The fallen leaves tell a story

Of how a Tarnished became Elden Lord.

Our seed will look back upon us and recall.

In our home, across the fog, the Lands Between.

The reviled curse that defined our age.

The Blessing of Despair.


"Brave tarnished... Thy strength befits a crown." Those were his last words.

The giant of a man had fallen, as he allowed himself to peacefully return to the Erdtree.

The First Elden Lord felt both relieved and bothered by his death. He felt as if he had fought enough and that he deserved a proper rest, yet, he couldn't help but feel as if he was robbed of something...

The unyielding desire to kick that tarnished square in the face?

Or perhaps it was that he never had the chance to truly enjoy the life that was given to him.

Well, it didn't matter much now. He died after all. But most importantly, he died doing what his heart told him to, following the golden rays of grace. And fighting until the very end.

He found solace knowing that he had done everything in his power to fulfill his role as Marika's consort, to the point where he could feel a refreshing breeze flowing through his body, and soon, he could even hear birds singing in his mind while feeling the pleasant tickling of grass on his back.

Yes, if this was how it felt to be dead, then he would have no problems with it...

Until he felt something biting on his pinky finger!

His eyes opened filled with rage, as he quickly jumped to his feet, in search of whatever it was that disturbed his solemn respite.

Once he failed to find whatever that was, he took a second to assess his current situation. The soft breeze flowing through him was not his soul returning to the burning Erdtree, it was, just a random breeze, the softness on his back was simply a patch of grass he happened to lay upon, and that bite he felt on his finger was caused by a wild yet curious squirrel.

"Cursed critter..." The giant muttered, eyeing the small squirrel as it ran through the foliage.

Observing his surroundings, the first Elden Lord noted a few things. First, there was no titanic golden tree filling the skies on sight. Second, he no longer was in the lands between, since the nature surrounding him was way too vibrant in color and life, without the commonly found vestiges of gold from the great tree's fallen leaves. And third, he was once again deprived of Grace, unable to see its guidance.

"So, that's how it is, I be merely lost once again."

Straightening his posture, the giant of a man decided that he couldn't simply wait around and do absolutely nothing so he began to make his way down the vivid crag he found himself on top off. "I see a lake at the bottom, should'st I truly jump down?" He humored the idea as he shrugged. "E'en if 'tis shallow, myself should be able to handle the fall." And so, the old man did just that. With a great leap befitting someone of his stature, much like a great boulder, he fell into the shallow part of a lake bending his knees to slightly break the fall, creating extensive shockwaves in the water, as the ground rumbled beneath his feet. The poor fish simply enjoying their life, were flung perhaps seven feet in the air and after a few seconds, the water settled and the fish fell to their unfortunate demise.

Crouching down, Godfrey, or rather, Hoarah Loux, tasted the water and quickly deduced that it was drinkable. "That's one problem solved." He drank deep, uncaring for any potential diseases these waters could carry as his stomach let out a mighty roar, demanding food.

"Lest I dispatch the entire population of fish on this lake, I need a food source, meat preferably, to satiate mine hunger." The giant sat down on the water, pondering his options. He could go out and hunt for any potential beast's meat, then all he had to do was set up some fire to cook it, though it wasn't his specialty.

While he did have the title of the chieftain of the badlands, one of the most concerning traits he had is that he was a failure as a cook, completely burning or rendering any food he attempted to prepare unedible or poisonous. He could always eat it raw, but a part of him that was Marika's consort yelled with righteous fury against that idea, that part of him that shouted at him that he was royalty and shouldn't even consider such barbaric acts.

Not in the mood to start an internal fight with his own ego, he decided that the only thing left to do was find someone to either cook for him or give him food.

Surprisingly, he hadn't noticed the towering white fortress in the middle of the giant lake due to his hungry torpor. The only thing dividing him from the fortress was this giant lake he sat on.

Now, he could swim across, easily in fact, but he didn't know what creatures that lake could be hiding, and he could perhaps find a traveler in the outskirts of that fortress. So that was his plan, go around the lake and find a path to that fortress. He couldn't really tell what the pristine white walls were protecting aside from a few spinning windmills, and that was enough to assure him that at least someone lived there, so the old man got his legs to work, full sprinting forward with the promise of food in his mind.


Not five minutes after he began his travel, he'd already reached the main bridge to the fortress as the wind blew strongly past him. But he couldn't go inside just yet, not when the air smelt like someone was preparing a fine dish! So he followed the trail towards it, reaching a small campfire on the side of the main road with what seemed to be survival supplies and a tent, all left there unsupervised.

