The early morning sun rose over the gates of Stormveil Castle. The scars from the battle a few days prior had yet to be fully mended. Several Banished Knights stood watch as dozens of former Exile Soldiers and reinforcements from Castle Morne busied themselves hauling supplies. Most of the manpower was concentrated within the walls, focused on reconstruction to ensure the upcoming ceremony would proceed without a hitch.
The workers' burden was lighter than expected, however, as much of the heavy lifting was handled by Trolls brought in from Stormhill.
In the past, these Trolls had lived as nothing more than slaves. Yet, for reasons unknown, the man the Ancient King had recognized as the new Storm Lord harbored no such enmity toward them. Instead, he allowed these descendants of the defeated to hold a position of relative equality. Consequently, the Trolls worked with a vigor that accelerated the reconstruction of the gates and the inner city far beyond initial projections.
Since a few days ago, a steady stream of visitors had arrived, seeking to scout the situation. After a brief inspection, most were granted entry.
The only minor incident involved the capture of several Nomadic Merchants who were touched by the Frenzied Flame yet still retained their sanity. They were led into the city to an undisclosed location, only to reappear later with the yellow embers of madness completely purged from their eyes.
Kalé led his small donkey toward the castle. The beast was laden with a mountain of goods; Kalé intended to make a handsome profit once they were inside. To be honest, he still found the whole situation surreal. Just a few days ago, he had met a seemingly boastful Tarnished who claimed he would kill Godrick—and then the man actually went and did it.
Of course, Kalé hadn't planned on entering the castle so easily until he ran into two fellow travelers on the road.
"Mr. Kalé, can we really just enter Stormveil? I'm still a bit nervous."
A small demi-human followed behind, carrying a backpack stuffed with various tools. Having never imagined such a day would come, Boc was visibly apprehensive.
"Boc, didn't you tell me you met that same Tarnished? I only found the courage to come here after hearing your story. By all rights, we are both invited guests. Stand tall; don't let us down."
After encouraging Boc, Kalé turned to the towering half-wolf carrying a colossal sword beside them. "To be honest, I never expected to run into you on the road. Did you find the place you were looking for?"
Blaidd shook his head. He had made some progress, but he was still far from his goal.
He had come to Limgrave for two main reasons. One was to hunt down a traitor, which he had successfully completed. Though the duel had left him with some minor injuries, it was of little consequence. The second was to search for the hidden treasure of the Eternal City, Nokron. Although he had successfully located the Siofra River Well in the heart of the Mistwood, that vast underground world was far too expansive for him to explore alone.
Just as he was struggling, he received a decree from Ranni—specifically, a projection she sent to command him to enter the castle. He was to negotiate with the new king who had defeated Godrick and, if possible, seek his aid to accelerate the exploration of the Siofra River.
Blaidd could see that the Empyrean he served was deeply interested in this new king. As her Shadowbound Beast, he felt it was his duty to see for himself what kind of man this ruler truly was.
When the trio reached the front gate, the strange combination of a demi-human, a merchant, and a beastman was naturally halted. For some reason, the soldiers inspecting them looked upon them with a hint of hostility.
"What is your business in the city?"
Blaidd frowned. He could sense they were being deliberately singled out; others had been let through after a much simpler check.
Boc fumbled through his backpack and carefully pulled out an exquisite dagger—the very one Gawain had given him.
"We were invited to enter! My master... he agreed to let me be his seamster. He told me to come find him once I saw the signal. Please, let us pass."
"No, impossible! You must have stolen that! You're coming with us."
The soldier suddenly grabbed Boc's arm with agitation, attempting to pull him away. Blaidd didn't say a word; he simply gripped the soldier's hand with enough force to make him release the demi-human.
The commotion spread quickly. Banished Knights guarding the gate began to close in, but a tall mercenary soon pushed through the crowd.
After surveying the scene, Galvin grasped the situation. He let out a sigh and spoke a few quiet words to the agitated soldier. Though the man still looked reluctant, he retreated from the gate.
Galvin watched him leave, unsure of what to say. It was fortunate he was personally standing guard, or things might have turned ugly. Waving off the Banished Knights to signal that everything was under control, he spoke with an apologetic tone.
"My apologies. Please, do not hold a grudge against that soldier. His family fled the city during the rebellion at Castle Morne, only to be slaughtered by rioting demi-humans. He tends to get... emotional when he sees demi-humans trying to enter."
