Chapter 10 — The Plot Against the Gods.
Peculiar Friends
Alden's POV
"Great champion, is there something wrong?" Fia asked me.
"No, I just didn't expect to find him here." I said as I pointed at Godwyn.
"He? Great champion, there is no one else here but the two of us." Fia said as she gave me a worried look.
"Hmm! You're right; I must be tired from today's struggles." Meanwhile, Godwyn just smiled at me.
I left Fia's embrace and started to walk out of the room, on the way I heard Fia talking.
"If you feel tired, just look for me, I will hold you in my arms anytime." Fia said as she waved me goodbye and smiled.
I returned the gesture and left the room.
I started walking through the hallways of the Round Table with Godwyn at my side, all this time he had a smile on his face.
"What?" I asked Godwyn, trying to figure out why he was smiling so much.
"Nothing, nothing." Godwyn replied as he tried to hold back his laughter.
"Fia couldn't see you." She said to Godwyn.
"And no one else will but you, unless, of course, someone else can put on the medallion I gave you." Godwyn said as he pointed to the medallion.
I held the medallion in my hands, the face just like the one I found in the cave.
"So does that mean whoever puts on the medallion will be able to see you?"
"Yes! Have you ever thought what would happen if everyone could see me? Stories of Godwyn's vengeful spirit roaming the Lands Between would spread like wildfire!"
Godwyn said as he floated around me.
"So you're some kind of ghost?"
"You can say so." Godwyn said as he shrugged.
I got to the central room of the Round Table, well we have a lot to do here, and I need to talk to Rogier, see if Roderika is okay, and find someone who can understand what is written in the book I found in Stormveil.
Let's get started, I walked over to the counter where Rogier was standing.
"Hello Roger!" Said while waving at him.
"Oh! Apparently we meet again." Rogier said as he smiled at me.
"Rogier, let's get straight to the point. What was that thing under the castle?" I asked Rogier.
Meanwhile, Godwyn was leaning against the counter, looking down at the Round Table.
"The misshapen corpse under Stormveil? This is a holy relic. From the plot of black knives. As that famous night of murder is known."
I looked at Godwyn; he didn't seem to be paying attention to our conversation.
"It happened during the Golden Age of Erdtree, long before the Elden Ring broke. Someone stole a fragment of Malekith's Death Rune, the Black Blade. And one bitter night, murdered Godwyn the Golden."
I noticed that Godwyn flinched slightly; remembering the day of his death must be difficult for him.
"This was the first recorded death of a demigod in all history. And it became the catalyst, so the Elden Ring was crushed, and thus came the war known as Shattering."
Rogier then looked down towards his legs; I noticed he was covering them with a white blanket but small black roots protruding from under the blanket.
"I once wished to become a scholar, you know. I spent many hours scouring the archives for knowledge of this fateful plot. The world has become crooked, and if you intend to fix it, you better understand what happened to make it this way, mm? And… this thing is to blame for the way I am now… I urge the utmost caution. Do not disturb the corpse more than necessary…"
Too late for that, I thought as I looked at Godwyn.
"Do you want to know more about the Night of the Black Knives?" I asked Rogier.
"Despite everything that has happened, yes, I wish to know more." Rogier said to me with a determined look.
"Right. Perhaps other Tarnished ones at the Round Table know about the Night of the Black Knives." I told Roger.
"Could you do this? Ask for more information about the plot against the gods?" Rogier asked me hopefully.
"Yes."
"Thank you, my friend, I will await your return with more information." Rogier said as he smiled.
"I'll be back soon."
So I turned away from Rogier and walked away with Godwyn at my side.
"I'm sorry about your friend; I'm not exactly in control of my actions in my current situation." Godwyn said to me in a sad tone.
"Don't worry, I don't blame you. And besides, I don't know if Rogier and I are friends."
"Looks like he considers you a friend. Haven't you had friends before?"
"Hmm! I think so."
"And what were they like?"
"Well, we have Vengarl, a warrior from Forossa, a land east of Drangleic of the Lion Knights, a mighty order of warriors famous for their heavy armor and agile two-handed swordsmanship, yet they still seemed to avoid Vengarl, due to his fame as a deadly warrior. The Lion Knights were dedicated to Faraam, God of War, and their armor was blessed by the god himself."
"Hmm! Interesting, it is exciting to know more about the realms outside the Lands Between, this Faraam must be some Outer God, tell me more about your friend and Forossa."
"Eventually, Forossa fell apart due to a prolonged conflict with its neighbors. Many citizens became bandits to survive, as Forossa became lawless after the kingdom fell to war. The remaining knights became mercenaries, and Vengarl was one of them."
"A pity indeed, during my time in life I have always wanted to see what was beyond the mist that surrounds these lands, I wonder how much has been lost forever."
"But Vengarl's story doesn't end there, his reputation as a cruel warrior grew, Vengarl was noted as being especially brutal, his preferred method of killing was decapitation."
"Not exactly my preferred method of killing, but I can't judge, after all, I participated in several battles alongside my father."
"During a battle, he was beheaded."
"Ironic." Godwyn said with a small laugh.
"I know, but instead of dying, he woke up after the battle was over, the silence of the forest where he died gave him a lot of time to think, and he spends all his time doing that."
"What do you mean?" Godwyn asked me in confusion.
"Vengarl can be considered someone who lives in death, he became one, at the exact moment he was beheaded, it made his body and head continue to live separately."
"So you mean…"
"Yes, Vengarl's head remained alive and alone in the forest, while his body continued to fight and roam Drangleic."
"Of all the stories I've heard, this is one of the most bizarre."
"I agree, imagine my surprise when I was walking through a forest full of mist and I suddenly found a talking head."
"And what happened afterwards?"
"Me and Vengarl talked a little bit about Forossa, Drangleic's past and the war against the giants."
"War against the giants?"
"Yes, in the past the kingdom of Drangleic went to war with the giants, King Vendrick hired several mercenaries and warriors of questionable reputation to aid his forces in the war, Vengarl was one of them."
"History repeat itself, but I believe it doesn't end there?"
"No, I eventually found Vengarl's body, and by killing his body, Vengarl let me keep his armor and helm, I also have a Faraam set, or had, a lot of my gear was stolen, andI'm trying to get it back."
"I hope you don't mind telling me more about your friends and adventures in the future."
"Of course not, just ask."
