I watched as Godwyn left the stone table behind and stood up to the full height his new body allowed, although the empty armor made him shorter than me, I did not doubt that this did not affect his power.
He made a gesture similar to taking a deep breath and stepped forward on shaky legs, generating metallic clicks with each small hesitant movement, only to shout an insult as he fell forward.
I quickly advanced; grabbing him by the shoulders and helping him stand again.
"Thank you…" The demigod murmured. He might not have a face now, but his voice revealed his shame.
"You're welcome. Take as much time as you want to get used to your new condition." I replied, smiling sympathetically and watching as Godwyn readjusted himself and tried to walk again, only to obtain a similar result as before.
He leaned on the stone table this time, preventing himself from falling as his legs shook like leaves in the wind.
I frowned in irritation as I watched his various attempts, the demigod becoming increasingly frustrated with each failure, to the point of punching his armored legs, and yelling for them to work.
I clicked my tongue as I shook my head in disappointment, approached Godwyn, cringing slightly at the metallic clicks echoing off the walls, and rested one of his arms on my shoulder.
"What… What are you doing?" Godwyn asked in surprise.
"I am helping you, since you prefer to act as a child." I teased, smiling slightly.
"Hmph! I am Godwyn the Golden, a demigod, but I have trouble walking as I walked my whole life." Godwyn replied sarcastically.
"Well, you can walk again now, but you need to start slowly, one step at a time."
He grunted angrily, but nodded, accepting my words, and did as I suggested. Then we left Seluvis' basement behind, synchronizing our steps until we reached a desirable pace.
"I feel like a baby learning to walk," Godwyn commented as we climbed the stairs.
"You have the attitude of one."
"So, you find me adorable?"
"Annoying and loud describe you better."
"I'll pretend I didn't hear your words. Besides, how do you know the attitude of a baby? Haven't you lost most of your memories?"
"Interesting question, how do I know that?" I asked more to myself than Godwyn.
I assumed an impassive face as the image of two unrecognizable people turning into melted wax flashed in my mind, but I quickly shook my head, dispelling the image and focusing on the exit above.
Godwyn stiffened in my arms and fell silent as he watched the landscape around us, and then slipped out of my grip.
I held out my hand as I called his name, but he ignored me and staggered away, leaning against the ruins until he stopped on a patch of grass.
There he looked up at the starry night sky, raising both of his armored hands toward the full moon and watching the moonlight reflect off his armor. He stood on his tiptoes as he clenched and unclenched his fists as if trying to hold onto something just out of his reach.
Then he focused on the ground beneath his feet, tearing up handfuls of dirt and grass and rubbing them in his hands before releasing them through his fingers. Next, he raised a flower toward his face, but discarded it, probably because he could not smell it.
I approached slowly, pondering how to explain that his body did not grant sensations, but stopped as soon as Godwyn turned toward me, opened his arms, and spoke with humility unusual for his personality, something I had never heard before.
"Alden, thank you."
I widened my eyes and stumbled slightly at his words, for they were not an exclamation or boast, similar to his previous sentences since I met him, but rather a soft and sincere speech, like a person speaking sincerely.
For a moment, I did not see a demigod in that patch of grass blown by the cold night wind and enveloped by blue moonlight and spiritual particles, but rather a person, extremely tall, with long, wiry hair, wearing dark robes and smiling broadly, but a person and nothing more.
"You don't need to thank me, Godwyn. I just did the right thing." I replied, approaching.
"Don't diminish your achievements, Alden, I have a second chance at life thanks to you, and that deserves a reward."
"That's not necessary, but I admit that a reward would be welcome." I said, making Godwyn chuckle lightly.
"From now on, I will become your teacher in the art of incantations, and in the future, I will grant you access to the great library in the capital! I will also order the best blacksmiths to forge armor and weapons, especially for you! Be proud, for you will be learning from the best teacher in the Lands Between!"
His words surprised me, and I did not know how to respond. Yes, I had received rewards for my good deeds before, but never something so generous, not when everyone had to fend for himself or herself in Drangleic.
"Godwyn, I…" I stammered, swallowing hard.
"Don't say anything, Alden, just accept it." Godwyn spoke in a comforting tone.
"R-right." I nodded, composing myself.
"Changing the subject, could you lend me some of your equipment? I prefer to avoid fighting empty-handed."
"Sure!" I responded quickly, relieved to escape the awkwardness of the situation.
I removed from my bag the equipment I had collected during my journey, weapons, shields, talismans, and more. Godwyn examined each of the pieces resting on the ground until he settled on the items that bore the symbolism of his family.
Godrick Axe, the Golden Beast Crest Greatshield, the Axe Talisman, the Two-Fingered Heirloom, Armory Amulet, the Death Prince's Pustule and Claw Mark Seal, for lack of a better option.
"Oh, I feel like my father now." Godwyn commented, assuming a pose similar to Godfrey in the painting I found in Stormveil Castle, with his ax in his right hand and shield in his left, while the talismans and seal remained attached to his armor.
"If I remember correctly, you mentioned that your mother never allowed you to use large weapons." I said, laughing at the demigod's jokes.
"Yes, she would be furious if she saw me now, or devastated considering my death, but now that I'm here, I have some unfinished business to attend to. RANNI, YOU WHORE! COME HERE AND FACE ME!" Godwyn shouted furiously, raising his axe above his head and marching towards the tower of the witch in question.
It took me a few seconds to process his words, but I quickly ran after him before he did something he would regret.
"Godwyn, wait!" I shouted, grabbing his shoulder, but he struggled, trying to escape, so I tightened my grip while digging my feet into the ground.
"And why should I? Ranni is right ahead and you do not need to get involved! I will have my revenge and you will have your crown! We will all win!" Godwyn exclaimed determinedly, moving forward as my feet drew lines on the dirt.
