The hand stood deep within the chamber, like a giant's arm that had burst through the ground and might crawl up from below at any moment to trample everything in its path.
But the arm ended halfway. Beside it sat an aged Priestess, eyes closed as if in a light doze, with candlelight flickering all around her.
It was deep into the night, and no visitors were likely to come. As the messenger, the Priestess could rest for a while, but the Two Fingers never seemed to tire.
The Two Fingers made no sound. The two fingers merely swayed slightly, sending invisible ripples spreading outward.
No one could see anything. Dark clouds covered the sky, leaving not a trace of moonlight or starlight. The only light came from the candles and lamps within the city.
Those invisible ripples moved swiftly. One moment they were still in Leyndell; the next, they had reached every corner of the Lands Between, stirring one silent hand after another.
"Has Mother been disturbed?" asked one of the Two Fingers.
"Yes. Someone has disturbed Mother's sweet dream. We finally managed to persuade Mother to wait patiently, so that when she returns, she might see a magnificent golden age."
"But now someone has awakened Mother, and endless terror and fear are pouring out because of it," Leyndell's Two Fingers said from within the small room.
"Who would dare such a thing? What a blasphemer. They deserve death ten thousand times over," the Finger atop the Divine Tower of Liurnia of the Lakes said in fury.
"You do not know, and neither do I. Mother favors none of us. What you know is all I know," Leyndell's Two Fingers said in a low voice.
Though it claimed they were all the same, being able to remain in Leyndell meant its status was indeed a little higher than that of its kin.
It could be said that when Mother did not involve herself in affairs, it was the leader of the Fingers, or at least the one with the most say among its brothers and sisters.
But the thoughts Mother sent were chaotic and tangled. The only thing clear in them was an unsoothable panic, without even a single definite command.
Though they seemed to be speaking heatedly on the surface, in truth, each of them was still trying to communicate with Mother and comfort her from the other side.
"What could possibly make Mother afraid? Have we failed in our duties and drawn punishment from the great god? Or is someone trying to harm Mother?"
A voice came from a seaside tower in Caelid.
All the Fingers fell silent, because whether it was punishment from the great god or someone capable of harming Mother, neither was something they could help with.
No one could defy the will of the great god, and even if someone merely wished to harm Mother, they could not reach out to aid her.
That damned traitor Marika had sent their Mother to a world beyond their reach. That was the greatest problem of all.
"At least we can be certain Mother has not been harmed. For now, she should not be in danger. That is good news," Leyndell's Two Fingers said again.
"But we cannot simply leave Mother in danger and do nothing," the voice from across the sea said, somewhat agitated.
Leyndell's Two Fingers said gravely:
"That is precisely why we must end this war as soon as possible. That land was sealed away by the god who bore the Elden Ring. Only an equal power can free it."
"Radagon, our loyal hound, is locked in the cage together with Marika. What we need now is a new Lord, someone who can burn away those thorns and reclaim control over the god and the Elden Ring!"
"But that will take far too long. The Tarnished you favor has not even fully conquered Limgrave," one of the Two Fingers said.
"Conquest takes time," Leyndell's Two Fingers retorted. "Think back to how many years Godfrey needed to conquer that land. It took a full hundred years of war before it ended."
"But there is no Storm King on that land now. Only a feeble Demigod, and even that feeble Demigod has long since died," said the Two Fingers of Liurnia of the Lakes.
Leyndell's Two Fingers was suddenly left speechless. In truth, even it found the matter strange.
The Noble Alliance had long since fallen apart, the Demigods had all been cut down, and Stormveil had welcomed a new master.
The conquest of Limgrave should have gone smoothly, yet that Tarnished had taken far too much time.
"The envoy from the Roundtable Hold is on his way to pay audience to the Lord. If he has the makings of a True Lord, I can offer appropriate assistance."
"Your people still have not met him? Their efficiency leaves much to be desired," Caelid's Two Fingers said unhappily.
"If you could guarantee control over the other regions, this process would have been far faster." Leyndell's Two Fingers rarely showed such obvious emotion.
The other Two Fingers immediately had nothing to say. If this elder brother had not still held control over Leyndell and Morgott, the rest of them would likely have been forgotten atop their high towers long ago.
...
Far to the north stood a magnificent fortress built around the tree: the Holy City of Elphael.
Outside a simple chamber, a group of people knelt on one knee. The Cleanrot Knights and Golden Needle Knights said nothing, yet they showed remarkable coordination, communicating only with their eyes.
They were waiting. Waiting for someone to come out of the room. Only after a long time did the door finally open.
"Finlay, is there any news of my brother?"
A slender, red-haired figure stepped out, clad in armor that resembled a Valkyrie from Norse mythology.
Malenia wore no helmet, revealing the heroic face that had long been hidden beneath her visor. Her long hair stirred behind her like burning flame.
"Not yet," Finlay said.
The moment the words left her mouth, she saw a faint, almost imperceptible trace of disappointment flash through the eyes of that invincible blade.
It was understandable. The Empyrean siblings shared a deep bond, and years of separation were truly a torment for His Highness.
The fiery figure blocked her and Leda's view. The young Valkyrie stood before the knights and gave a slight wave, signaling the champions to rise.
"And that... man? Has Lansseax sent back any news?" Malenia narrowed her eyes.
"Uh... Lansseax found him. He is now a Tarnished, ruling Limgrave as a Lord." Finlay rose to her feet, a broad smile showing beneath her mask.
"A Lord? That bastard certainly knows how to draw attention." Malenia cursed inwardly, though she could understand why Nolan had not returned.
What would he come back for? To wait for death?
After the battle at the Royal Capital, she had already realized the gap between herself and Morgott. If she had not borrowed the power of the Goddess of Rot, she might not have escaped unscathed.
The Nolan she remembered would only be throwing his life away if he came back. Yet that bastard had actually become a ruler in his own right. She had to admit, he had grown quite a bit.
Malenia lightly touched her lips. That final kiss before their parting had been the last gift that man gave her.
That bastard had known from the start that she would stop at nothing, but he had not expected the power of that kiss to be so strong.
The Crimson Flower had clearly already begun to bloom, yet in the end, it was forcibly stopped by flames and that man's embrace.
Because of that bloom, she had often fallen into deep slumber over the years. In her dreams, she seemed to hear the Goddess of Rot cursing in furious frustration.
That put Malenia in an excellent mood, and a beautiful smile appeared on her face.
That smile resembled the last smile of that bad man, as though it carried a trace of relief.
But what had that man been relieved about? And what was she relieved about?
The smile faded from Malenia's face. She only felt as if that embrace, warm as fire, was still behind her and had never let go.
And the man who had opened his arms to her had only asked her to believe in him.
"Believe in him? What a troublesome man. But at this point, it seems I have no other choice. So I suppose I'll reluctantly keep believing," Malenia thought.