Deep within the subterranean Mohgwyn Dynasty, Mohg stirred from the Cocoon of the Empyrean. He had just concluded a blood-sharing ritual, attempting to saturate Miquella's body with vast quantities of cursed blood. He believed that one day, Miquella would become his perfect consort, and together they would establish a glorious Mohgwyn Dynasty under the gaze of the Formless Mother. At the very least, that was what he chose to believe.
However, before he could fully immerse himself in that grand delusion, Mohg sensed an anomaly. A Bloody Finger who had been granted his cursed blood was dead. In the war-torn Lands Between, such a thing was hardly surprising; anything could happen, especially to a Bloody Finger who spent his days hunting others to create more wounds. But this time, something was different.
"How can this be? Mother's cursed blood... has been utterly annihilated?"
Mohg brandished his Sacred Spear. The entire Dynasty trembled with the Lord's fury. The lake of congealed blood churned with boiling waves, and several unfortunate Albinaurics resting on the shore were swept in, vanishing instantly without a trace.
After his outburst, he stilled his movements. He cast his vision across all the Blood Nobles who shared his power. Aside from veterans like Sir Ansbach or legendary figures like Okina who had left a deep impression on him, he usually had to search through his subordinates one by one to find the source of an incident. Eventually, his gaze settled on a Bloody Finger named Nerijus. The source of the disruption had indeed come from him. Mohg was suddenly very curious about what the man had encountered.
Mohg could feel that a portion of the cursed blood he had bestowed had vanished entirely. It wasn't the natural depletion of combat, but rather annihilation by a force that made even him feel a twinge of alarm. Though the amount lost was infinitesimal compared to the total volume of his blood, it was enough to trigger his vigilance.
"Limgrave? It seems a meeting with my dear brother is in order."
Mohg recalled that his brother—Morgott—had a projection guarding the gates of Stormveil. For something this intriguing, he wouldn't mind cooperating with his sibling once more, just as they had during the "bloody conspiracy" that shattered the Sovereign Alliance. He had to resolve this hidden enemy; otherwise, it might interfere with the future he envisioned with Miquella—and that was something he would never permit.
In Limgrave, White Mask Varré suddenly felt the guidance of the Lord of Blood. He was instantly enveloped in a wave of profound ecstasy. His Lord was directing him to sneak toward the gates of Stormveil. The volume of cursed blood within him began to swell until it saturated every corner of his being. His body expanded and bloated, and a series of cracks appeared on his mask, revealing the twisted face beneath. He had been turned into a complete vessel for a portion of the Lord of Blood's power.
Dawn had broken. Atop the walls of Castle Morne, Elsa and Irina leaned against the battlements, looking out over the coastline and talking.
"So, you say he saved you using a method called 'Soul-Melding'?" Elsa asked.
Irina nodded, her face flushing. Recalling the scene still felt surreal; in that moment, she had truly felt as if she and Gawain had become one.
"Since that day, I've been able to sense his presence," Irina explained. "Whether it's a curse or a blessing, we share it. Look—I'm still maintaining the Golden Vow prayer even now. I want to be able to help him, even if it's only a little."
Elsa wasn't sure how such a feat was possible, but she didn't dwell on the mechanics. Her interest lay in the tactical applications of this "Soul-Melding."
"Sharing blessings and curses... that could be used in battle," Elsa mused.
Before she could think deeper, she sensed something approaching the castle. She turned her head, her expression turning sharp and serious. Was that a dragon flying in from the distance?!
"Irina, get to safety. Quickly!"
"Sister Elsa, wait! That's—"
Before Irina could finish her sentence, Elsa had already leapt from the wall, drawing her weapon as she landed. By now, most people in Castle Morne had noticed the rapidly approaching silhouette of the dragon. Residents scrambled for cover, while soldiers and mercenaries scrambled to their positions to repel the strike.
"Is that the dragon from Agheel Lake? Why is it coming here?"
Edgar felt a wave of cold dread. What is happening lately? First a Misbegotten rebellion, and now a dragon? Regardless, he had to fight. Morne was a military fortress; if they fought within the walls, the dragon's massive size would actually become a disadvantage. Just as he pinpointed the dragon's position and prepared to order his archers to fire, a curved blade blocked his path.
"Hold on," Elsa said. "I think I see someone on the dragon's back. It couldn't be..."
In a daze, they watched as Flying Dragon Agheel soared into the courtyard. A powerful gust of wind from her massive wings forced everyone to shield their eyes. A figure leapt down from the dragon's back.
"I'm back, everyone. Let me introduce you: this is Agheel. She'll be my mount from now on."