Soon we arrived at Fia's room.
"What do you plan on doing here?" Godwyn asked me.
"Find out more about the Night of the Black Knives." I replied.
"And why don't you tell Rogier what you know, after all, you've seen the night firsthand."
"When I arrived in the Lands Between I knew nothing about the Night of the Black Knives, it would be strange for me to reveal so much information all of a sudden, besides, it's always good to get more information from other people, and I might end up discovering something new."
"Hmm! That I cannot deny."
We entered the room and there was Fia, I let her hold me once more.
"Great champion, this is sudden, you've barely left before you're back in my arms."
"Unfortunately, I'm not just here to receive your blessing, I would also like some information."
Fia was silent for a few seconds.
"Great champion, you could keep a secret."
"Yes."
I heard Fia take a deep breath, and then she started to speak.
"I was known as a deathbed companion, where I come from, after receiving the warmth and vital vigor of several champions, I lay down with the remains of an exalted noble, to grant him another chance at life. To do so is the purpose of my being, but before I could lead the noble to a new life, I was awakened by the guidance of grace and driven from my birthplace. Pray, be kind. Despite all this, I still want to be a Deathbed Companion. So please let me hug you like this, as many times as I need to."
"I see, your secret is safe with me, but that's not what I came here for. What do you know about the Night of the Black Knives?"
"Oh! That! My dear… Ever heard of black knife marks? Dear Rogier likes to talk about it when he's in bed. The ancient plot, in which the first of the demigods was killed."
"It was not a pleasant experience." I heard Godwyn say behind me.
"The black knives wielded by the assassins who committed the act, with the impressions they made, somehow hide the truth of the conspiracy. These big deals are hardly my field of understanding… But dear Rogier began to cry as he spoke…"
Hmm! I had no idea Rogier was so obsessed with it.
Fia then handed me a piece of paper, when unfolding it I saw that it was a sketch of a map.
"Actually, I've heard from someone else about the black knife marks that so fascinate dear Rogier. But it wouldn't be right to give him that, stuck as he is in the Round Table. Perhaps you can make use of it?"
I got out of Fia's embrace and took the map of Limgrave from my bag, I started to compare the sketch with the map, but I couldn't find the location.
"Thanks, Fia, I will return as soon as I find what I am looking for."
"Okay, until we meet again, great champion." Fia said while smiling.
I soon left Fia's room, as soon as I closed the door behind me, I saw Godwyn staring at me.
"That's it?" Godwyn asked me with seriousness in his voice.
"What you mean?" I asked confused.
"You were in the arms of a beautiful maiden, and you don't even give her a compliment. Doesn't tell how beautiful she looks today, or how comfortable it is to be held by her?" Godwyn said irritably.
"And should I?"
Godwyn then smacked his face with the palm of his hand, "You and I have a lot to work on that attitude of yours."
We went back to the central room of the Round Table, there I found Corhyn, and maybe he knows what is written in the book I found.
"Oh, you seem to be doing well, so would you like to learn an incantation?" Corhyn said to me as I approached, strangely he was shaking and sweating a little.
"Actually, I would like to know if you can decipher what is written in this book." I said as I handed the book I found in Stormveil to Corhyn.
Corhyn accepted the book with shaking hands.
"This… is a work of heresy. Your enchantments have no Erdtree lineage." Corhyn said as he read the book.
"Couldn't you make an exception?" I asked Corhyn, he took a step back. Was he scared of me?
"Very well…" Corhyn said with a sigh.
TIMESKIP
Corhyn had finished deciphering the book, he said there were two enchantments on its pages, Black Flame and Black Flame Blade, I decided to learn both, I gave the runes to Corhyn, and he taught me the enchantments.
I suddenly grabbed my right arm; there was something wrong with my pyromantic flame.
"Are you okay?" Corhyn asked me.
"Yes, you don't have to worry, thanks for teaching me the incantations." I said as I ran into one of the Round Table aisles.
"What's wrong?" Godwyn asked me with concern.
I lit my pyromantic flame and felt pain coursing through my arm; suddenly the red-orange flames of my flame were replaced by black flames. What was happening? Was this due to the incantations I learned?
"The black flame? I never thought I would see it in person." Godwyn said with curiosity in his voice.
"Black flame? What is it?" I asked Godwyn.
"Before my mother became the ruler of the Lands Between, before she removed the death rune from the Elden Ring, there was a group called the Godskin, who possessed the power of black flame and Destined Death, capable of slaying all who were surrounded by it, including gods, the Godskins were led by a queen, my mother sent Malekith to defeat the queen, Malekith sealed the Destined Death causing the black flame to lose most of its power."
"So does that mean that flame is useless now?"
Godwyn brought his face close to mine and gave me a serious look.
"No! You are wrong, the black flame may have lost most of its power, but it still remains a dangerous weapon, after all, it was feared by the gods themselves."
"Aren't you going to try to stop me from using the flame?" I asked Godwyn.
"No, I'm dead; I can't exactly stop you, either, as far as I know there are no ill effects from using the black flame."
"That's good, as a sorcerer I'm always looking for new types of magic."
"I'd like to hear stories about Drangleic's magic later."
"Okay, I'll tell you some stories when I have time."
TIMESKIP
I approached the place where Hewg was, I could already hear the sound of the hammer hitting the anvil, when I entered the hallway I saw Roderika sitting on a piece of fabric on the floor.
She smiled to see me.
"It's good to see you again. Thank you very much! I've got to thank you, don't I? For persuading Master Hewg? I can happily announce that he taught me the noble work of spiritual attunement. I'm still not sure what I could be able to accomplish, but if I can be of any help to you all, I would certainly like to give it a try."
I'm glad Roderika found her purpose, right now she's conquered more than many undead.
"What if there is a chance to alleviate the suffering of my dear men who have been grafted in. Well, I certainly must try. Roderika, the spirit tuner apprentice. Nice to meet you."
Roderika said to me as she smiled and made a small bowing gesture.
"Nice to meet you Roderika, I am Alden, a humble sorcerer." I said as I bowed to Roderika.
We stared at each other, suddenly we started laughing.
"HAHA HA!" Roderika laughed as she covered her mouth with her hands.
"Haha ha!" My laugh was lower; I'm not used to this kind of interaction.
"I'm glad you're using your talent. Since I'm here, could you hone some spirit ashes for me?" I asked Roderika.