"You're not thinking properly! Ranni has already killed you once, what guarantees that she won't do it again, ensuring that you stay dead permanently?"
"She can send as many Black Knives as she wants; they will not catch me unprepared again!"
"Do you hear your words? I thought you wanted to end this war and help Those Who Live in Death, but I was mistaken!" I replied, casting Promised Walk of Peace with my chime, reducing us to a snail's pace.
"Do not insult me, Alden! I am many things, but a liar is not one of them! I wish to end the useless war that has devastated the Lands Between and destroyed my family! I will start by beheading the traitor responsible for the beginning of it all and the death of hundreds of innocents!"
"Following your logic, then we will have to kill Radahn, Rykard, Mallenia, and Miquella without mercy or negotiation, as they would all rather declare war on each other than work together in a succession crisis. Their hands are bathed in family blood, so I hope you are ready to bathe yours as well!"
My words caused Godwyn to halt his advance and stumble in his tracks, before turning toward me with a slight flicker of light in his empty eye sockets.
"T-this is different!" The demigod muttered his posture lowering.
"Different in what way? Your brothers and sisters turned on each other the moment your mother shattered the Elden Ring and disappeared, and with no clear heir, they took a Great Rune for themselves and began a bloody civil war that has lasted for centuries with no clear victor. They acted out of selfish ambition and greed! You say Ranni is to blame for the deaths of hundreds of innocents, but she did not march through the Lands Between with her armies, destroying and killing everything in her path! We have both seen the ruin, death, and injustice that engulf the lands even now! Your mother's reign is not glorious, much less perfect, and your family had unresolved issues for everything to fall apart so quickly! If Ranni is a traitor, then all the other demigods should look in the mirror and realize what they have become! Traitors, family killing family! This has become a vicious cycle of violence! Marika stole Rennala's beloved, so Ranni decided to take revenge by killing you. This caused Marika to take revenge in her way, so all the demigods decided to carry out their petty revenge, and now you plan to do the same! Someone will come after our heads, be it Blaidd, Iji, or Rennala if she ever regains her sanity! We need to break this cycle of violence, Godwyn, not with more violence, but with understanding! Look at what we have done so far! It was not perfect, I know! We have made mistakes along the way, but it is a start! So I ask you, do you want to become just another demigod driven mad by a thirst for power, or one who makes a difference? Because I swear by the gods of Drangleic, I will leave you to your fate if you follow the path of revenge!"
Godwyn recoiled with every word I spoke. His posture became more and more crestfallen, to the point where he no longer looked me in the eye. I, on the other hand, breathed heavily as I dissipated my anger. I do not remember feeling this way since Castle Morne.
"So, what should I do? Ranni is close, should I just forgive and forget what she did?" Godwyn whispered dejectedly, slowly turning to look me in the eye as he pointed at the tower with his axe.
"No, you shouldn't do any of that, as she doesn't deserve such a gift, but revenge won't bring satisfaction, and I speak from experience. Ranni has a plan and leverage over us since she possess the crown and became a crucial piece in helping Fia and Rogier, as if that wasn't enough, she may be the only one who can reverse the condition of Seluvis' victims." I replied, offering an empathetic look.
"HA! I hate it when you're right." Godwyn laughed dryly.
"Well, I may not be the best, but I have wisdom to share when needed. Listen, I will enter the tower and clarify the situation to Ranni before any misunderstandings happen, but I need you to stay here since you are not in your right state of mind. Take this time to calm down, get used to your new body, and think about what you want to do." I said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Fine, but I'll invade the tower if you don't return in ten minutes!" Godwyn sighed, I think, throwing his arms up and sitting on a piece of ruin with his head resting in his hands.
"Sure, sure, just don't go anywhere without me." I joked, making the demigod grumble irritably.
With a final farewell, I headed towards the witch's tower, climbing its stairs and reaching the central part, only to stop when I saw Ranni coming from the opposite direction, descending the staircase that led to the top.
In addition, to my frustration, she wore the Ivory King's Crown instead of her abnormally large white hat. If I remember correctly, the crown's enchantment offered health regeneration, but that was not the point, as Ranni stared at me with a teasing smile on her face.
"Greetings Alden, it's been a while since I've seen you. Which is a shame, as our previous conversation was less than friendly, though we made our intentions clear." Ranni spoke softly as if we were old friends.
Now that we were face to face, I noticed certain details about Ranni, mainly how small she was, her head barely reached my chest, and if she wore her hat, I would be unable to see her face.
"I wish I could say the same, but that would be a lie." I replied, crossing my arms as I frowned.
"Well, I don't recall ever doing anything that would deserve such a rude response." She replied indignantly, tilting her head in confusion.
"You bewitched Kalé, you were responsible for the Night of the Black Knives and most of the events that unfolded, and you left a dragon guarding your tower even after inviting me to meet you, which was a danger to Rennala and me." I said raising a finger for each example cited as I gave my best sarcastic look. At least Ranni's ghostly face had the decency to look away embarrassed.
"I must admit that my recent actions have not painted me in a good image, and have cast a less than positive light on my reputation."
"That is an understatement."
"Changing the subject, I have heard some interesting rumors recently, and they are related to your previous words, so I will be direct. What are your intentions with my mother?!" Ranni asked menacingly, both faces assuming a serious expression with half-lidded eyes and a glare that promised an unhappy fate.
"I recommend that you abandon any erroneous thoughts about me, for I have no ulterior motives. Rennala's company on my journey is nothing more than an accident due to her fragile mental state. Staying locked in a library and betrayed by everyone she loved did not help. Perhaps discovering that one of her children is alive would cure her, but I do not know how she would react to the crimes committed by her daughter." I responded in the same tone as I returned her gaze.