Blaidd recalled the stories he had heard while hunting the traitor. It aligned with his suspicions. "I see. Has Castle Morne recovered from the rebellion, then?"
Galvin nodded. He had heard from Edgar that a demi-human and a specific merchant would be arriving. Though he didn't know the background of the massive beastman, since the three came together, there was no harm in letting them in.
"More than that. I stormed this very city alongside the Castellan and other warriors. You've come at a good time. In a few days, you'll witness a grand ceremony. Until then, please wait patiently and do not disturb the Lord Storm Lord. Come, I'll show you where to settle in. Try not to cause any trouble; that dragon has been restless lately, flying all over the place and bickering with the Stormhawks. Don't be too surprised if you see her."
The three travelers exchanged glances. Just how much had Stormveil changed? It seemed they would only know for sure once they were inside.
After the trio was led away by Galvin, a heavily guarded carriage arrived on the Limgrave highway. It had not been an easy journey; the passenger inside was far too important. The escort was of a caliber second only to that of the Castellan's own daughter.
Sellen sat inside the carriage, flipping through a sorcery tome. After a final jolt, she knew they were nearing their destination. Setting her book down, she peered through a gap in the curtains. The soaring architecture of Stormveil Castle loomed before her.
She reflected on the bizarre events of a few days ago. Two separate teams had simultaneously located her projection's hideout and her physical body's prison. According to the Zamor woman with the twin blades, the "apprentice" she had so inexplicably taken on had already claimed his first Great Rune. Now, he was fulfilling his promise to bring his teacher into the castle, providing her with a far more comfortable residence.
A smile played on Sellen's lips. This wasn't the fate she had envisioned, but being locked in a dungeon wasn't exactly pleasant either. Moving house seemed like a fine alternative.
She looked up. There was a small circular opening in the carriage roof that allowed her to observe the night sky. Even though it was daytime, as a master of glintstone sorcery, she could still track the flow of the stars.
"Hmph. How peculiar... the positions of certain stars have already begun to shift."
Gawain was wrapped tightly in a suit of Banished Knight armor. Though he had essentially recovered from his hollowing, he found he quite liked the feel of the full plate.
He stood at the start of the bridge leading to the Divine Tower. Behind him stood Irina, carrying a small box. In the days since she arrived, she had quickly familiarized herself with the castle's layout. Upon hearing of the coronation, she had spent every day consulting with Edgar and the others on how to make the event as grand as possible. She had even volunteered to play a key role in the ceremony.
Of course, with many guests still on their way, there was still time. She handed the box to Gawain and looked toward the distant Divine Tower with a sigh of admiration; it was far more magnificent than she had imagined.
"Everything you asked for is inside. Father searched everywhere to fill this box. I hope it's enough for you."
Gawain felt the energy radiating from the box. It should be sufficient.
"It'll do. I'll be going now."
"Yes. Safe travels. Be sure to come back soon."
He turned and headed toward the Divine Tower. The golem guards on the bridge had been reprogrammed; they no longer attacked him, standing instead like silent statues lining the path.
Before he had gone far, Melina's form manifested beside him. She took the exquisite box, opened it, and nodded after a quick inspection.
"This should be more than enough. I will use these Rune fragments to help you activate the Great Rune."
"I really didn't expect this to be such a hassle," Gawain muttered. "I thought it would just activate automatically once I reached the tower."
He looked at the various Rune Arcs inside the box. These were the items Melina had requested; they were essential for activating the Great Rune within him. Unlike the perfect arcs found in games, these were irregular shards of various shapes. After all, when Marika shattered the Elden Ring, the fragments flew across the Lands Between. Aside from the Great Runes with their specific effects, the larger shards—Rune Arcs—remained as irregular pieces of varying sizes.
"Your final attack was far too powerful," Melina explained. "While it didn't hit the Great Rune directly, the shockwave caused it some damage. If you wish to reactivate it, you must use sufficient materials to repair it. But don't worry; it's a simple matter. I will handle it."
Seeing Melina's confidence, Gawain felt at ease. He had sensed that the Great Rune within him was indeed missing something.
"I wonder what the effect will be once it's active."
With that question in mind, he reached out and pushed open the massive doors of the Divine Tower.
────────────────────────────────────────
Support me here: https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Spring Sale Special – 20% OFF!
Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash (100 chapter - Ongoing)
Join the journey and become part of the story!
────────────────────────────────────────