Two days later, the silhouette of Castle Morne finally appeared in the distance. Since Elsa could not use the Sites of Grace to teleport, Gawain had no choice but to let her ride behind him on Torrent as they made their way back.
On their journey through the Demi-human Forest, they encountered numerous demi-humans and Misbegotten attempting ambushes. This included a "doctoral candidate" among the demi-humans—a Demi-human Queen who usually cast Glintstone sorceries but, in a fit of rage, would resort to "staff-swinging magic," hurling her staff at people's heads.
Of course, these minor minions served as little more than a nuisance. Gawain , wanting to lighten Edgar's burden, took the approach of clearing out every enemy he saw on the road back.
"Is that the current Castle Morne?" Elsa gazed at the fortress ahead. She found herself reminiscing about the end of the war of conquest she had witnessed while following Godfrey. "It doesn't look much different from my memory. If anything, it's even more dilapidated."
"I mentioned before that the current commander of this castle is a Banished Knight, right?" Gawain asked.
"Yes, Edgar," Elsa replied. "After all, when the Storm Lord was driven into retreat, many of his subordinates chose to surrender to the Golden Order. Even Oleg, one of the Storm Lord's two wings, chose to submit, let alone the other Banished Knights."
"To be honest, making a Banished Knight the castellan of Morne is little different from exile," Gawain added. "Even during a rebellion as severe as this one, Stormveil Castle provided no reinforcements."
Gawain suddenly remembered something else and continued, "By the way, there's a group of Kaiden sellswords in the city now. I imagine you remember them; they come from the same mountain warrior tribes as you."
A look of reminiscence crossed Elsa's face. "The Kaiden? That's a name I haven't heard in a very long time. Their ancestors were clever; they willingly served as mercenaries for the nobles in Leyndell, thereby avoiding the subsequent purges."
As they drew closer to Castle Morne, Gawain could see that the city had become much livelier. The sorrow following the massacre had faded, replaced by the joy of vengeance achieved.
Outside the walls, he saw not only sentries but also a dozen or so civilians repairing the Golem he had disabled. Luckily, he had only destroyed its leg and power system; it shouldn't be too difficult to fix.
The approach of the two riders did not escape the notice of the gate guards. After identifying them through a telescope, a soldier immediately rushed to report the news to Edgar, who was still handling affairs in his office.
Edgar immediately dropped what he was doing and hurried to the gate to greet them. They're finally back.
As he stepped off the lift, he saw that Gawain had brought someone back with him. Though he didn't know who she was, her physical features reminded him of the people from the distant Mountaintops. Wait... she couldn't be the prisoner from that gaol, could she?
"Let me introduce you. This is Elsa, a Zamor. She'll be helping me from now on. She'll be staying in Castle Morne for a few days, so please arrange a room for her."
"A Zamor... fine. As long as you know what you're doing," Edgar said. "It seems your journey went smoothly."
Edgar glanced at Elsa. Her formidable aura and her battered armor spoke volumes. After a moment of thought, he spoke up. "I still have some suitable armor in my collection at Morne that I can give to you. It might not be a perfect fit, but it should serve well enough."
"Thank you," Elsa replied.
After a brief exchange, the three entered the interior of Castle Morne. Elsa was led by a servant to her assigned room, located not far from Gawain's. Inside, several sets of fitting armor and civilian clothes had been placed for her convenience.
While she familiarized herself with the castle, Gawain sat across from Edgar. After a moment of silence, Edgar was the first to speak.
"Are you confident about that matter?"
"The experiment was a success. I can perform it at any time," Gawain said. "But you must understand the risks involved. Anything involving Outer Gods—especially the Frenzied Flame—will not go as smoothly as one might imagine."
Edgar sighed, his face etched with distress. "At least it's a hope. Because of Irina, I've researched the fate of those who harbor the Frenzied Flame. Even those with the strongest wills eventually descend into madness without exception. I'm mentally prepared. Besides, this isn't easy for you either, is it?"
"Does she know?" Gawain asked. "I'll need her cooperation to properly complete the necessary ritual."
Edgar coughed twice, and the door opened. Irina walked in, her hands tightly clenched.
"Father told me everything. Lord Gawain, do not hesitate. Even if it ends in failure, I refuse to be consumed by such an existence."