"I recommend that you do not use that tone with me, for I promise there will be consequences for such disrespect, even if you are my servant." Ranni spoke, raising her head.
"And I recommend that you change that tone before I find Rennala again and make you call me stepfather in a few months, young lady." I replied, leaning down and looking into her eyes as I laughed internally.
We stared at each other in silence for a few seconds, until Ranni's eyes widened and she recoiled in surprise.
"What did you say?!"
"Would you like a younger brother or sister?" I said, feeling the corners of my lips lift as I mentally kicked myself for acting like Godwyn.
Ranni frowned and clicked her tongue before sighing in irritation and speaking:
"I stepped down from my tower because I felt a powerful flow of foreign magic and heard screams outside, but it was nothing more than the jokes of the jester in front of me. Hump! I thought I had recruited a sorcerer."
"Don't take this as an attack on you; I'm just jesting, as recent events have displeased me. Firstly, Rennala follows me, as she thinks I'm your father."
"Seriously? You bear no resemblance whatsoever." Ranni said, standing on her tiptoes and studying my facial features closely.
"Thank you! You're the first person who hasn't compared me to someone I've never met!"
"I'm glad you understand, as it would be insulting to compare my dear father to the fool in front of me." The witch spoke, a playful smile creeping across her face.
I huffed in irritation, holding back the retort that was on the tip of my tongue, as the discussion would become childish arguments.
"If it's any consolation, I've cared for and protected your mother until now, and she's proven herself a powerful and loyal companion on the battlefield, but we were recently separated due to the machinations of one of the tarnished of the Round Table."
Immediately, the amused expression on Ranni's face disappeared, her eyes flashing with fury, and her voice turned ice-cold as magic surged through her.
"Tell me, what happened? Who was the worm that dared to harm my mother?"
"Calm yourself, for he is no longer among the living, or had not been for a long time. His name was Ensha, a Tarnished seeking to become the Elden Lord, but he met his permanent end at the hands of Margitt, or so Gideon thought. Ensha returned to the Round Table and waited for someone to return with the artifact he desired—in this case, Rennala and I. Unfortunately, Ensha interfered with the grace, setting up an impromptu ambush that trapped us in an alternate version of the Round Table and sent Rennala to an unknown location. I killed Ensha and discovered that he was nothing more than a puppet, and I also enlisted Gideon's help in finding your mother."
"Hm… Asking for the help of the All-Knowing was a wise but dangerous move. His information web stretches across the Lands Between, but who knows what that serpent will do with his knowledge?"
"You have no right to complain. Besides, one of your servants was responsible for giving Ensha a second chance at life, which makes you indirectly responsible for your mother's disappearance, and directly responsible for the disappearance of many innocents."
"What do you mean?"
"Ranni, I killed Seluvis."
A cold wind and mist blew through the tower, extinguishing the torches of blue magical flames that illuminated it. A dark blue mist blocked all exits, and Ranni approached, ice forming beneath her feet with each step she took.
"I hope you had a good reason for what you did since revealing this to me was either a great act of bravery or foolishness, so speak, traitor. Tell me why I shouldn't turn you into an ice statue." Ranni spoke, any sympathy disappearing immediately as she pointed her upper left hand towards my forehead, forming a small magical orb on the tip of her index finger.
"Humph, me, a traitor? I believe you should read this before making unfounded accusations." I said, keeping my eyes on Ranni and reaching my hand towards my bag.
Ranni shortly diverted her gaze to my hand, tensing slightly and bringing her finger closer to my forehead. I stopped my actions and only continued when the witch waved for me to proceed.
I then removed all the documents and notes I had acquired from the basement and handed them to Ranni, who accepted them with her upper right hand.
The doll head read the contents of the papers, opening and closing her mouth muttering something. Simultaneously, the ghostly face did not take her eyes off me, until it contorted in a mixture of emotions, surprise, fear, sadness, and then anger.
"Show me everything!"
-XXXXXX-
We left the tower and met Godwyn on the way. I avoided calling his name for obvious reasons, preferring to use the name of the fort's captain in Drangleic, so that from now on, the demigod would be Drummond in public.
It took many elbows to his side, and unspoken messages with a look, for him to understand why I did not call him by his real name. As if that was not enough, I had to keep him within arm's reach so he would not attack Ranni and keep his insults to himself.
The hostility was palpable, but Ranni did not seem to care, preferring to focus on the surroundings of the basement where we found ourselves.
"What happened here?" She asked disconcertedly, analyzing the destruction around us, resulting from the ritual I performed.
"Seluvis worked on a new puppet different from all the others when I found him. My actions interrupted the unstable ritual he performed, and his death was the final nail in the coffin that sent everything spiraling out of control. The foreign magic you sensed was probably yet another resource Seluvis planned to use to control a demigod."
Ranni grimaced, understanding the reason behind my words after learning Seluvis's true intentions, and then she stopped in front of one of the victims kneeling in the basement and looked deep into his eyes.
"They're still here, aren't they?"
"Exactly, could you heal them? I would do that, but it would take a long time to learn the intricacies of the magic of the Lands Between and even more to understand the procedures Seluvis performed on these people."
"Yes, I can do that. It will take time, but it will not be impossible. Consider this as a reward for slaying the serpent in my garden. I will order Blaidd and Iji to bring the necessary materials." Ranni replied, holding an open book in each hand and alternating between them.
"I'm grateful for that. I know we're not on the best of terms, but I'm glad you're taking the time to help them." I said, smiling slightly.
"I'm not heartless, Alden, despite what everyone thinks. Now go, I believe Blaidd awaits you at the Siofra River Well in the Mistywoods. And take your friend with you, I don't recall harming him, but he seems too hostile for my taste." Ranni commented, and I nodded back, pulling Godwyn away as he struggled.
