"Critically injured and in a coma? Are you certain?" Raven asked in shock, but the Redwhistle leader had already walked out the door.
Lansseax craned her head over the terrace and flicked a spark of electricity. "Oho! Godwyn is heavily wounded?"
"Why do I get the feeling you're actually happy about this?" Raven asked.
"I've never liked him. Still, it's good to have a heads-up. I'll make sure to steer clear of my sister for a few days so I don't cross her while she's in a foul mood."
"You're her elder sister. Can't you show a little sisterly authority? Even if you can't beat her in a fight, you don't have to be this terrified of her."
"Who says I can't beat her?!"
Raven didn't say a word; he simply pointed to Rudy's dragonbone dagger tucked into his belt.
"...Even if she was a bit stronger back then, she gave half of her Dragonbolt to Godwyn. She's definitely not as strong as me now. I'd even bet she gave away more than half."
"And yet you're still hiding from her."
"An elder sister yielding to her younger sister—isn't that only natural?"
Raven rubbed his temples helplessly. He had originally planned to have Lansseax reach out to Fortissax to fish for information about Godwyn, but that seemed out of the question now.
The bells of the Roundtable Hold echoed from the distance—six successive chimes, signaling an emergency meeting.
"Lansseax, could I ask you to fly me to the Roundtable Hold?"
"Sure thing. Right now?"
Raven nodded and flicked his finger, teleporting onto her back in a blur.
"Hold on tight!" Lansseax unfurled her four wings and shot into the sky. "Wait, where did that little dragon come from?"
Raven looked over and spotted another winged dragon in the distance. It was pitch black, leaving a trail of shimmering, azure stardust in its wake.
"A Glintstone Dragon?" He squinted, recognizing the creature. "Lansseax, pull closer to that dragon."
Lansseax adjusted her course to intercept the Glintstone Dragon's flight path, but the other creature suddenly accelerated, leaving her in the dust.
"Running the moment you see me? You think too little of me!" Her competitive spirit ignited. Dragonbolt flared across her four wings and tail, and with a thunderous roar, her speed increased several times over.
Caught off guard by the sudden acceleration, Raven nearly tumbled off her back, only steadying himself by grabbing onto a thick dragon scale. Fortunately, the Dragonbolt formed an aerodynamic arc in front of Lansseax, keeping the wind speed on her back from becoming too extreme; otherwise, his Longtail Cat Talisman would have certainly been put to the test.
The Glintstone Dragon ahead beat its wings frantically, but it was overtaken in moments.
Lansseax dove down and swatted the Glintstone Dragon's head with her tail. "Hey! Stop running!"
The Glintstone Dragon let out a piteous whimper of surrender. Its half-extended wings froze, and it began to glide through the air as its speed plummeted.
"Prince Godwyn, what is the meaning of this?" a voice called out from the dragon's back, tinged with slight annoyance.
Raven quickly stopped Lansseax's bullying, waving his hands and shouting, "It's me! It's Raven! Sister, is Loretta with you?"
"Prince Raven!" The female knight removed her helm, her pale silver hair fluttering in the wind. "I am here!"
Raven had just stood up when he saw Loretta take a running start and leap across the gap, her silver-white armor and streaming hair flashing in the sunlight.
"Careful!" Raven reached out, catching Loretta as she landed somewhat unsteadily. Then, the realization hit him. "Wait, your legs... are they healed?"
He looked down at her legs. A layer of dull silver metal covered her skin, extending up past her knees. At first, he thought they were a unique style of long combat boots, but he realized the metal was alive, flowing rhythmically with Loretta's movements.
"No, I still have no sensation," Loretta said with a shake of her head and a smile. "I rely on her to walk. She is a Mimic Tear, capable of shifting into various forms."
"Hello—" Countless tiny ripples appeared on the metal surface, producing a crisp female voice through high-frequency vibrations, carrying an inorganic, magnetic echo. "I am Esme. I am traveling with Loretta."
"I met her in the Eternal City of Nokstella," Loretta explained. "She wants to travel to the other Eternal City, Nokron, to find the Sacred Cradle of the Tears... But putting that aside for now, has Your Highness been well during this time?"
"Yes. Though there have been some unpleasant experiences, I've made many new friends..."
Just then, Ranni's cool voice drifted over from the side.
"Such as this Ancient Dragon, I presume—Eek!" She stepped out from the azure stardust of a teleportation spell, her body wreathed in freezing mist. Unexpectedly, the crimson sparks dancing on the dragon scales surged into the icy fog.
With a sharp crack, Ranni tripped and tumbled onto the hard scales. The ice mist around her dissipated instantly, and her Snow Witch hat was snatched away by the gale.
Raven vanished and reappeared in an instant, holding the hat in his hand. "I am so sorry. Are you alright?"
"...Thank you."
Ranni reached out to take the hat, nearly fumbling it. She jammed it back onto her head, her red hair—now frizzy from the static shock—poking out stubbornly from beneath the brim.
"I am perfectly fine, of course," she said, her voice maintaining its noble authority despite a slight tremor. "It was my own miscalculation not to account for the conductivity of the ice mist. You have no need to apologize."
Seeing the red-haired girl with tears pricking the corners of her eyes while she struggled to maintain her "dignified" persona, Raven let out a dry cough and awkwardly looked away.
Ranni pressed her hands against the dragon scales to stand up, but her lightning-numbed body was clearly not up to the task. She managed to lift herself ten centimeters before flopping back down. This time, her eyes truly began to water.
"Princess Ranni, let me help—" Loretta said, stepping forward.
"Loretta, let's all just sit down and talk," Raven suggested quickly, finding a flat scale to sit on. "Princess Ranni, you found the Eternal City?"
After quietly using glintstone magic to level out the uneven scales beneath her, the embarrassment on Ranni's face finally began to fade. She cleared her throat.
"Yes. We entered the Eternal City of Nokstella," she said, producing an exquisite leather pouch and handing Raven the neatly folded papers inside. "These are maps I drew by hand. Although the city did not contain what I was looking for, some of the discoveries may be of use to the Carian Kingdom. You and Mother can organize an exploration party in the future."
"Thank you. I'll make a copy for Mother." Sensing that Ranni didn't want to discuss exactly what she had been searching for, Raven didn't pry. "Is there a specific reason for your return to the Capital? Perhaps I can assist?"
"It is nothing major, really," Ranni said, hesitating for a fraction of a second. "Queen Marika wishes to meet with me. She claims to have a clue regarding the other Eternal City."
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Elden Ring: The Unborn One's Journey Through Elden Ring(174 Chapter - Ongoing)
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