbles at the enemy.
He poured his mana into the catalyst with such frantic intensity that no sooner had one azure spell left the tip of his staff than another was already forming, creating a relentless, piercing hail of magic to pave his way into fight.
The battlefield became choked with blue glintstone projectiles and scorching yellow fire. Aerion advanced directly behind the women, his boots crunching loudly on stone that had been cooked into brittle glass by the extreme temperature.
Malenia did not slow down. She moved forward smoothly, her prosthetic arm shifting in synchronization with her long blade.
Every time the avatar of the Frenzied Flame swung its tentacles of flames to incinerate Aerion, Malenia intercepted the blow. She was physically parrying the fire itself, maintaining continuous offensive pressure to prevent the beast from moving from its position.
From the rear, Loretta provided a continuous wall of long-range spell support. Massive arrows of glintstone sorcery sailed directly over Aerion's shoulders one after another in rapid succession.
"Now, Tarnished! Move!" Malenia's sharp voice pierced the roar of the tempest.
Aerion did not hesitate. He banished his glintstone staff, letting the magical catalyst dissolve into the air, and sprinted directly into the clearing. The cursed heat blistered his exposed skin through the gaps in his armor plates. The massive fireball that served as the avatar's head turned toward him, its chaotic core focusing entirely on his approach. The air in front of him began to warp and distort, preparing to unleash a devastating beam of Frenzy.
Instead of drawing his sword to strike the beast, Aerion lunged forward and crossed his forearms tightly over his chest, his fingers locking into the ancient, sacred symbols of the Golden Order, and in his right hand he held the Dragon Communion Seal.
He could feel the chaotic energy of the Frenzied Flame scratching aggressively at the edges of his mind, demanding that he yield and let everything melt into nothingness. He ignored the pressure completely.
"Law of Regression..." Aerion whispered. His voice was quiet, yet it carried an unnatural, resonant weight that echoed louder than the storm itself. And he felt how the Outer God who took him from his home and sent him to this place, giving him the opportunity to grow stronger, responded.
He threw his arms wide open.
A colossal, blinding shockwave of translucent golden light erupted from his chest, expanding outward in a perfect, unbroken circle across the stones. It was not a kinetic blast meant to shatter bone or crush stone. It was the unyielding decree of the Greater Will that all things must eternally converge and return to their original, uncorrupted state.
The moment the golden wave washed over the avatar, the roaring yellow flames froze instantly in mid-air.
A terrible, agonizing sound broke from the depths of the burning monstrosity. The chaotic fire was fundamentally erased from reality. The sickening orange tint that had stained the sky over the Grand Lift of Dectus vanished in an instant, neutralized by the absolute purity of the fundamentalist incantation.
Aerion watched through strained eyes as the massive fireball where the entity's head had been began to shrink and cool rapidly. The twisted, melted limbs of the vessel were forcibly reshaped, stripped of the Outer God's influence, and returned to the flesh and bone. The conduit had been closed.
With one final shimmer, the last embers of the Frenzied Flame dissolved into grey, lifeless soot. The avatar collapsed forward, hitting the stone steps of the lift before crumbling into a harmless pile of cold ash.
Aerion fell to his knees, his hands barely catching his weight against the cold stone. His chest heaved as he drew in long, desperate breaths of clean, misty air. His hands were shaking and his mind felt numb, the incantation having consumed almost all of his focus. But it was over. Finally.
A heavy, profound silence fell over the plateau.
Loretta stopped casting spells, her heavy boots clicking softly against the quiet stone as she stepped forward. A few paces away, Malenia stood motionless. She slowly brought her long one-sided blade down, cleaning an invisible blade with a single, practiced motion.
The madness had been banished, and they were alive.
A familiar message appeared before his eyes, but his eyes widened slightly at the sight of it.
LEGEND FELLED
Vyke, Vessel of Frenzy
You received 1 200 000 runes
You received Vyke's War Spear
Greater Will is pleased
You prove your worth
You received Seed of Golden Tree
So this was the legendary Vyke he'd heard about? The sad end of a great man. A fate he might have also suffered if not for the help of Malenia and Loretta, and Greater Will's possessiveness towards him.
He tried to summon the Seed of the Golden Tree into his hand, or at least try to read its description, but he couldn't. He didn't see it in his inventory.