The barbarian inside of him told him to claim everything on the campfire to his name and threaten anyone who disagreed, but he was taught reason by the denizens of Leyndell. Understanding that whatever choice he made now would be his first interaction with the people of this place, he knew better than to start on the wrong note.

So he waited, hoping that the creator of the campfire would return soon. "Allow me see what they are preparing..." He walked up to the cooking pot, boiling with an alluring smell, neatly placed suspended above the campfire. "I'd wager 'tis quality meat from the smell alone." Just as he was about to open the pot's lit, curious about its contents, a feminine voice came from inside the lush forest beyond the road.

"Well, well, well? Thought you'd just help yourself to a girl's personal belongings? You scheming little thief!"

The Elden Lord was taken aback by the sudden call out, but he remained with a stoic face, as he straightened his posture, standing to his full height leaving the cooking pot alone. "Are these thy supplies, young lady?" He turned to the lady that seemed to carry freshly harvested vegetables. "You bet they are, you big-nosed old man!" She said as she walked up to him.

"The nerve thou hast..." She was barely as tall as his thigh, yet, this random lady was staring him directly in the eyes... "Thou earnt mine respect." The giant spoke, as he sat down, cross-legged, earning a raised eyebrow from the woman. "I am yet a traveler whom befell upon thy camp, lured by the dish thou art preparing." The young lady took a step back, diverting her eyes from his as her cheeks bloomed with a pink-ish red hue, seeming to only now realize that the old man sitting in front of her is, not only the closest thing she'd ever seen to a wall of muscle, he was also shirtless.

"'Names Lynn..."

The once Elden Lord now had a conundrum on his hands.

Would he introduce himself as Godfrey or Hoarah Loux?

Godfrey was the name he inherited after taking the mantle of Elden Lord, but the name Hoarah Loux was given to him once he delivered himself to his life as a warrior. What did he want to be remembered for? His time as a warrior, or his time as a lord? He pondered for a second, his body was getting old and had already shown signs of weakness... Perhaps the lifestyle of a warrior could be too much for his body. Yet, he was itching for a battle at this very moment! So it was, with a heavy heart, he declared. "Call me Godfrey."

There was no lie there. He didn't tell her it was his name, just an alias he wished her to call him. No harm, no foul, after all.

"Alright then, Mr. Godfrey! Could I interest you in a special soup I've been experimenting on?"

That seemed like his mannerisms had paid off for the first time! There was just one thing that bothered him though... "Do not refer to me as 'mister'. I am not that ancient." Lynn simply shrugged in response, already experienced enough to know what he meant. "Fine by me mister, but I'm gonna need you to do a quick thing for me..."

The audacity of this woman impressed Godfrey, but there was little he was willing to do to shut her up. "What doth thee desire me doth?" Lynn was nearly having a stroke hearing him speak that way. "First, go clean these vegetables on the lake." She threw two radishes and three carrots onto his lap. "Second," She was staring directly at his eyes. "Stop talking like that! It's so strange!"

Godfrey got hold of the vegetables, struggling to not crush them under his grip, and got up to his feet. "Is there a problem with mine speech mannerisms?" The woman sighed. "Just go wash the food."

He simply shrugged, fully confident in his speech and charisma, and went to keep his end of the deal.


The soup was finished within minutes, just long enough to make Godfrey salivate at the mere thought of eating something, nay, anything! He was a big man, and need food to upkeep his body.

He chuckled to himself remembering the stern talks he often had with Marika about the number of resources the royal capital normally invested just to keep him and his three sons with a full belly... Then he realized something... "Didst Marika divorce me because I eat too much?" He soon realized that he said that out loud when Lynn stopped serving them and stare at him with her eyes filled with pity. "Damm, you eat that much?"

Now, that was a situation he himself created. "I jest, 'tis not what thou think." She barely understood what he was trying to tell him, but got the gist of it seeing the expression on his face. "I get it, now let's eat shall we?!" Lynn wanted to leave that subject as quickly as possible, so she was quick to hand him his plate and a comically small spoon for someone his size.

Perhaps a shovel would be more fitting?

Godfrey observed the soup given to him. It was a 'Special Radish Veggie Soup', since the original recipe was vegetarian and Lynn wanted some meat, she changed a bit of the recipe and added 'Special' to its name. Somewhat childish on the naming, but he appreciated the simplicity of it, after all, he had to put up with three unruly children for a few years since his spouse was too busy being a god...