"But of course, which ashes do you want to improve?"
"These." She said to Roderika as I handed her the ashes of the Lone Wolves and Jellyfish.
"It's good to see you again, Aurelia." Roderika said.
"Who is Aurelia?" I asked.
"This little one, on the verge of tears, the jellyfish girl, seeks her distant home." Roderika said as she showed me the jellyfish ashes.
So is she lost? I hope someday she finds her home.
"Give me a few minutes, and I'll deliver the enhanced ashes soon."
"Okay, take your time. In the meantime, I will speak to Hewg."
"Okay, I'll be here waiting."
"I didn't expect you to be so popular with the maidens." Godwyn suddenly appeared at my side.
"I think I don't understand." I said confused.
"Well, it's just that you're a sorcerer, I was hoping you'd rather stay locked in a library researching magic than get some maidens."
"And what's wrong with that?"
"Nothing, but how about next time you give the girl some compliments? I believe it would do wonders for your low self-esteem."
"I don't see a problem with that, I'll try later."
We approached Hewg, but he seemed to be mumbling something. Was he praying?
"Your deity, have mercy, and grant me forgiveness. The way is still long. A God who is not easy to bring down. But one day, without fail, you will have your desire. So please grant me forgiveness, Queen Marika…"
Godwyn looked disturbed when his mother's name was mentioned, and as I approached, Hewg noticed my presence and stopped praying.
"Oh, you, aren't you? I… didn't notice you there. I'll do my job, as usual. Just show me your weapons."
Hewg said as he pretended nothing had happened.
"Were you praying?" I asked Hewg.
"Those words were not meant for you. I can be your prisoner Tarnished. But my prayers are mine and mine alone. Well, I already had my opinion. I will be more careful, too."
"No need to worry, I won't tell anyone." Said to Hewg, he looked relieved.
"Let's stop small talk, I propose we forge."
During my exploration of Limgrave and Stormveil, I found several stones, must be the stone used to forge here.
I gave Hewg my Lord's Worn Great sword and the stones needed for the upgrades.
"Hmm! A beautiful sword, too bad it's so worn out, I'll return it in a few minutes."
Hewg then began to forge.
Glancing to the side, I noticed that Godwyn was strangely silent. I walked away from Hewg and spoke to Godwyn.
"Godwyn? Is something wrong?"
Godwyn then took a deep breath.
"It's about what Hewg said. My mother. Did she hold him here? You know, despite what many people think, the golden order isn't that perfect. My mother could be especially cruel sometimes."
"Hmm! If it's any consolation, I don't blame you for anything your mother might have done."
"Thanks." Godwyn said to me as he smiled.
"Hey, what are you whispering there? Your weapon is ready!" Hewg yelled.
I walked over to Hewg and picked up my upgraded sword, Lord's Worn Great sword (+6).
"Thank you Hewg! Could you change the ash of war from this weapon?"
"Of course. What kind of blacksmith would I be if I didn't know?"
I exchanged the ash of the war Stomp for the ash of the war Determination, this new ash of the war makes my next attack with the weapon stronger.
Hewg did the ash of war exchange.
"Thanks, I think that's all for now."
"Hmm! Try not to die out there."
"Leave it with me!"
I turned away from Hewg and headed toward Roderika.
"Hello! I have already finished upgrading the spirit ash." Roderika gave me back the ashes.
Upon receiving the ashes, I was reminded of what Godwyn said about praise.
"Thank you, Roderika, you did a good job."
"Oh! Thanks." Roderika said as she looked down, hiding her face. Weird.
"HAHAHA!" I heard Godwyn laughing beside me. What was so funny?
TIMESKIP
I believe I did everything I had to do here at the Round Table, time to leave, on the way to grace at the central table I ended up bumping into someone.
It was Nepheli. She crossed her arms, and with a small smile on her face, she started talking to me.
"You again… I thought you'd get a call to the Round Table. Nepheli Loux. We meet in Stormveil, I'm glad to see you here. I have something for you; I found it in Godrick's grafting ground."
Nepheli then handed me an amulet. It was an amulet representing a mass of molten weapons.
"Thanks." I said as I accepted the amulet.
"You must have it, make good use of it. I don't plan on getting into the habit of looting dead bodies. Oh, yes! I wonder if you met my foster father. He's in his office. If you haven't already, I advise you to introduce yourself. The father is the leader of the Round Table. I'm sure talking to him will be worth it."
"Oh! Is your father Gideon? If so, then I have already spoken to him."
"Good to know, unfortunately, it's time to leave. I will see you again, warrior, if fate allows." Nepheli gave me a nod and then disappeared into one of the Round Table rooms.
I kept the amulet and my magic bag.
"Hmm! She has too much muscle for my taste, but I won't judge if that's your preference." I heard Godwyn say to me.
I sighed in irritation. I'll have to put up with Godwyn's comments, won't I?
Touched grace at the Round Table and I transported myself to Limgrave.
Alden's POV
I left Grace in the dilapidated church, with Godwyn by my side, before I could continue my journey I heard someone talking to me.
"Oh! Is that you! Good to see you again! Any news?" Kalé asked me from his usual place.
"No, I just explored Limgrave… Wait a minute… I found something strange during my trip. It was the howl of a wolf in some ruins in the forest. The howl seemed to be coming from above." I said as I approached Kalé.
Kalé then assumed a thoughtful position.
"A wolf's howl, in the Misty Forest… I suppose he must still be hiding… Mmm, I know. Why not meet him in person? Next time you hear the wolf howl, make this sign."
Kalé said as he snapped his fingers. Kalé must have noticed my suspicious look.
"Oh, don't worry, there's nothing to fear. I just have a feeling the two of you might get along." Kalé said with a small laugh.
"Thanks for the information, Kalé; I'll check out the wolf's howl."
"You're welcome. Tell my friend I said 'Hi'."
Kalé said as I walked towards grace.
"Are you sure about that? This merchant was not clear about whom we will meet." Godwyn asked worriedly.
"I already bought some items from Kalé; he seemed like a good person, besides, if he really meant to hurt me, he would have done it a long time ago."
"If you say." Godwyn said as he shrugged.
I went towards the Grace of the church and transported myself to the Grace of Fort Haight.
TIMESKIP
We arrived at Fort Haight, but before I could go into the forest, I heard someone shouting from above the walls of the fort.