Gawain had originally intended to land outside the castle, but he decided this entrance was far more "cool," and it was a good way to introduce Agheel to the group.
"Flying Dragon Agheel... fine," Edgar sighed. "At this point, why am I even surprised? Do as you like."
After hearing about Gawain's past exploits over the last few days, Elsa's mindset had shifted. She was no longer surprised by anything he did. She lowered her sword. The soldiers, who had been ready for a life-and-death struggle, wore similar expressions. In their eyes, the hero who saved Morne could do no wrong. Just a dragon, no big deal. Back to work.
"Agheel, you're taking up too much space. Change back. Now."
Gawain stuffed a Young White Branch into the dragon's mouth. Instantly, the massive form that took up half the courtyard vanished, replaced by a "legal loli" girl with a disgruntled expression. Her transformation technique had clearly improved; she had far fewer scales on her face this time. Elsa walked over, picked Agheel up, and looked her over with a smirk.
"Whose kid is this?" Elsa asked. "She's actually quite cute as a human."
"Cute, sure," Gawain warned. "Just be careful she doesn't bite your arm off if she gets angry."
Elsa set the huffing Agheel down and asked about the trip.
"From the look of you, you found what you were looking for. So, when do we march on the demigod? I'm getting impatient."
"No rush," Gawain replied. "I caused quite a stir at the Gatefront. I want to give Godrick a few days to react. Once he cowers inside his castle, we can wipe them all out at once."
Gawain pulled Agheel to his side and looked at Edgar. "Do you have any Smithing Stones in the castle? My weapons could use some reinforcing."
"We have some," Edgar answered. "Both standard Smithing Stones and Somber ones. We have everything that can be gathered from the mines in Limgrave, but we lack a proper blacksmith."
"Don't worry about that. I know where to find one. Once the weapons are ready, we march. It was a lucky break running into Agheel; after a 'friendly' chat, she agreed to serve me. This human form is just a bit of camouflage I set up for her—saves a lot of trouble, doesn't it?"
Gawain pinched Agheel's cheeks with both hands, and the girl nodded along. Looking up, Gawain saw Irina standing on the wall watching them. He waved and sent a message directly through their soul-link.
Thank you for the prayer. It was a big help. You can stop for now; don't overexert yourself.
It was nothing, Lord Gawain, Irina replied. In the future, I will learn even more incantations to aid you.
Edgar watched his daughter and felt a renewed sense of resolve. He had to take down that demigod, no matter the cost. Yesterday, he had briefed his men; he had selected twenty of his best, including the Kaiden mercenaries, to join the campaign. While it wasn't a massive army, it was the best he could provide. Sending the rest of the soldiers would just be a death sentence, and he needed to keep some behind to guard the castle.
Under Edgar's lead, Gawain found several crates of Smithing Stones in a storehouse.
"You have this many? Did you empty out the mines?"
Edgar looked confused by Gawain's shock. "Is it really that many? Most of these were collected from across the Weeping Peninsula and stored here. Because of the rebellion, I didn't have time to send them to Stormveil. If you need them, take them all. These low-level stones are everywhere."
Gawain could only marvel at the abundance of the Lands Between. In his world, Smithing Stones were precious; here, they were packed into crates. Apparently, the only truly rare stones were the Ancient Dragon Smithing Stones capable of forging god-slaying weapons. Since Edgar considered these common, Gawain didn't hold back and pocketed the lot. A quick check of his UI showed they were mostly levels 1 through 3. For higher-level stones, he'd likely have to visit the mines in Liurnia. This explained why the average strength in the Weeping Peninsula was so low; in terms of weapon reinforcement, they were leagues behind other regions.
"That settles it then. I'll be gone for a bit to find someone to upgrade these, and maybe recruit a few more allies. There won't be any surprises this time."
Edgar nodded and shook Gawain's hand firmly.
"Regardless of the outcome, I want to thank you for everything. I will fight by your side until the end—for the Ancient King, and for Stormveil, which that tyrant has defiled."
In an instant, Gawain vanished into thin air, reappearing at the Table of Lost Grace within the Roundtable Hold. He wasn't just here for weapon upgrades; he was here for Nepheli Loux and Rogier. He planned to summon every ally he could. Moreover, he knew a man as well-informed as Gideon Ofnir would already know about the chaos he'd caused over the last few days. He expected a confrontation; for an event as major as seizing a Great Rune or an entire demigod's fortress, he didn't believe the All-Knowing would remain silent.
────────────────────────────────────────
Support me here: https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Spring Sale Special – 20% OFF!
Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash (60 chapter - Ongoing)
Join the journey and become part of the story!
────────────────────────────────────────