Irina balled her fists. Over the past few days, she had learned the truth about her condition, and even now, she felt a lingering fear. She recalled how many times she had felt drawn to that "warm" candle-light in the distance. If her father hadn't protected her so well, she couldn't imagine what kind of inhuman monster she would have become. She was willing to take the risk of failure to escape that fate.
Irina looked forward. Compared to that faint candlelight, she could now vividly see a blazing ring before her.
Seeing that both father and daughter had made their decision, Gawain had nothing more to say.
"Castellan, find me a dim, secluded room. Don't let anyone get close. Once it's over, I will let Irina see the light again."
Edgar took a deep breath and led them out of the room. They passed through the guest quarters to the deepest part of the castle—a storehouse once used for junk, which he had cleared out in advance for this very moment.
The location was far from the residential area, so there was no need to worry about affecting others. Edgar personally stood guard at the door to prevent any interruptions.
Inside the dim room, Irina sat on the floor, her posture somewhat stiff. She took several deep breaths to calm herself before nodding to signal they could begin.
Gawain reached out and gently removed the cloth covering Irina's eyes. Several times during the process, she instinctively reached up to block him as if triggered by something, but he gently held her hand and calmed her down.
Once the blindfold was completely off, even Gawain couldn't help but gasp. What kind of eyes are these?
The areas around her sockets were covered in red, burn-like scars. Her long-lost pupils slowly opened, but the interiors were filled with the yellow traces of the Frenzied Flame—looking exactly like Shabriri Grapes. It was the result of being melted from the inside out; he could even see the faint movement of liquid within.
Gawain thought of Yura, the Bloody Finger Hunter who had also been a host for the Frenzied Flame. Yura hadn't understood his own condition, calling the flame a "parasite" before his body was eventually possessed by Shabriri after his death.
If Gawain's guess was correct, Irina's current situation was likely the same. A follower of the Frenzied Flame named Hyetta was nesting within her pupils, just like Shabriri, waiting for the host to die so she could take over the body as a new Finger Maiden of the Frenzied Flame.
"Irina, it might hurt a bit. You'll need to bear with it. This will link us closely together."
"Ugh... it hurts... but it's so warm. Lord Gawain, I can feel your temperature. Is this the 'link' you spoke of?"
Standing outside the door, Edgar furrowed his brow. This conversation sounds incredibly strange. Just as he was considering peeking inside, Elsa approached, having changed into her new clothes. Her expression was grim.
"I just felt a presence that concerns me. Castellan, what exactly is behind that door?"
"You'll understand soon enough," Edgar replied. "But for now, do not disturb them. He needs absolute focus."
Hearing that Gawain was the one inside, Elsa relaxed slightly. She could sense the aura of the Frenzied Flame. As an existence at the very bottom of the Lands Between's social and moral hierarchy, every faction sought to eradicate the Frenzied Flame, and she was no exception. However, she was curious about how Gawain intended to handle it.
Inside the room, Gawain had used the Smelting Furnace to initiate a Soul-Melding ritual, binding a portion of his soul to Irina's. The red glow representing his Embers flowed continuously through the soul-link into her.
Melina leaned against the corner of the room, tensely watching the progress. Even though she knew things shouldn't go wrong, anything involving the Frenzied Flame made it impossible for her to be at ease.
As Gawain's power reached Irina's pupils, the Embers began to convert and absorb the nesting Frenzied Flame. The yellow hue began to dissipate.
However, as expected, an accident occurred. An entity within Irina's pupils sensed the threat. The yellow liquid converged and then violently expanded, summoning more Frenzied Flame out of thin air. A miniature sun of Frenzied Flame began to form within her eyes.
Irina felt as though she had returned to the moment she first lost her sight. The searing pain brought her to tears. Her body trembled as she tried to suppress the terror in her heart, but she was barely holding on.
"Damn it... trying to snatch someone right in front of me? The Frenzied Flame, huh? Fine. Let's see who breaks first."
Gawain watched his Madness gauge skyrocket. Gritting his teeth, he reached out and pulled Irina into a tight embrace. By bringing their bodies into such close proximity, he forced his soul to temporarily entwine with hers, achieving an effect similar to the Twin Princes. Blessings and curses were now shared completely. Though it was a temporary state, it was enough to deal with the current crisis.