"Kind sir! Could you come over here?" It was Kenneth.
I entered the fort and climbed the stairs until I reached Kenneth.
"Oh, you, aren't you? I suppose you must have seen by now, yes, the sorry state of my fort? Oh indeed, it is a terrible fate for a land to be without a ruler. One must be found, in a hurry. And not that horrible Godrick. But a true, stalwart Lord of the proper lineage to take the kingdoms of Limgrave. I am sorry to have raised your hopes… But I have no authority to elevate you to a knighthood."
Too bad, I was enjoying the idea of being knighted. Is it just me, or was Kenneth a little nervous talking to me?
"How things are. The Great Kenneth Haight issues his most sincere apologies. But now, I must begin my quest without haste. For a true and stout Lord of proper lineage to take the reins of Limgrave."
"In other words, do you want me to find a legitimate ruler for Limgrave?" I asked Kenneth.
Kenneth looked away sheepishly.
"Yes, if it's not a problem." He whispered.
"Fine. You have the family tree of the rulers of Limgrave?"
"Unfortunately not." Kenneth said as he looked away.
I took a deep breath. Excellent! I have to find the member of a bloodline that no one knows is extinct or not.
"If I find someone worthy, I will return immediately."
That seemed to cheer Kenneth up.
"Thank you kind sir, I wish you good luck in your quest… But… If I may say so… Wouldn't it be a good idea to change your current attire?" Kenneth said to me nervously.
"What do you mean?"
"Well… On the Night of the Black Knives, Godwyn the Golden was killed… But there was one more person in the capital who tried to poison Lord Godfrey and Queen Marika… You wear the same clothes as that person; I'm not claiming that you are that person. After all, you have only performed good deeds in my service, but other people following the Golden Order may not share my opinion."
Kenneth said nervously as he looked around.
"Thanks for letting me know, I'll see what I can do." I said as I turned to leave.
"Until we meet again." I heard Kenneth say as I walked away.
Well, well, well. If not, the consequences of my actions coming back to haunt me. If I travel through time again, I will make sure to use different equipment each time.
"Then? Who was the pompous noble?" Godwyn asked as we walked away from the fort.
"Kenneth Haight, I helped take back his fort."
"You seriously need to tell me what you've been up to before you met me, I love a good story." Godwyn said as he drank from a glass of wine.
I have no shortage of stories to tell. I called Torrent and started riding towards the ruins.
TIMESKIP
When I reached the ruins, got closer until I started to hear the wolf's howl.
When I got close I snapped my fingers and heard something fall behind the ruins, I approached slowly with Rogier's Rapier in my right hand, with a jump I went to the back of the ruins and was surprised by what I saw.
In front of me was a werewolf of sorts, a being between human and animal, like the leonine knights of Drangleic.
"Who goes there? Did Kalé send you?" The werewolf asked as his hand slowly went to the sword at his back.
"Yes. Kalé told me to come over here and snap my fingers." I said to the werewolf.
"Always the damn busybody. Hmm… Maybe to him, you don't seem so strange. My name is Blaidd. I'm looking for a man who goes by "Darriwil". He fled to somewhere nearby. Or so I heard. Come and let me know if you find him before I do. I can offer you ample reward."
"Nice to meet you Blaidd, my name is Alden. Do you happen to have a clue where Darriwil might have gone?" I asked Blaidd.
"Do you happen to have a map of Limgrave?" Blaidd asked me.
"Yes." I said as I took my map out of my bag and showed it to Blaidd.
Blaidd then started looking for something on the map. "According to the information I received from Kalé, Darriwil was last seen here."
Blaidd said as he pointed to a part of the map.
"Thanks, I'll see what I can do if I find Darriwil." I told Blaidd as I put my map away.
"Darriwil is nothing but a traitor. And needing a proper ending to his story." I heard Blaidd say as I walked away.
"How strange, I didn't expect to find a shadow around here." Godwyn said.
"Did you say something, Godwyn?"
"No, just thinking out loud." Godwyn replied.
Together we went to the location marked by Blaidd on the map.
TIMESKIP
We arrived at the place marked by Blaidd. But where was Darriwil? There was only one stone circle with a smaller stone circle that glowed blue in the center.
"A Evergaol." I heard Godwyn say beside me.
"Evergaol? What is it?"
"A type of prison, touch the blue stone in the center of the circle, and we will find Darriwil."
"I will probably have to fight."
"That's good, I'll finally get a chance to see how you fight, and I'll also have some good entertainment for some time." Godwyn said.
I sighed at Godwyn's attitude, wondering if he only travels with me to ease his boredom. I went towards the stone circle in the center and touched it, I felt my body being transported somewhere, when my eyes opened, there was a transparent barrier around the prison and a golden summon sign in front of me.
I ended up summoning Blaidd, he nodded his head at me and I nodded back. Now where was Darriwil? I got my answer when a type of blue spirit appeared on the other side of the jail.
It was a man wearing armor covered by a piece of cloth, in one of his hands he carried a large sword that he leaned on his back, in his other hand there were large metallic claws, his most notable feature was that he dragged himself along the ground like an animal, using its arms and legs like a quadruped.
"Darriwil… Rotting in a cell isn't true justice. No, this is where it ends for you." I heard Blaidd say as he took the sword from his back and prepared to fight.
"Give me a good show!" I heard Godwyn scream, when I looked towards him Godwyn was seated in a large ornate golden chair and in front of him was a table full of food and drink.
"What is this to you? A gladiator battle?!" I called out to Godwyn.
"Who are you talking to?" Blaidd asked beside me.
"No one, let's focus on the current situation."
Let's see what the Black Flame is capable of.
I lit my pyromantic flame and prepared to conjure a Black Flame, my pyromantic flame changed to a black and white flame, then I threw a black fireball towards Darriwil, unfortunately he jumped to the side, dodging the fireball.
"Why don't you try a charged attack?" Godwyn said as he munched on a chicken leg.
"And what is a charged attack?" I asked as I ducked from Darriwil's attack that nearly decapitated me.
"Focus on the fight!" Blaidd screamed as he cut Darriwil in the back.
"As the name says, it's an attack you charge, you focus, put more power into your attack and launch it towards the enemy, and you can drive it with spells and with weapons." Godwyn said as he drank from a glass of wine.
