By that evening, Gawain and his company arrived at the Bridge of Sacrifice. The plan was to rendezvous with Sir Gideon's reinforcements today, reach the vicinity of Gatefront the next day to rest and regroup, and launch the final assault on the third.
The captain of the bridge's garrison looked up at the dragon perched upon the nearby cliffs. His lip twitched as he asked with a trace of hesitation:
"Lord Castellan, are you certain you're just heading to Stormveil to report our recent losses to Lord Godrick? You seem to be bringing... quite a few people with you."
"Don't ask questions that don't concern you. Just watch your bridge," Edgar replied. He was obsessively polishing his Banished Knight's Halberd, his gaze fixed on the distant silhouette of the city with a mixture of resentment and resolve. "Believe me, I intend to settle our accounts with him very thoroughly this time."
Gawain crossed the Bridge of Sacrifice alone. Following the coordinates Gideon had provided, he lit a small beacon in the gloom. Before long, two figures emerged from the darkness. As expected, it was the duo of Nepheli Loux and Rogier.
"So, you are the newest member of the Roundtable? I must say, I am not surprised," Rogier said. "Though this isn't our first time meeting, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rogier. As you can see, I'm a sorcerer. There is something I seek within Stormveil, and it is an honor to cooperate with you."
"The feeling is mutual," Gawain replied. "I assume you hold the means to contact the internal moles Sir Gideon mentioned? Once we breach the walls, I'll handle the Demigod myself. You two should prioritize rescuing our fellow Tarnished who have been captured but not yet executed. I've fought those Grafted Scions before; frankly, they're a nightmare for ordinary warriors to deal with."
Rogier nodded. According to his intelligence, his path to the depths beneath Stormveil would naturally take him past the cells where the prisoners were kept. He knew Nepheli wouldn't be able to turn a blind eye to such suffering, and he would be there to support her.
However, the sheer size of the force Gawain had brought took the sorcerer by surprise. He expected the men from Castle Morne and the rescued Zamor Hero, but the dragon atop the cliff was another matter entirely. If he remembered correctly, that was the same dragon that usually nested in Agheel Lake. Seeing it resting there peacefully—and seeing that Gawain's men treated it as perfectly normal—spoke volumes.
Rogier knew better than to pry into things best left unsaid. Instead, he mentally adjusted his assessment of the man before him. It was no wonder Sir Gideon had invited him to become a full member of the Roundtable Hold even before he had claimed his first Great Rune.
Nepheli didn't overthink things. Since her foster father had already made the arrangements, her job was simply to break in and raise as much hell as she saw fit, carving through the enemies who had defiled the winds with her Stormhawk Axes. However, there was one detail she felt compelled to mention.
"There is something you should know. The Night's Cavalry that usually roam the lands have all retreated to the main gate. My foster father has confirmed at least two of them are stationed there. And..." She hesitated before mentioning a more troubling detail. "Word is that a figure in a white mask was seen near Gatefront. He carried the scent of Cursed Blood. Even my foster father isn't sure of his goal, but we should stay alert. You know as well as I do that when Bloody Fingers appear, trouble follows."
Gawain etched this into his memory. White Mask Varré? What is he doing at Stormveil? Have my recent actions spooked him enough that he's moving toward Liurnia early?
Two Night's Cavalry helping Godrick defend the gate was an incredibly "deluxe" defensive line. Gawain shuddered to think how he would have handled such a nightmare start in the game, but here, he had the advantage of "righteous ganking."
"Understood. We rest tonight. Tomorrow, we move to the staging point."
After settling the two new teammates, Gawain began reviewing the new intelligence. The voice of the Ancient King echoed in his mind.
"I like that girl, Nepheli. The storm within her is far purer than yours."
"I can't argue with that. But the fight hasn't even started—are you already thinking about replacing me?"
"The suggestion is tempting, but alas, my choice was made too early. I am stuck with you as the new lord of Stormveil. Besides, looking at the situation, it's unlikely anyone but you could survive long enough to even see the Demigod. I can feel a greater profanity polluting the winds within the city. Be careful in the coming battle."
A fire flickered in Gawain's eyes, his tone turning cold. "They are the ones who should be careful. Godrick is only the first. The days of these Demigods ruining the Lands Between are coming to an end."
At dawn the next day, the company continued toward their destination. As Gawain expected, there were no ambushes or defensive lines along the way. Even the bridge he had "visited" a few days prior was now devoid of sentries.
They advanced without incident, reaching a deserted outpost near Gatefront by evening. Through a Birdseye Telescope, Gawain could see groups of soldiers scattered about, repairing the fortifications he had previously destroyed. Clearly, they didn't expect the strike to come so soon.
When the first light of dawn spilled from the Erdtree toward Stormveil, gilding the ancient walls in pale gold, the assault began.
At Gatefront, the Exile Soldiers worked mechanically under the barks of their knights. The chaos of the Shattering and endless fatigue had long since eroded their spirits; they swung their tools like hollowed-out shells of men.
The deathly silence didn't last. A sudden roar erupted in the distance, sounding like rolling thunder or a stampede of thousands. A Godrick Knight snapped his head up, shouting orders for the sentries to investigate.
The soldiers on the upper levels scrambled to their telescopes. Before they could focus, a black shadow tore through the sky, closing the distance at terrifying speed. A dragon?!