Shaking his head slightly in irritation, he summoned Vyke's War Spear, but the weapon he found in his hand bore no resemblance whatsoever to the one touched by the flames of chaos that Vyke had wielded when he fought him.
It seemed to be made of matte black metal inlaid with golden runes, and red and gold lightning danced around the silver blade, half a meter long, at its tip.
Then looking at the weapon in his hand, Malenia took two slow paces toward him, then stopped, tilting her chin slightly upward. Though her eyes were concealed by her winged helm, he could feel her attentive, searching gaze locked onto him.
"Your plan worked, Tarnished," she said, her voice surprisingly clear and calm. Few possess the strength to wield such immense power without instantly losing their minds. Your inner fortitude and composure in the face of God are worthy of true admiration."
Aerion rose slowly from his knees, leaning heavily on the spear. Every muscle in his body burned with pain, and the armor on his seared shoulder still hissed faintly. He wiped the sweat and ash from his brow with the back of his gauntlet and looked directly at the woman standing before him.
"Thank you, truly. Without you, I would probably have suffered a fate much worse than death. Your swordsmanship is as impressive as the legends say," he replied honestly, shifting his grip on the hilt.
"Without your help, that flame would have burned me to ash before I could even bring my hands together for the incantation. I have never seen anyone fight with such lethal precision while carrying a body so terribly ruined. You are truly remarkable."
Malenia nodded slightly, accepting his words in silence. Not a single muscle moved on her proud, stern face, though a mutual respect was evident in her stance. After a brief moment of respite, her posture stiffened once more, and her voice lost all its mildness.
"The battle is over, and so I return to my singular purpose. I am searching for my brother, Miquella. He was unlawfully abducted by Mohg, the Lord of Blood. Morgott gave me clear information. He claimed that you, Tarnished, know the exact location of that fiend's lair."
Aerion immediately furrowed his brow, a grim smile touching his lips. He understood the Omen King's intentions faster than Malenia could have anticipated.
"Yes. Morgott lied to you, Malenia," he stated, shaking his head in disbelief. "He wanted to pit us against one another, feed our anger, and ensure that we would butcher each other over secrets I do not possess."
Before the demigoddess could speak, Loretta stepped forward from the rear. She planted her royal glaive firmly on the ground.
Loretta then turned her visor directly toward Aerion, her gaze demanding absolute truth.
"Tarnished. You claim ignorance of Mohg's lair, yet you wield power that defies the natural progression of your kind. Why should we trust the word of a grace-guided warrior who seeks the mantle of Lord? You have every reason to remove potential rivals from your path to the Erdtree."
Aerion did not back down. Instead, he straightened his posture. As he did, a powerful, golden light erupted from his left eye, emanating the power of the partially reforged Elden Ring.
"Because I have no desire to see the world burn, nor do I have a quarrel with the Haligtree," Aerion replied, his voice echoing with inhuman depth and resonance.
"Look at these runes. I control all of Limgrave, the Weeping Peninsula, and the Roundtable Hold. My authority over those lands is absolute. I do not fear you, nor do I fear Mogh or the Formless Mother. Nor do I serve them. I offer truth, not a blade in the dark."
Loretta stared at the partially fused runes, her glaive lowering by a fraction. "A formidable claim. To hold the vast lands, loyalty of Roundtable Hold, and two Great Runes... you are closer to the throne than any who came before."
Malenia stirred, her focus shifting from the memory of Morgott's words to the undeniable reality of Aerion's power. She slowly loosened her grip on her weapon.
Yes, I see that he certainly lied to me. I've felt it before. Greater Will too strongly claimed you..." she whispered with bitterness. "Yet I cannot stand idly by. I must continue to hunt for tracks on my own, even if it means searching every scrap of Lands Between."
"Then our paths must diverge here," Aerion said, gesturing toward the misty expanse behind them. "My duties and destiny call me to the Raya Lucaria Academy now. However, I will aid you in this search as much as my influence allows. If you travel south, my men will receive you not as enemies but as guests. They will help replenish your supplies, grant you safe strongholds to rest in, and unreservedly share any information that they will get about Mogh and your brother.
Loretta looked at Malenia, then back to Aerion. "My lady, a safe haven in the south would allow our scouts to broaden their search of Limgrave without fighting a war."