"And you just tell me that now?!" I yelled at Godwyn as I cast a Black Orb with my staff and hit Darriwil in the head.
"Excellent! Of all the people Kalé could have sent me, it had to be a madman!" Blaidd growled as he used his sword to block a blow from Darriwil, I took the chance and slashed Darriwil across his shoulder with Rogier's Rapier.
"I thought you knew, after all, the ax talisman you carry increases the power of your charged attacks! Or are you going to tell me you didn't know? Did you walk around with that talisman around, not knowing its effect?" Godwyn asked as he removed the shell of a lobster and began to eat the meat underneath.
I didn't have time to answer as Darriwil came running towards me, he tried to cut my face with his claw, I used the ash of war that I put on my staff, as I extended my left hand my staff started to spin in front of me with magic.
Darriwil was hit several times by the attack, forcing him to back away.
"Is there anything else I should know?!" I asked Godwyn.
"Yes! You can put two crystal tears in the physique vial you have. The green tear increases your stamina, the sharp cracked tear increases the effect of your charged attacks, unfortunately it doesn't work with spells and enchantments, and the crimson tear restores half your health." Godwyn said this time cutting off a piece of roast pork.
"How do you know that? I don't remember telling you about the flask." Said as Blaidd and I attacked Darriwil simultaneously, Darriwil tried to slash Blaidd in his chest but was stopped by a magic sword flying towards him courtesy of the rapier ash of war; this gave Blaidd time to kick Darriwil away.
"I can feel the magic of the various magic items you carry, from your robes to the rings on your fingers; I hope you can tell me about it later." Godwyn replied as he ate a piece of pork.
"What the hell! How do I use the bottle?" I said as I rolled away from a series of blows from Darriwil.
"Who the hell are you talking to, you crazy man?!" Blaidd yelled as he blocked a blow from Darriwil's claw.
"Just put a tear in each of the sockets on the bottle!" Godwyn said while laughing.
I took the physique vial from my belt, looking at the vial I saw that there were two sockets in its adornment, I moved away from Darriwil and took out the green crystal teardrop and the point and placed them in the sockets. The liquid in the bottle began to glow, and then I drank it, felt the effects of its contents on my body.
"Good job, the effect should last for three minutes, more than enough to finish off this mad dog! Is not it?" Godwyn said as he crossed his legs, sipped from his wineglass with his head resting on one of his hands.
I put away Rogier's Rapier and equipped the Lord's Great sword, enhanced and with a new ash of war, I cast Black flame Blade, the flames came out of my flame and up the hilt of the sword until it encircled its blade, which was now covered in black. Black flames.
Soon after I ran towards Darriwil who was busy exchanging blows with Blaidd, Darriwil was taken by surprise when I cut him on the left side of his body; black flames began to envelop him.
Darriwil jumped towards me, but was stopped by Blaidd who cut him on his right side, now let's see how the charged attack works, I used the sword war ash, the sword was surrounded by a white aura that means my next attack will be stronger, and I passed the sword to my left hand and cast Black Flame towards Darriwil.
This time my attack was charged, a white symbol of magic appeared in front of my hand as I launched the fireball, the Black Flame flew and hit Darriwil full of an explosion, taking advantage while Darriwil recovered, I ran towards him and charging my next attack pierced him in his chest.
The combination of Black Flame Blade, Determination and charged attack boosted by the talisman and flask proved to be enough to finish him off, soon Darriwil disappeared in runes.
In its place was his weapon. The Blood Hound's Fang, a curved great sword, I kept in my bag.
"… Right. There you are. Had to work for it, but it's done. Don't say I'm not a man of my word. Here is your prize." Blaidd said as he approached me and handed me a type of forge stone, it differed from the others I found.
"Oh yes, I should say. If you venture north to Raya Lucaria and find a venerable blacksmith who's a little big… Tell him I sent him. And he will be sure to treat you right. I owe you one, despite your obvious madness… I think. That's enough chat for now. It is time for us to part."
Then Blaidd's summon disappeared, soon I was sent out of the Evergaol.
"Bravo! One hell of a show! Too bad I can't have an encore!" I saw Godwyn congratulating me as he clapped his hands.
"You could have helped me instead of watching the fight like an emperor!" I said irritably.
"And what could I do? I'm a ghost!" Godwyn replied.
"I don't know?! How about using your ghost powers to possess something and help me!"
I said as we walked off the hill.
"Ghost powers? It is not how it works. If I could really do something about my condition, I would have done it a long time ago, I'm stuck with you. Wherever you go, I go with you." Godwyn said, floating in front of me as he stared at me.
"I wonder if I can get a priest to exorcise you away from me." I said to Godwyn with a smile.
This seemed to irritate Godwyn, "That's not how it works!" Godwyn said as he stomped his foot on the floor.
I walked past Godwyn with a smile on my face, not minding a few small victories here and there.
"Hey! Where are you going?! Don't ignore me! I'm talking with you!" Godwyn said from behind me.
I quickly summoned Torrent and began to ride away from Godwyn.
"Hey! Don't leave me here! I'm Godwyn the Golden! I will not admit this disrespect to my presence!" Godwyn yelled as he floated after me, trying to reach Torrent.
TIMESKIP
"Why are we here?" Godwyn asked me bored.
"To see if Boc is okay and find a way to that island." I said while looking at an island through my binoculars.
I was riding Torrent with Godwyn walking beside me, we were on a beach in Limgrave, that island must be the place Yura told me about, the place where I can use the dragon heart. Now how will I get there? I cannot swim. Maybe I can find a boat?
"Who is Boc anyway?" Godwyn asked me.
"A demi-human ape, he had been banished from his cave and turned into a tree, I helped him, and now Boc feels he must reward me, he is a seamstress and said he would return to the cave for his sewing gear. He looked scared, so I decided to check on him."
Said while getting off Torrent in front of a cave, this must be the place.
"Hmm! A rational demi-human? This is rare to see." Godwyn said with a hand on his chin.
"Is it that rare?"
"Most demi humans act like aggressive animals, but there are a few you can have a friendly conversation with."
Hmm! I feel uneasy the way Godwyn talked about the demi humans; there were also those beings with chains tying them to chariots. I could be wrong, but it seems that some races in these lands are more favored than others.
"Ah… That… Hurts…" I heard groans of pain coming from deeper in the cave, as I approached I saw Boc beaten on the ground next to a Place of Grace.