-XXXXXX-
"By my mother, I'm glad you held me back, or I would have killed her right then and there!" Godwyn shouted, stepping out of the Grace and startling the refugees in the camp outside Fort Height.
"I hope you will control your temper, we'll meet Ranni in the future again." I replied, calling Torrent and mounting it.
"I'll do that when you learn how to flirt with a woman!" Godwyn replied, mounting Torrent as well.
I froze and assumed an impassive expression, similar to a statue when I felt a pair of arms embracing my waist and a body pressing itself against my back.
"This is awkward." I spoke emotionlessly, keeping my eyes fixed on the path ahead.
"The feeling is mutual. I don't like it as much as you do." Godwyn replied in the same tone.
"We better leave. The sooner we arrive, the sooner we'll forget about what happened." I replied, shaking Torrent's reins and riding away.
"I agree."
Therefore, we rode in awkward silence toward Mistywood, the experience uncomfortable for both of us. Fortunately, it did not take us long to find the well in question in a stone building in the center of a clearing.
A circular platform with a pressure plate stood in the center of the building, an elevator, but we did not see any kind of mechanism supporting it.
Nodding, we stepped onto the pressure plate, and the appearance of semi-transparent magic ropes emerging from the edges of the platform surprised us, taking us down.
We descended through a dark pit of stone blocks, which soon gave way to jagged rocks, and finally a view of the underground of the Lands Between.
My eyes widened and my mouth fell open in awe as I saw the starry night sky in what must have been the region below Limgrave. I sensed the magical power behind such a spell from here. Who could do such a feat?
"Impressive, isn't it?" Godwyn said, approaching the edge of the elevator and observing the beautiful green vegetation and ancient ruins in the distance.
"Indeed, what can you tell me about this region?" I asked, stopping beside him.
"Two great rivers run beneath the Lands Between, the Siofra and the Ainsel. This vast region is said to be the tomb of civilizations that flourished before the Erdtree."
"I remember hearing something similar when we talked about the Crucible and the history of the Erdtree, about civilizations that existed before your mother's reign."
"Exactly, and who knows what these ancient civilizations hide in their ruins?"
We left the elevator when it reached the ground and I called Torrent again, returning to our uncomfortable ride in search of Blaidd.
We headed south, following one of the riverbanks and collecting interesting objects along the way, such as a horn-shaped talisman, golden seeds, stone keys, ashes of war, and forge stones.
The landscape was wonderful, with great thunderous waterfalls creating clouds of foam as they fell, the soft sound of the shining blue river flowing beside us, and the icy breeze blowing the plants amidst the ruins covered in ancient writings illuminated by blue flames.
However, dark spots stood out amidst the shining water of the river, it could just be me, but I found it strange how much they differed concerning the surroundings.
We saw the strange inhabitants of this region as we passed large, muscular beings with blue skin, dressed in leather and fur armor and carrying large axes, hammers, and bows.
Most wore helmets that resembled antlers, which gave them an appearance similar to a bull or an elk, although some of them suddenly appeared in spirit form to attack us, but their slow attacks proved easy to dodge.
According to Godwyn, these were the Ancestral Followers, worshippers of an Ancestor Spirit, and the Ghost Flame, the same flame used by the Death Rite Birds.
We also encountered beings similar to clay golems, slender, slow creatures that staggered and muttered from side to side while shooting bubbles at us.
Other than that, our progress continued uneventfully, passing ancient altars where the followers performed their rituals and a small grove until we saw a familiar figure on the edge of a cliff.
I smiled slightly and sent Torrent away, approaching the half-wolf as I greeted him.
"Greetings, Blaidd, I'm glad to see you in good health." I said wile waving.
"Likewise, Alden. Moreover, I see you brought a friend. You didn't have any trouble finding this place, did you?" Blaidd asked, returning the wave and offering a handshake.
"No, I can only thank you for calling me here. I would never have found such an interesting place if it weren't for you." I replied, accepting the handshake.
"Well, you flatter me, but I haven't done anything. What about your friend? Aren't you going to introduce us, or is he shy?" Blaidd joked, smiling slightly as he turned to Godwyn who stared at him in silence.
"Oh, this is Drummond, my new traveling companion on my journey through the Lands Between." I replied as Blaidd nodded in confirmation.
"I see, and would you be a new individual in the service of Lady Ranni?" Blaidd asked.
I gritted my teeth, blowing air through them, as I glanced at Godwyn, waiting for his reaction. The Demigod remained silent, with a rigid posture and staring the half-wolf in the eyes.
Surprisingly, and to my relief, Godwyn relaxed his posture and lowered his weapons, approaching Blaidd with a handshake and a friendly voice.
"Not exactly. Alden and I are friends and have traveled together for quite some time. Let us just say he did me a great favor, and I intend to repay him. While I'm not loyal to your Lady, I have no problem assisting Alden on his missions."
Blaidd frowned for a moment before smiling and laughing lightly, returning the handshake.
"That's not the answer I wanted, but if my Lady has no problem with your presence then I have no reason to argue, I think we should get straight to the point, don't you think?"
"I agree, you mentioned a city called Nokron when we spoke at Ranni's Rise." I replied, catching Blaidd's attention.
"Yes, and getting to that city proved more difficult than I thought. The city is on a layer above us, between Limgrave and the Siofra River, but I am stumped. I have tried every passage, to no avail… Maybe it is time to ask Seluvis. I remember that spiteful little mouse acting as if he knew something… We will give him a hard time. Show him how sharp my teeth are…" Blaidd commented but grimaced when he noticed our silence.
"Is there a problem?"