Before a horn could be blown, Agheel was upon them. A torrent of dragonfire swept down from the heavens, turning the half-repaired camp into a charred wasteland in an instant.
The gate's defenses were entirely designed to stop a ground assault. They had prepared for Tarnished, but no one had anticipated a threat from the sky. In a panic, the soldiers fired arrows wildly into the air. Even those bolstered by Farreaching Talismans couldn't hit such a fast-moving target. The few "lucky" hits that did land bounced harmlessly off Agheel's scales; ordinary longbows lacked the power to pierce dragonhide.
Rogier watched the spectacle with excitement. So this is the effect of a dragon clearing the field. If they had tried to storm the gate on foot, the snipers on the cliffs alone would have made them pay in blood.
Drawing his rapier—reinforced by Hewg—the sorcerer prepared to move. As a "traditional" sorcerer, knowing a bit of fencing was only logical.
"Now! With me!"
Elza saw the opening and charged at the head of the group. Her goal was to reach the main gate as fast as possible, giving the enemy zero time to react.
Because Agheel hadn't been thorough in his burning, focusing instead on destroying fortifications, many soldiers had survived by huddling in corners. They tried to reform a defensive line as the cavalry bore down on them, but without barricades or chevaux-de-frise, their efforts were futile.
Elza cut down several Godrick Knights with her curved blade, causing the already fragile morale of the garrison to collapse. She glanced at the soldiers cowering on the sidelines but didn't stop, shouting at the top of her lungs:
"We have no time for prisoners! Tie yourselves up or stay put! But if you wish to rebel against that tyrant, follow us and charge!"
Nepheli followed behind with her Stormhawk Axes, finding almost no one left with the will to resist. She didn't bother striking down those who had already surrendered; it went against her code.
However, the Storm skills she unleashed caught the eyes of the Exile Soldiers. For a moment, they seemed to remember their former glory. Many of the soldiers who still retained their sanity didn't think twice—they gritted their teeth and joined the charge toward the city gates.
Godrick was an "outsider" lord; his influence didn't even match that of his predecessor, Godefroy the Grafted. Godefroy might have also been a grafter, but he at least had the capability to raise an army that could besiege the Capital after the Night of the Black Knives. Though he was eventually captured by Ancient Dragon Knight Kristoff, he possessed the administrative talent of a ruler.
Godrick, by contrast, was a failure. After being soundly defeated in the past, he hid in his castle to play with severed limbs while his territories fell into rebellion. With his own lords treating "humiliating Godrick" as a common joke, there were few left who were truly willing to die for him—aside from the Grafted Scions who shared his madness.
Thus, instead of suffering casualties, Gawain's force actually grew as they broke through the first gate. Even putting aside Nepheli's nostalgic Storm techniques, the Exile Soldiers were more than ready to use this opportunity to revolt.
Riding on Agheel's back, Gawain watched the successful raid below before turning his attention elsewhere. He and Agheel had neutralized the snipers on the cliffs to prevent them from harrying the ground troops.
With a dragon's help, the cleanup was swift. He signaled Agheel to land at a specific location and wait. Hopping off the dragon's back and drawing his buckler, Gawain stood before an Evergaol.
The active seal proved that a prisoner still resided within—the Crucible Knight who had been locked away for unknown reasons. Gawain felt it necessary to check on him personally.
This was a member of the elite guard of Godfrey, the First Elden Lord. Such a warrior was a top-tier asset for any faction. It wouldn't do to have a golden juggernaut pop up behind him while he was fighting on the front lines.
He produced a Stonesword Key and inserted it into the mechanism. The seal shifted in color, and the entrance to the gaol slowly opened.
Gawain touched the seal and was instantly transported inside. Before him stood a giant in golden heavy armor, nearly three meters tall. The warrior leaned against the edge of the gaol, motionless, his Greatsword and Shield resting beside him.
Sensing an intruder, the knight didn't show much emotion. A muffled, heavy voice echoed from beneath the golden helm.
"I have said it many times: I will not leave. Wait... you do not look like one of Godrick's men. Have you wandered in here by mistake? I advise you to leave now, while I still have no desire to strike. Otherwise, I will have to end your life."
Gawain narrowed his eyes. The knight sounded remarkably displeased with Godrick. Perhaps I can recruit him?
"You seem to have kept your wits about you. But from the sound of it, you aren't exactly a fan of Godrick. I find it hard to imagine a Crucible Knight being locked in an Evergaol unless he was here by choice."
"I merely sought peace," the Crucible Knight replied, picking up his weapons with a trace of weary resignation. "Since I could not convince him to abandon the sin of grafting, I preferred to stay in this gaol where I would not have to look upon it."
He leveled his gaze at Gawain. "You are not one of his pawns, nor are you a citizen of the Golden Lineage. Since you are here, you must be a Tarnished seeking the Great Rune. I will give you one last chance: leave this gaol, and I shall act as if I never saw you."
"Since you've figured it out, you should know I can't leave a potentially hostile Crucible Knight at my back," Gawain countered. "I'm not just here for the Great Rune. Godrick's atrocities are long overdue for a reckoning. So, today you have a choice: follow me to deal with that tyrant, or I'll have to finish you here and now."
The Crucible Knight faced him, his body suddenly enveloped in a golden shimmer—the power of the Aspects of the Crucible.
"I have not served Godrick since the day he turned to grafting. But you wish for me to follow you? You must first prove you have the right."
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Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash (73 chapter - Ongoing)
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