"Oh, what are you doing here? You must leave this place immediately. They will run in and beat you to a pulp. You will end up just like me." Boc said to see me.
"Poor fellow. Who did this to you?" Godwyn asked, but Boc couldn't hear.
I saw that the cave continued ahead and went deeper into the earth, whoever this to Boc must there; I touched Grace, approached Boc and conjured Warmth with my pyromantic flame.
The fire orb floated beside Boc, healing him.
"Wait here." He said to Boc as he walked deeper.
"What will you do?" Godwyn asked.
"Solve this problem." I replied.
I found myself in a more spacious area of the cave. On the other side were two demi humans carrying daggers and crouching low to the ground. Near them were smaller demi humans carrying clubs.
I equipped the Blood Hound Fang in my left hand and used Black flame Blade on it, one of the smaller demi humans came running towards me, before he could attack me with his club, I cut him in half with my sword, black flames burned what was left of his body.
A second came running from my right, I pointed my pyromantic flame at him and cast Great Combustion, he was reduced to ashes, and one of the larger demi humans seeing that his companions were defeated ran towards me with his daggers raised.
As he approached, I used the ash of war of my weapon, swung upward with, used the momentum of the blow to somersault back and gain distance. The demi human was thrown away.
Then I used a charged attack performing the Blood Hound Step, I shot forward at great speeds, for the untrained eyes it was as if I had transported myself forward.
I pierced the demi human in his chest, the black flames enveloping his body, and then he disappeared in runes.
There was one more left, he ran towards me with one of his daggers jabbing at my eyes, I ducked dodging the blow, then tried to cut me in the stomach, I rolled back, the blow just cutting the air, I suddenly lunged forward, my pyromantic flame aimed at the demi human's face, I conjured fire whip, a spiral of fire shot out of my hand and engulfed the demi human, burning him completely.
The fight was over on the floor there was a tailor's tool kit and a sewing needle, better return them to Boc.
I returned the way I came and found Boc, most of his wounds had been healed by my pyromancy. I delivered the items to Boc.
"Wait, is that what I think it is? Did you return it to me? My sewing needle! What made you do such a thing… My mom was a seamstress… and that sewing kit was all I had to remind me of her. I always wanted to be like sweet old mommy. So I suppose I-I-I can't just curl up and die, can I?"
"No problem at all Boc, if your mother was a seamstress, and you want to be, then how about some practice? There are a lot of different people in the Lands Between; I'm sure one of them will let you sew something for them."
Boc was silent for a few seconds as he hugged the sewing kit.
"Thank you, you are very kind." Boc then ran out of the cave.
"Are you okay?" Godwyn asked as he put a hand on my shoulder.
"Yes. Seeing Boc like that only reminded me of what I saw in Drangleic, but that's in the past now. Let's see how far this cave takes us."
Godwyn and I walked through the cave.
TIMESKIP
Who knew, the cave ended up taking us to the island, Godwyn and I were in a ruined church with a dead dragon on the side, in front of me was an altar that glowed with a red liquid, I took the dragon heart from my bag and I approached the altar.
"So you're after a dragon incantation?" Godwyn asked me as he sat on a ruin on top of me.
"Yes, but I'm not sure how to do it."
"Approach the altar, focus on the powers you wish to acquire, and devour the dragon heart."
I stared at the dragon heart still beating in my hands, I shrugged, and I can't taste anything at all.
I concentrated in front of the altar and heard the names of the incantations in my mind, Dragon's Fire, Dragon's Claw, and Dragon's Fang. I choose Dragon maw, so I devoured the dragon heart.
At first, I felt nothing, but as time went by I felt a discomfort in my head, this discomfort increased until it became an absurd pain, I grabbed my head in pain.
Suddenly I started to float, a red symbol of magic appeared in front of my face and a dragon head appeared above mine and with an impulse it took a powerful forward bite, this bite ended up hitting a piece of the ruins, crushing them completely.
Then I landed on the floor, breathing heavily.
"So, how did it feel?" Godwyn asked me curiously.
"A feeling of power, I felt like nothing could stop me, but I also felt unbearable hunger."
"You better learn to control that hunger, after all, we don't want you to become a malformed dragon." Godwyn said as he jumped off the ruin and landed beside me.
"One that?" I asked.
"That, my friend, is a conversation for another day."
I touched Grace of the island and transported myself far from there.
TIMESKIP
"What will we do now?" Godwyn asked me as we walked through the Limgrave hills.
"Find the location that is on the map Fia gave us." I said as I took out the piece of paper and looked around trying to find some point of reference.
"This is going to be boring." Godwyn said as he looked at the map.
"You get bored very easily." He said to Godwyn.
"What can I say? I am a person always looking for emotions and challenges."
"That kind of attitude will end up killing you someday."
Godwyn then laughed and patted me on the back.
"HAHAHA! Good joke, you are learning."
Joke? What joke? Forget it; I propose we find the place on the map.
TIMESKIP
"Holy crap!" I screamed as I lowered myself from a jet of poison shot by a giant jellyfish.
"Behind you!" Godwyn yelled.
I turned around quickly and blocked a sword blow from a skeleton behind me; I had an Ornate Sword in each hand, blocked the blow with the sword in my right hand and pierced the skeleton thrusting the sword in my right hand in the lower part of its jaw until it exits through the skull.
The skeleton crumbled to the ground, its bones scattered everywhere, but soon its bones came together, and the skeleton was on its feet again. This has been going on for some time.
"Caution!" Godwyn yelled as he stood on top of a headstone.
When I turned around I was hit by a spray of poison in my chest, it wasn't enough to poison me, but it ended up leaving me exposed to a blow from the skeleton that cut me in my back.
This is getting annoying, I was in a cemetery in the Limgrave hills, this place was full of giant floating jellyfish and reanimated skeletons, the worst part is that this cemetery was on a cliff, and I was slowly being pushed over the edge, I could hear the waves from the bar hitting the rocks below.
"Godwyn! Some advice?"
"I don't know? Maybe I know? Maybe not? I might have known, but a rude comment about getting a priest to exorcise me might have made me forget how best to deal with skeletons."
Godwyn said as he lay face down on top of a headstone, his head propped up in one hand and his legs dangling in the air.