Godwyn and I exchanged a hesitant look, with him shrugging and nodding to the half-wolf, and then I sighed and spoke:
"Blaidd, there's something you need to know…"
-XXXXXX-
BOOM!
CRASH!
"RRRAAAHHH!"
I may not have known Blaidd for long, but the few interactions we had gave me a good idea of his character, a calm and reasonable fellow, with a friendly and playful attitude, but powerful and focused on his duty, ready to fight and make his enemies regret defying him.
Currently, all I saw was a beast howling and roaring in fury, swinging his sword wildly with savage blows, cracking the earth and ruins as he left dust and destruction in his wake.
"THAT WORM! HE'S LUCKY HE'S ALREADY DEAD, OR I WOULD DISMEMBER HIM!" Blaidd yelled, his fangs bared and his face contorted into that of a feral wolf.
Godwyn and I gave him time to calm down, and a few minutes later, he returned to his casual posture, breathing heavily, but better than before.
"I'm sorry about that. That was a shameful display; I swear it won't happen again." Blaidd said, looking away in embarrassment.
"Don't worry; I felt the same when I discovered Seluvis' crimes." I replied, comforting him.
"Alden is right, there's nothing wrong with being angry." Godwyn spoke soon after.
"I thank you both, but that doesn't change that we lost one of the few people who had answers on how to get to Nokron."
"Maybe Iji knows something, or we can ask a different sorcerer." Godwyn suggested.
"Yes, but whom?"
"Perhaps Sellen can help? I met her early in my journey, and she proved to be an experienced and capable sorceress." I spoke, capturing both of their attention.
"Hm… Sellen? I've never heard of her, but it's worth a try and..."
CRASH!
Suddenly, an earthquake shook the entire underground, stirring the river and collapsing unstable ruins. A deafening boom reverberated through the rocky walls, as we all exclaimed in surprise and tried to keep our balance.
We spotted something shiny in the distance, gigantic crystals breaking through the ceiling and ground of the underground, shortly dispelling the starry sky and revealing the rocks behind.
The crystals spread in a disorderly mass, tearing the earth and raining debris in all directions, until the tremors subsided and the crystals stopped their advance, creating a mountain of luminous material.
"That came from Caelid! What the hell was that?!" Blaidd shouted in surprise, but Godwyn and I already knew the answer.
"Rennala!" We exclaimed simultaneously.
"Lady Rennala? What does my mot… I mean, does she have to do with this?"
I then explained to Blaidd the trap that Ensha had set, infuriating the half-wolf, but soon concern replaced his anger.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go to Caelid!"
Godwyn and I mounted Torrent and rode towards the elevator we came from, as the crystals blocked the passage to the well in Caelid. Surprisingly, Blaidd kept up with us without any problems, running on all fours like a wolf.
The tremors returned halfway, stopping our advance. The mass of crystals expanded, but we soon reached our goal, stepping on the elevator's pressure plate and reaching the woods.
From there, we advanced towards the Third Church of Marika, as it stood next to the closest entrance to Caelid. Upon reaching our destination, we saw something surprising, a crystal tower rising towards the sky.
-XXXXXX-
Rennala widened her eyes in surprise but soon murmured in pain at the sudden fall she suffered when landing on the sand below.
Standing up while brushing the dust off her clothes, the Queen surveyed her surroundings, seeing a golden glow disappearing into the air, and realizing that she was on some sort of battlefield.
Red dunes stretched to the horizon, with piles of rusted weapons, weathered ruins, and decaying corpses dotting the desolate landscape.
The dark sea stretched to the east, with rock formations to the west, and a large castle to the south atop another rock formation and separated from the dunes by a small basin.
The Queen frowned upon seeing the castle, for it looked familiar. Her eyes widened as she processed the information, for this was the Red Mane Castle, loyal warriors of her son, Radahn.
In addition, if this was the castle, then it meant that she was in Caelid.
"No, no, what happened here?!" Rennala exclaimed, clutching her staff as her heart raced, sending a tremor through her body.
Something horrible has happened to Caelid, not just a battle, but also something, that changed the entire landscape! Gravity Magic and something more saturated the air! Where are the Red Manes? Where is my son? I must find him!
The queen's breathing quickened and her vision darkened as flashes of memories appeared in her mind. A man with long red hair walking out of a door, the death of someone precious, the shattering of something powerful.
Where did these memories come from? What did they mean? The queen could not say.
Something in the distance, caught Rennala's attention, a gigantic figure with its back turned, casting a shadow against the setting sun on the horizon.
A smile crept across Rennala's face, for she knew who this person was. Ignoring the crystals rising from the ground and the unfamiliar wind blowing across the dunes, she floated toward her goal, joy filling her body.
"Radahn, my son!" The Queen cried, uttering words of joy and gratitude as she advanced, begging for an answer, but soon stopped when she realized something wrong.
Mangled corpses lay at Radahn's feet as the sounds of chewing, ripping flesh, and breaking bones became audible.
"Radahn?" Rennala asked hesitantly, frowning as she saw several spears impaled in her son's back, and blood dripping from his head area.
Her face contorted in horror as Radahn turned around, revealing his slender, tiny steed, completely disproportional to his body, which would have been a comical sight if not for the red-haired knight partially devoured in the general's mouth.
Rennala recoiled in terror, her mouth opening and closing repeatedly in search of words, but none came out.
Radahn opened his mouth, dropping the corpse to the ground and revealing his sharp, crooked, yellowed teeth. His yellowish, glazed eyes focused on the person in front of him, his darkened, sickly face twisted in madness and the general released a deafening roar.
"RRROOOAAARRR!"
Then the mad warrior drew his colossal curved blades and advanced at full gallop.