Malenia apparently analyzed the proposal in silence for a long moment, sensing the weight of a Tarnished who was slowly becoming more than a mere claimant to the throne. Finally, she bowed her head slightly in a gesture of gratitude.
"I appreciate this, Aerion," she said. "Your offer is extraordinarily generous, and assistance is rare in these times. I see the Greater Will has chosen its vessel wisely. We shall march south."
Aerion fell silent for a moment, then suggested, "Let's be honest. We're all tired from this fight. So allow me to suggest a short rest. We'll find the Site of Grace, I'll cook a good meal, you can regain your strength, and perhaps we can even exchange stories. What do you ladies say?"
Loretta turned her gaze to her mistress, while Malenia remained silent, clearly torn, on the one hand probably wanting to head south immediately, and on the other, knowing as well as he did that haste isn't always advisable.
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Later
The heat of the battle had dissipated, replaced by the damp chill of northern Liurnia. Aerion had kindled a small campfire using broken wooden scaffolding near the Site of Grace, which once stood in the middle of the ruins of a church, which were, however, razed to the ground during the fighting.
A simple iron pot hung over the flames, filled with boiling stew with salted meat from his supplies.
Aerion sat on a smooth stone, checking the edges of his new spear, and opposite him, Malenia rested against a fallen column. Loretta sat nearby on the ground, her heavy armor clicking as she adjusted her posture, her helmet placed on the ground beside her.
"The stew is ready," Aerion said, lifting the pot lid with a cloth. He filled three wooden bowls and handed them out. "It is basic rations, but it restores strength."
Malenia took the bowl with her left hand. "Strength is what we need. We consumed much of it today."
"You spoke of your brother earlier," Aerion said, taking a sip from his bowl. "And of your journey. I have fought across Limgrave, Weeping Peninsula and here but Caelid remains a mystery to me. A deadly dangerous fight with Radahn awaits me there. I was wondering if you could give me some advice?"
Malenia stared into the fire. Though her eyes were covered by her helm, her posture became rigid at the mention of the Starscourge.
"Miquella had a vision for the Lands Between," Malenia began, her voice steady. "Radahn stood in the way of that vision by holding the stars in place, freezing fate itself. I marched my army south to break the stalemate. We fought our way through the Altus Plateau, Liurnia, Limgrave, and into Caelid. Radahn's Redmane knights were fierce, but my Cleanrot knights did not yield."
"And the duel itself?" Aerion asked, leaning forward. "The merchants speak of it as a clash that shook the continent."
"It was," Malenia nodded. "Radahn was massive, wielding gravity magic that made his dual greatswords move with impossible speed. When we finally met on the battlefield, there was no room for strategy. It was a test of raw martial skill. I used my speed to bypass his reach, slicing through his armor, but his strength was immense. Every blow he landed threatened to shatter my prosthetics."
She paused, touching the golden seam on her right shoulder.
"We fought for hours, and the prosthetic arm was detached during the exchange. I had to attach it back mid-combat while dodging his gravitational waves. Radahn was a master of war. He did not tire, and his swordsmanship was flawless. He caught me in a deadlock, pressing down with his immense weight."
"Is that when the Rot took over?" Aerion asked quietly.
"I had no choice," Malenia said, her tone dropping. "I had spent my entire life suppressing the Scarlet Rot to maintain my dignity and my own identity. But to match Radahn's overwhelming power, to ensure my brother's future, I had to let it bloom. I alloyed myself. The bloom broke his sanity and corrupted the land, but even then, neither of us could claim total victory. I was carried away by my knights, and Radahn was left a mindless beast, wandering the dunes."
Aerion remained silent for a moment, processing her words. "To fight such a titan to a standstill is an incredible feat.
Loretta finished her broth and set the bowl down. "The General was a remnant of an older, stronger era. It is a tragedy that his mind was lost, but the lesson remains. Absolute power requires absolute sacrifice. You would do well to remember that, Aerion, as you seek the Elden Throne."
"I intend to keep my sanity," Aerion replied, looking at his hands. "Today's fight showed me that there are many things to improve and room to grow stronger."
"Perhaps," Malenia said with sadness in her voice. "But remember not to lose yourself in this pursuit. The gods do not have your best interests at heart. I've told you a bit about my fight with Radahn, now it's time for you to tell me a bit about your own battles."