"Godwyn! This is not the time for that!" i said while casting a Dark Orb on a jellyfish, it disappeared in runes, but there were still the skeletons.
"I might say, if you apologized."
"Alright, alright! I'm sorry!"
"I'm sorry what?" Godwyn asked his smile widening.
"I'm so sorry, Godwyn the Golden!"
"See, it wasn't that hard! To finish off the skeletons, you need to use holy attacks, or attack the skeletons again as they crumble to the ground."
Finally, I used the ash of war from the ornate swords, dragging the blades together, covered them in holy energy, and ran towards the skeletons in front of me.
I pierced the first one in his rib cage, bones, and ribs flying around, other skeletons came towards me trying to cut me with their sword, I spun around him cutting his spine in half, both halves of his body falling to the ground, the last skeleton ran with a spear in his hands, when he approached I took a step to the side letting him pass me, then I cut his head off.
Looks like its over, but I didn't find the place Fia was talking about, at least I found a Spirit Ash in this cemetery, the ashes of Godrick's Soldiers.
"See, it wasn't that hard to apologize." Godwyn said as he nudged me with his elbow.
"You're right, O Godwyn the Golden, the most annoying ghost I've met in my life and who will probably end up taking me to my grave." I said as I called Torrent and rode away.
"Hey! Come back here and say that to my face!" Godwyn yelled as he chased Torrent again.
TIMESKIP
Godwyn and I continued looking for the place Fia talked about; on the way we came to a collapsed bridge, on it there was an old woman similar to Enia.
"You, please, I can read them. Your fingers, please, your fingers…" The old woman said to see me.
I approached her and extended my left hand; she took my hand and started to look at it closely.
"Oh, God bless you. Oh! Ohh! Go to the golden foundation, Tarnished… Cross over Raya Lucaria… And gather the crescent halves, of the Great Lift. Ah, but the bridge has collapsed and cannot be crossed. Why it matters! Stormveil Castle still rises mighty!"
Great, she talks in riddles.
I called Torrent and rode away.
"Did you understand what she meant?" I asked Godwyn.
"The most I understood was to gather the two halves of the Medallion of Dectus and trigger the Great Lift to reach the Altus Plateau."
"I think I have a part of that medallion."
"Now we just need to find out where the other one is."
TIMESKIP
"Is this the place?" Godwyn asked me.
"I don't know, but there's only one way to find out." I said as I approached the door of a catacomb.
Godwyn and I rode until we got here, on the way I got a crystal tear in a stone receptacle, according to Godwyn the tear I got increased my strength, and I put it in the vial in place of the green tear.
I walked past the ghost next to the catacomb door and opened the door.
Going down the stairs I found a Place of Grace, touched the Grace and continued down until I came to a large locked stone door.
"So, how are we going to get through?" Godwyn asked as he approached the door.
"Can't you go through the door and see what's on the other side?" I asked Godwyn.
"How many times do I have to tell you that's not how it works? I'm not that kind of ghost!" Godwyn replied irritably.
"Never mind. What's the point of having a ghost helping you if he's completely useless?"
"I heard it!" I heard Godwyn yell behind me.
We follow a passage on the left down some stairs, suddenly a bunch of bones started to move until they form a skeleton with a sword and I hear.
Great, more skeletons.
With an ornate sword in each hand I used his war ash, I didn't give the skeleton time to fully form, I quickly pierced it through the rib cage and forehead, and the bones fell harmlessly to the ground.
I continued down until I reached an area with a ladder on the left, going down these stairs, I came to an area with stone pillars, another skeleton tried to form, but I didn't give it time, I attacked it again and the bones fell harmlessly.
Passing by the stone pillars, I saw a narrow passage to my left, passing through the passage, I came to a large room with stone coffins, again to my left there was a narrow stone corridor, passing through this corridor I came to a raised platform of overlooking the area below, on the way I got an Uchigatana on a corpse.
Jumping off the stone platform I went through a corridor until I reached a room with a lever in front of a statue, pulling the lever, I heard the sound of the stone door opening.
When I turned to leave I saw five skeletons in front of me, I don't have the patience for it, when the skeletons approached I conjured Wrath of the Gods with my bell, the skeletons were thrown away, and I ran past them until I reached the room of the stone door.
I went through the door and down the stairs, when I went down I noticed that on the walls there were tree roots, in front of me there was a wall of fog, when I passed through the wall I came to a large room with roots covering the stone pillars and a large mass of roots on the other side of the room.
Something stirred in the darkness on the other side, as the figure approached, I was surprised, a Black Knife Assassin, one of the people involved in Godwyn's death.
"Kill her…" I heard Godwyn say something behind me.
"What…" I couldn't finish because of Godwyn's scream.
"I told you to finish her! Send that plague to hell where it came from!" Godwyn yelled as he pointed at the assassin.
The assassin wasted no time and ran towards me, her knife ready, the assassin looked wounded, but I can't worry about that now, there's an enemy in front of me.
I equipped Rogier's Rapier in my right hand and my Sunset Staff in my left hand.
I used the rapier's War Ash, magic swords appeared above me, then I conjured a Black Orb towards the assassin, she jumped to the side dodging the spell, but ended up being open of the magic swords that flew towards her, hitting her.
The assassin recoiled from the blow, then I cast Dark Hail, the shards of darkness shot towards the assassin in an arc, the assassin slipped under the spell, she then turned her body, dragging her knife along the ground, and then made a cut in my chest from the bottom up.
Then I pierced the assassin in her shoulder with the rapier, she recoiled with the blow, and then she took a big leap forward, her knife aimed at my neck, I rolled to the right dodging the blow and then cut the assassin at her waist. She clutched her wound in pain.
The assassin then jumped on top of me and plunged her knife towards my head, I jumped back letting the blow hit the ground, and then cast Shadow Great Sword, a blade of darkness appeared on my staff and used it to cut the Assassin followed by a wave of darkness emanating from the blade, the assassin was thrown backwards.
The assassin then jumped in the air, turning her body she released a wave of black and red energy from her knife, the energy hit me and nothing happened, this surprised the assassin, but her surprise was her fall, as when she landed I ran to her and pierced her heart with the rapier.
"You…you were there… in that night." The assassin said before disappearing in runes, leaving only a knife-shaped talisman on the ground, I took the talisman in my hands and started analyzing.
"Hey! Godwyn! What do you think of this talisman?" Looking around, I didn't see Godwyn anywhere.