-XXXXXX-
Tower was not the right word, because just like underground, the crystals concentrated in an irregular mass, but that was not the point, we found the location of Rennala.
Then, we entered Caelid and were horrified by the landscape that surrounded us. A red-orange sky and soil of the same color, covered in twisted roots, dead plants, and red mushrooms and fungi.
The few water sources we found bubbled with a stinking red liquid, and the surviving plants mutated beyond recognition, surrounded by butterflies and other insects.
The further we entered the region, the worse the landscape became, to a certain extent, because soon we found dead areas different from the ones before.
The sources of fetid water dried up, revealing the bottom of rivers and lakes, the trees and roots had a similar result, withering and shrinking until they turned to dust. The mutated plants and mushrooms were gone, and piles of dead insects and butterflies remained nearby.
Even the sky and ground were different, with blue holes in the middle of the red sky just above the dead area with brown and cracked soil, where we found ourselves.
We saw what had become of the animals of this region, with monstrous dogs, walking on their muscular hind legs, as the front ones had become stumpy, and their heads too large to remain erect.
They reminded me of The Imperfects of Shulva.
The crows walked in a posture similar to the dogs, with part of their body disproportionate to the rest. Creatures covered in dark feathers and a gigantic beak full of teeth.
The creatures detected our presence and tried to attack us, but most did not have the strength for such action, as their bodies were in a situation similar to the vegetation, with the skin hugging their bones, and soon the life disappeared from their eyes.
There was something wrong here, more than it should have been. I asked Godwyn if he felt anything different, but received a negative answer.
The same was true for me, but Blaidd and Torrent seemed to suffer due to unknown forces, as they both sweated and panted constantly, their speed gradually decreasing.
Eventually, we left the dead area, wondering why everything within it had died, and arrived at a colossal swamp, bubbling with fetid water, mutated trees, mushrooms, and butterflies.
Of all the places I have explored in my life, this is the most disturbing so far. Gideon mentioned that Radahn and Mallenia fought in Caelid, and she released her Scarlet Rot, just like during our fight in the past, although I interrupted it in her actions.
Is this what would have happened if Malenia had won the fight? Would Limgrave end the same way? How can life exist amidst so much rot, and what is taking that life away?
"Forgive my foul language, but what the fuck?! What in the name of the Greater Will happened to Caelid?!" Godwyn shouted as we rode.
"What you see is the result of the confrontation between Mallenia, General Radahn, and the Mysterious Warrior. The Blade of Miquella unleashed her rot upon realizing she could not win the fight, corrupting Caelid and driving the general mad. Malenia and the Warrior disappeared while the armies perished in the battle, with survivors wandering around until they mysteriously lost their lives, or tried to drive the rot away with fire. That reminds me of something I heard, there is a festival being held at the castle in the far south of Caelid, a festival of combat. And I hear… that you can fight Radahn himself, he who was once considered the strongest of all the demigods!" Blaidd replied, standing up and leaping onto the islets in the swamp, avoiding the putrid water.
"Mallenia, why did you do this?! You have hated the rot all your life and suppressed it with all you might! Why release it now? Pride? Why face Radahn? Why condemn so many innocents? There was no point in you fighting! You were better than this!"
"Drummond, you talk as if you know them both personally!" Blaidd replied, grabbing a tree branch mid-leap, propelling himself forward, and landing on another islet.
"Hump! You could say that!" Godwyn grumbled.
I was worried about Torrent's presence in this swamp, but the water did not seem to affect it for the time being.
Suddenly, I felt a familiar tingling and spotted a red figure approaching from my left, an invader. She was a young, one-armed woman, carrying a curved blade or katana and approaching quickly.
Her clothing seemed to be a mix of leather and good quality fabric, but I could not make out their colors, as well as her skin and hair color due to her invader form.
The invader jumped with one leg and arm raised in the air, assuming a familiar stance. Panic overtook my being, as I glimpsed an extremely tall woman with long red hair in her place.
I do not know what happened, but I acted on my own and pointed my flame at the invader, conjuring Chaos Fireball as she dove toward us. Her eyes widened as she saw the pyromancy approaching and both collided in the air in an explosion of fire, lava, and smoke.
I saw the young woman falling into the rot of the swamp, where she disappeared, returning to where she came from.
"Well, that was fast!" Godwyn commented but stopped as soon as we found ourselves at the entrance of the crystal tower, with the rot corrupting some of them, giving them a reddish hue.
"Before we continue, what is your relationship with Lady Rennala? She locked herself in the Great Library and now travels with you. Is there something I should know?" Blaidd asked suspiciously, but to my dismay, Godwyn chose that moment to make another one of his jokes.
"They are courting each other!" Godwyn laughed.
"Oh, right… Forgive me for being suspicious…" Blaidd replied surprised, with a mixture of annoyance and happiness.
I sighed frustrated with Godwyn's antics, but quickly put them aside and entered the crystal tower, with my companions following me. We stopped as soon as we realized something important; the tower was not a tower, but a cave.
Looking down, we saw a chasm with several crystal bridges leading underground, while crystal fragments fell from the ceiling, similar to snowflakes.
Nodding, we slid down a sloping crystal located at the end of the tower's entrance. I went first, dragging the butt of my staff on the ground to control my descent speed, Blaidd was second and Godwyn third, both doing the same as me with their weapons.
"I'm not a sorcerer, so I may be talking nonsense, but isn't this too much for one person to do alone, even if she's the Queen of the Full Moon?" Godwyn asked.
"The Outer God of the Full Moon has blessed Lady Rennala, now her power surpasses that of any mortal sorcerer, but I've never witnessed anything like this, I've only heard stories of her feats during her battles against Radagon." Blaidd replied in a mixture of admiration and fear.