"Allow me to confirm if this dish is as special as thee claim it to be..." He trailed off, hypnotized by the sweet smell. The first Elden Lord set aside the wooden spoon, he instantly downed the whole serving meant for a fully grown man with a single gulp. Lynn watched expectantly as the old man she'd just met, ate her dish, waiting for his verdict if he liked it or not.

He took a deep breath, as the warmth of the food filled his old body.

"I might not but say, 'tis a ravishing dish." He rested the now empty plate on his lap. "'Twas mayhaps one of the meetest dishes I ate." Lynn bathed with the compliments this old man she quite literally found on the street gave her food. "Where I hail, none bothered to hone their cooking skills, so 'tis nice to see someone as dedicated as thee." She giggled at herself, so enthralled in her own little world, that she didn't notice that Godfrey had already downed his third plate, basically depleting the cooking pot of all its contents.

Luckily she'd already served a plate for her. "Well, then you're going to be delighted to know that there will be a cooking competition at Liyue Harbor, where even more talented cooks compete to see who's the best, in a few weeks from now."

A golden hue returned to Godfrey's eye when she mentioned that. "Then, I must be present at all costs." He said, already getting up to his feet, however, much to his dismay, Lynn had to shut him down. "Sorry, but only the judges will be eating at the competition."

But his determination to taste the best food from the best cooks hadn't wavered. "So I shall become one of the judges." He stated as if it was fact, surprising Lynn a little. "Well, good luck to you then old man, I'll stick around Mondstadt for a while longer, so feel free to visit me whenever you want."

Godfrey smiled briefly and bowed respectfully at Lynn, who just sat there dumbfounded and somewhat flustered at the sudden act. "I, Godfrey, Thank thee for the marvelous dish." He stated wholeheartedly, secretly wondering where this 'Mondstadt' she spoke of was located.

No way he'd ask her and look like a complete dufus.


The two departed ways, as the Elden Lord made way through the bridge leading to the fortress, his haste was completely gone since he had just finished eating.

At a distance, he saw a small boy feeding what seemed to be small birds with various seeds, but paid little attention to him, as he walked by and prompted the birds all to fly away. Just as he passed the child's line of sight, the boy immediately shouted, shifting Godfrey's attention to the child.

"What're you doing! You're scaring the pigeons away!"

The giant of a man turned to the young boy, standing at his full height and cracking his neck he softly spoke out. "Art thee referring to me, young one?"

The kid staggered back, intimidated by this man's presence, struggling to speak. "Y-yeah..." His anger was long gone, now all that remains is a bit of fear.

But Godfrey, though a warrior at heart, was no monster, he understood that these birds were this kid's source of entertainment, so he crouched down, still twice as tall as the boy, put his hand on the kid's head, shuffled his hair a bit and spoke. "They shall return."

The kid seemed to regain a bit of his courage to speak with him since he was able to respond. "They do come back usually... "

Godfrey puffed in satisfaction as he got up, just to hear the kid finish his piece. "But what happens if one day they leave and never come back again?"

The first Elden Lord glanced over his shoulder towards the young boy, barely being able to hold back tears. A bad feeling of guilt washed over the old man's being, so he did the first thing that came to mind.

"Go to thine father, I am sure he shall be able to answer thou better than I."

There. This way he wouldn't have to put up with the boy's melancholy. Just direct him to his parents and he'll soon feel better-

"Just like daddy..."

"..."

"..."

The silence was deafening.

"I hath important matters to attend to, infant. Go home." And as soon as Godfrey said that, the boy busted into tears and ran inside the fortress. "Wah... I'm telling Mommy on you!"

Now, that wasn't very good, was it? Godfrey sighed, disappointed at himself for that unlucky blunder, and simply walked inside the white fortress surrounded by water and blessed by the wind, but with a new objective.

He was going to taste every dish this world had to offer... If it tickled his fancy.


A/N: There we go, as promised, here's the crossover no one asked for! This isn't my main fic, that title is still with The Huntsmen and the Librarians, but this one will still receive as much love as I am able to spare, so look forward to updates! This will be a more wholesome and light-hearted story, as opposed to Elden Ring's or my other fic, so PLEASE, leave your review.

'Twas fun writing this one, so I hope you all have had as much fun reading through this.