The power of the Frenzied Flame was continuously assimilated by his Embers. However, this was not easy for him. The lingering mad thoughts of the Frenzied Flame accumulated in his mind until his Madness gauge finally hit its limit.
He let out a roar, and a yellow light representing the Frenzied Flame burst from his eyes. Under the immense pressure, the black ring on his chest—the Dark Sign—reappeared, merging with the incoming power of the Frenzied Flame.
In a trance, he found his consciousness drifting within a void. Before him stood a yellow sun emitting intense pollution and despair. He knew that he might have unconsciously made contact with the higher-level starry void—the place where the actual bodies of the Outer Gods that influenced the Lands Between resided.
His current form was a ring of raging fire—the projection of his most fundamental power.
"So, you are the Outer God of the Frenzied Flame? I'm keeping this person's soul. And the other souls in the Lands Between too. One day, I will drive you out completely."
Gawain, emboldened by the nature of the Embers he carried, was utterly unafraid of the Frenzied Flame Outer God. The limit of what the entity could do was exert mental influence, but that paled in comparison to the pain of being burned by the First Flame.
Attracted by the existence known as Hyetta and using Irina's soul as a medium, the power of the Frenzied Flame continued to transmit. However, it was also being continuously assimilated and absorbed by the Embers. The two sides were locked in a stalemate.
Just as Gawain was beginning to adapt to the madness pervading his mind and attempted to pull his consciousness back to the Lands Between to continue the struggle, he felt a more intense light wrap around him from behind. It shielded him, blocking out the vast majority of the Frenzied Flame's polluting power.
He turned around and saw another sphere emitting light and heat. However, this radiance did not carry the pollution of the Frenzied Flame. Its heat was like that of a true sun. No—this was a true Sun.
"Have you... chosen me?"
Gawain thought of the experiences of the demigods in the Lands Between. Mohg had encountered the Formless Mother in the depths of a subterranean gaol. Ranni and Rennala had found their own Laws—the Dark Moon and the Full Moon—by gazing at the stars.
Many stars in the Lands Between were the physical bodies of Outer Gods, possessing their own will and Laws. They would choose representatives they favored and grant them blessings and power, often without requiring anything in return. Their only goal was to propagate their own Law. Am I in the same situation?
He received no response. The Sun before him merely protected his consciousness, clashing with the Frenzied Sun in a violent explosion.
The impact sent Gawain's consciousness back to the Lands Between. Opening his eyes, he found that the transmission channel for the Frenzied Flame had been severed. The alien presence in Irina's pupils let out a wail before slowly dissipating, swallowed and assimilated by his Embers.
He gasped for air. Absorbing such a massive amount of power all at once was nearly too much for him to handle. The moment he relaxed, he almost lost consciousness.
Forcing himself to stay awake, he cupped Irina's face with his hands and cast a Great Heal. The holy light seemed even more brilliant than before. The ugly scars vanished, and her sightless pupils gradually regained their color.
Irina's consciousness returned from the chaos. She had felt her soul being controlled by something, forced toward that distant candlelight. Just as she was at a loss, a ball of intense fire had enveloped her, pulling her soul back from the edge of the abyss.
A sharp pain flickered in her eyes. She couldn't help but rub them before slowly opening them. The darkness she had known since she could remember was replaced by light. Before her was a face that felt familiar yet was being seen for the first time.
"Welcome back, Irina. Now... let me sleep for a while."
Seeing that her recovery was complete, Gawain could no longer hold on. His head slumped onto her shoulder as his body began to slide toward the floor. Irina quickly reached out to support him, hugging him tightly and refusing to let go for a long time.
"Thank you... So, you were the light I was searching for all along."
Melina, who had witnessed the entire process, finally let out a sigh of relief. She had nearly stepped in to forcibly stop the ritual several times but had ultimately chosen to trust him. Fortunately, the result was a success.
She looked at the two embracing and felt a strange, small flicker of emotion in her heart. However, her attention was quickly drawn to an anomaly on the floor.
A circular symbol had appeared there. For some reason, she felt that this symbol was not the same thing as the Dark Sign within him. Recalling something, she looked out the window at the sky. There, a faint white orb could be seen.
"Is it... the Sun?"
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Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash (40 chapter - Ongoing)
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