"Forgive me if this seems like an insult, but I feel terrified to realize that Rennala has never truly fought seriously during all the endeavors we've been through." I spoke, silencing everyone present with this frightening possibility.
I took advantage of the silence to analyze my surroundings, we continued descending and would soon reach the wall on the other side of the chasm, but we would have to jump to a bridge just below, or we would be impaled on the several sharp sword-like crystals on the cave walls.
A fall would be fatal, for Blaidd at least, but that did not change the fact that the bottom was dozens of meters below us, and there were platforms full of sharp crystals extending out of the walls on the way.
Death by falling or by impalement either on the walls or on the little ground that remained to step on. I also saw something shining brightly, at the bottom of the tower, a kind of blue orb, probably Rennala conjuring her magic.
Our silence ended as soon as we heard crystals breaking followed by a tremor. Looking up, I saw a large crystal fallings towards us.
I raised my staff, removing it from the crystal and accelerating my descent, and I prayed that Blaidd and Godwyn would do the same, but a crash followed by the shaking of the ground beneath our feet interrupted my prayers.
Turning my head, I saw the crystal where we stood crumbling behind us, and the wall at the end approached.
I prepared to cast a pyromancy spell and destroy the crystals, but it never happened, as the crystal slope shattered just ahead and we found ourselves falling backward.
"HAHAHA! This is exciting! How long has it been since I had a good adventure?!" Godwyn laughed, spinning in the air and staring at the bottom of the cave.
"Are you out of your mind?! We are falling to our deaths! I won't fail Lady Rennala like this!" Blaidd exclaimed, echoing Godwyn's actions.
I did the same and looked for somewhere to land, and I soon found it, a series of bridges just ahead.
"There!" I shouted, pointing to the spot in question.
"Right and how do we get there?" Blaidd asked.
"Hold my staff! And Drummond, you better not make a jest, or I'll leave you to your fate!" I exclaimed, lighting my flame as I held my staff to both of them.
They both grabbed my staff, with Godwyn muttering something about me being boring, but I ignored it. I cast Fall Control on all of us with my staff, and Great Combustion with my flame, using the recoil from the pyromancy to redirect us towards the bridges.
We landed with an audible thud, cracking the bridge but saving our lives.
The air left my lungs and my bones creaked in agonizing pain. I was sure I had broken something, but I quickly stood up, ignoring the metallic taste in my mouth, as this was not the place for it.
Blaidd was in a similar situation, groaning in pain as he gasped for air. Blood trickled from his mouth as he clutched his side, but he quickly stood to his feet, ignoring his wounds.
Godwyn was in better shape than the rest of us, with only a few dents and cracks in his armor.
I would have cast a healing miracle for all of us, but crystals shot out from the ceiling and walls again, trying to crush us. One in particular headed for the center of the bridge, forcing us to jump in opposite directions, but separating us when it hit the nearby wall.
We headed in different directions, jumping from bridge to bridge as the crystals tried to destroy our path or smash us. As if that was not enough, the remains of the path we had walked on collapsed, forcing us to dodge the debris.
Eventually, all the bridges led us to a single bridge that ran horizontally across the cavern from left to right, but two crystals came from the front and back, trying to crush us again.
"Everyone, get down!" Godwyn shouted, and Blaidd and I acted without thinking.
We threw ourselves to the ground and Godwyn raised his seal, opening his arms and conjuring a large golden ring of holy energy around him, slicing through the crystals.
We wasted no time with admiration or praise as we continued down, jumping to another bridge. However, the crystals returned, forming a spiked wall in our path.
"Leave it to me!" Blaidd said, grabbing the blade on his back. Magic coursed through the runes that adorned the greatsword, turning a light blue, and the half-wolf swung his weapon with an animalistic howl.
The powerful blow struck the crystals, creating an explosion resembling a moon surrounded by stars, and reducing our obstacles to dust with the sound of shattering glass.
Unfortunately, a platform full of sharp crystals awaited us on the other side.
"I guess it's my turn now!" I exclaimed, igniting my flame and casting Fire Whip.
A flaming spiral shot out from the palm of my hand and plunged toward the platform below, destroying the sharp crystals but keeping the ground intact.
We landed abruptly, but better than our previous fall, and took the moment to catch our breath. I removed a handful of Life Gems from my bag and handed another to Blaidd.
He asked what the purpose of such items was, but quickly thanked me when I explained that they were healing items. We then crushed the gem, allowing their healing enchantment to treat our wounds.
With that done, we approached the edge of the platform and searched for a path. The shiny object at the bottom of the tower became brighter now, and I was right in my assumptions, as Rennala stood in a semi-transparent magical bubble while hugging the amber egg.
"Hm… It seems she has returned to her previous state of mind." Godwyn commented sadly.
"No, that is worse…" I replied, feeling a grip in my chest at the tragic sight before me.
"I imagined that Lady Rennala would be healed to travel with you, but it seems I was wrong." Blaidd said, with an obvious jab directed at us.
"If it is any consolation, I opposed her idea of following us." I said, receiving an irritated grunt in return.
No bridges or platforms led down, and I preferred not to risk a deadly fall. Fortunately, Blaidd was the first to suggest a possible solution.
"There's something there, look." He said, pointing to the air below.
I squinted my eyes, searching for anything noticeable, and widened then slightly when I saw the crystal dust raining down from the walls and ceiling, shortly stopping in midair before sliding to the sides and continuing to fall.
I removed a Prism Stone from my bag and threw it where the crystals stopped falling, and to my delight, the stone stopped in midair, glowing a deep red.
"I hope you have more of those stones to find a way," Godwyn said, stopping beside me.
"No, but I have something better." I replied, removing from my bag a small emerald sphere with a green eye adorning its center.
"What is this?"
"This is the Eye of the First Priestess, who watched the city of Eleum Loyce, allowing her to see the invisible. All the high priestesses replaced one of their birth eyes with this one, returning it after their term ended." I replied, holding the eye in front of my left eye.
"Please tell me you did not gouge a poor woman's eye out!"
"No, she was already dead when I arrived, with only her bones remaining."
"That's not comforting!"
The color disappeared from the world, and I saw crystal bridges where there had been nothing before, but Blaidd and Godwyn's voices caught my attention. Turning around, I saw something emerging from the crystal wall behind us.
They were crystal golems in the form of Carian Knights, bearing weapons, and in a number too great for us to face here.
"Follow me!" I shouted, leaping toward the bridge.
I landed where the bridge had been, but for Blaidd and Godwyn, we walked on air. They both landed right behind me, and I led them along the path ahead, curving left and right, jumping, sliding, and more.
Simultaneously, the golems cast glintstone spells at us. Blaidd dispelled some of them with a swing of his sword, while Godwyn conjured more of the holy rings from before, striking the spells mid-flight.
Eventually, we reached the end of the invisible path, ending in a bearable drop toward Rennala at the bottom of the tower, so we acted quickly, diving toward the Queen of the Full Moon.
I felt relief rush through my body as I saw how close we were to the end, but that relief faded as soon as the crystals returned, this time intending to block our passage with a colossal wall, sealing the bottom of the rest of the tower.
The crystals converged towards the center, narrowing the hole with each passing second. We landed on top of them and ran towards the center before the passage closed.
The golems chose that moment to come out of the walls by the dozens, trying to ambush us.
"Alden, go ahead! We shall clear the path for you!" Godwyn shouted, conjuring more incantations towards the approaching beings.
"Shall we? I do not remember agreeing with that idea! You better not fail Lady Rennala, or my spirit will come back to haunt you!" Blaidd exclaimed, running on all fours and charging at the golems.
I nodded in thanks and removed the Great Rune of Godrick from my bag, strengthening myself with its power and intensifying my speed.
I left Godwyn and Blaidd behind, destroying the few golems in my path with blows from the Grafted Sword, and jumped through the hole in the center of the tower before it closed.
Darkness surrounded me as the passage closed and the sounds of fighting became muffled. Suddenly, the darkness disappeared thanks to the soft magical glow emanating from Rennala.
I approached the Queen with cautious steps, shattering the crystals beneath my feet with each movement. I stopped shortly when a gale blew towards me, but I stood my ground and moved forward, ignoring the crystals that grew from the ground, threatening to impale me.
"Rennala?" I spoke softly, catching the queen's attention.
Her face contorted into a melancholic and haggard expression, eyes red and swollen, tears staining her face with makeup. Her long dark hair escaped from her crown in a tangled mess, and her robes were slightly torn and soiled with the red sand of Caelid.
However, the deep cut in her side filled me with concern. The wound stained her clothes red, and the blood slowly dripped down toward the crystals below.
"Darling, is that you?" Rennala asked hopefully, but that hope soon turned to disappointment and sadness.
"No, you are not him…" The Queen spoke, looking away as she shook her head, choosing to caress the amber egg on her arms.
"I am sorry for pretending to be your beloved, it was never my intention." I replied, stepping closer, but stopped as a crystal shot upward, scraping the front of my helmet.
"My beloved? Yes, my beloved, him, Radagon! He left me for damned Marika! They all left me! Ranni is dead, Rykard is missing, Radahn tried to take my life, his mother! My academy betrayed me, and my home is in ruins! There is nothing left! I have nothing! Just this, the last gift from my beloved!" Rennala replied, smiling at the piece of amber in her hands.
"Well, not everyone has left you; I am still here, trying to help you. Please, stop this. Take my hand and we will leave here, I promise I will find a way to heal you." I said, extending my hand.
"Heal?! HEAL?! I am not sick! Why does everyone think I am sick?! Is that what I am to everyone?! A desperate lunatic?! Maybe I am! Alternatively, maybe I am nothing to everyone I once loved! Just a pawn to advance their plans and nothing more!"
A crystal erupted from the ground, piercing my stomach. I frowned in discomfort and punched the crystal, breaking it in two and advancing towards the Queen.
"Stay back!"
Two more crystals shot towards me. I grabbed the first one, shattering it in my grip, and stepped aside, dodging the second.
"I won't leave! What kind of person would I be if I didn't help someone in danger?!"
"Lies!"
The crystals surrounded me and tried to pierce me, but I swung my sword in a spinning motion, destroying them and stopping in front of the bubble, placing my hand on its surface.
"Listen, I don't wish to hurt you, but wallowing in this pain will bring you nothing but despair, and we saw what despair can bring on the Weeping Peninsula. I dare not say I understand your pain, but I also lost those I cared for."
"And how did you deal with it? With this emptiness in your chest." Rennala asked, placing her hand above mine.
"It wasn't easy, and it returns sometimes, like an illness, but you have to move on. Life is not fair or perfect, it will do everything it can to take you down, but you have to stand up. I speak from experience because that is what I have done for as long as I can remember. I fall and sand up, I fall and stand up, I fall and stand up, and I will continue until the end of the world, but that doesn't mean I have to do it alone, and neither do you." I said, smiling gently.
Rennala looked away again, her lips trembling in hesitation, until she looked deep into my eyes and spoke:
"Do you promise to help me?"
"Of course, but only if you allow me."
"Then do it."
Then a bright spot hovered between us, and another, and another. Hundreds, dozens, thousands, several Bright Bugs surrounded us, buzzing softly, and separating us from the outside world.
The ashen mist surrounded me, and I felt my body disappearing, heading toward another memory.
END OF CHAPTER