"Godwyn?" He didn't answer, I shrugged, I put the talisman in my bag, near the mass of roots there was a chest, I hit the chest, nothing happened, when I opened it I found a kind of black root, I kept the root in my bag and walked out of the catacombs.
TIMESKIP
As I rode on, Godwyn finally appeared, but he was strangely quiet.
"Godwyn?" I asked.
"Sorry for my sudden disappearance, but that talisman reminded me of the Black Knives, and the night of my death, for a moment everything came back."
"I see, if it makes you feel better, I don't plan on equipping that talisman."
"Thanks." Godwyn said as he smiled.
"Hello? Can you hear me? Help me! I am stuck. Hello? Hi! Somebody!" We heard someone asking for help.
As we followed the sound, Godwyn and I gasped at what we saw, a giant, talking jar with arms stuck to the floor.
"Oh, by the stars, I'm so happy to see you! I'm Iron Fist Alexander. And as you can see, I'm stuck here. Can you please help me with this?"
"Godwyn, are you seeing the same as me?"
"Yes, and I'm not believing it. I think it's better to help him."
I approached the talking jar.
"Thanks! A thousand thanks! Just give me a good slap from behind with something nice and big." The jar said, I heard Godwyn laugh beside me. Did Alexander say something funny?
"Are you sure?" I asked Alexander.
"Put those doubts to rest, I'll be fine. I'm very well-trained. Give it your all, I say!"
With Alexander's confirmation, I took Godrick's Ax out of my pocket, gripping the ax with both hands, went to Alexander's back and gave him a blow sending him flying.
"Oh! There! Ahhh! Ahh!" Godwyn fell to the floor, laughing at the noises Alexander made.
"Well played, good sir. Well played. Though that mighty blow of yours almost marked the end of me! There is! Well, I'm out now, and that's what matters. I thank you, and as a token of my appreciation, I would like you to keep this." Alexander said as he handed me a piece of flesh.
I kept the piece in my bag.
"Nice to meet you, Alexander, my name is Alden."
"Again, the pleasure is mine. I am a warrior jar known as Alexander. Alexander Iron First, in fact. I travel to the east, where I aspire to continue my education in the ways of war. Beyond these lands lies the rotting scarlet Caelid. And at the southern end is Red Mane Castle, in which a fighting festival is being held. I've heard whispers of such festivities before… The idea doesn't make your chest flutter?!"
"I wish you a safe journey, Alexander, until we meet again."
"Hope to see you again, my friend!" Alexander said as he walked away.
Godwyn finally stopped laughing and stared at me with tears in his eyes.
"What?" I asked him.
"HAHAHA!" Godwyn laughed again.
I shrugged, called Torrent, and kept riding.
TIMESKIP
Up ahead I saw someone familiar, D, he was standing next to a dead body.
"There's no mistake, is there? Death left its mark once more. I'm sorry; I can't give you your proper rites… But at least you haven't joined those who live in death. Erdtree, with time. Golden rays, like honey, release this spirit."
He looked like he was mourning someone's death.
"Oh! We meet again, heed my warning. The village here has been touched by Death. And worse, however, is the home of a Tibia Mariner. If you value your life, then go no further. The village here has been touched by death. Come back while you still can." D warned me.
"Alden, let's solve this Mariner problem." Godwyn said.
"Are you not on the side of Those Who Live in Death? Why do you want to finish off the Mariner?"
"There are better ways to solve this problem, but until then we cannot let the Mariners run wild."
"Fine. I will deal with the Mariner."
"Hmm! I won't stop you, but you're a fool for trying." D said as he crossed his arms.
I paid no attention to D, "HA!" With my command Torrent shot towards the village further on, on the way I touched Grace near the village, the village was surrounded by water. But where was the Mariner?
Out of the corner of my eyes I saw something purple glowing, I went towards the glow, got off Torrent as I approached and saw the source of the glow.
It was a type of ghost sitting in a chair on a boat with a lantern above his head, the ghost was rowing his boat through the waters around the village.
"Is that the Mariner?"
"Yes." Godwyn said beside me.
"Are you sure what we're about to do?"
"Yes, put him to rest."
With these words I approached the Mariner, the Mariner seeing this played a horn, the sound echoed through the village and skeletons emerged from under the water.
I decided to summon my allies, rang the Spirit Summoning bell and summoned Godrick's Soldiers, one soldier carrying a hammer and shield in the forefront and another in the rear with a crossbow, they started fighting the skeletons, leaving me alone with the Mariner.
The Mariner is one of those who live in death, so holy should work, with an Ornate Sword in each hand; I used the ash of war and coated the blades with holy energy.
Slowly, the Mariner lifted the bow of his boat and then dropped it on top of me. I rolled to the right dodging the boat, and then cut the Mariner with my swords, the Mariner rowed away.
Then the Mariner raised his hand above his head, with a green glow the boat rose into the air in a wave, and then fell towards me, I rolled backwards trying to dodge the attack, but I couldn't dodge completely and ended up being hit by the attack and thrown back.
The Mariner then dipped his horn into the water and then launched it forward, splashing water towards me; I had the impression that it was not normal water, so I rolled away from the attack, then ran towards the Mariner cutting him several times with the swords.
Suddenly the Mariner disappeared and appeared beside me, and waved his horn aside, I ducked letting the blow go over my head, I lit my pyromantic flame and threw a Chaos Fireball at the Mariner, the fire, and lava began to burn the Mariner.
The Mariner held his horn vertically in front of him for a long time, then lowered it in front of him, I rolled left the blow colliding with the water, I decided to use my new enchantment, equipped my Chime of Want and used Dragon maw, I floated through the air, the dragon's head forming and biting the Mariner shortly after, with the mighty bite the Mariner disappeared in runes.
On the ground was the ash of a spirit, from the Skeleton Militia, and a root.
"May you finally find peace." Godwyn said to the Mariner.
"Looks like its over." I said to Godwyn.
"Yes, but this is just the beginning, there are still several Mariners causing trouble across the Lands Between." Godwyn said as he watched the sunrise.
"Don't worry, in time we will solve this problem. How about we see if there's anything useful in the village?" I asked Godwyn.
"Fine! More trinkets to add to our collection." Godwyn replied as he rubbed his hands together.
"Of Course! Wait! What you mean by our collection?" I asked Godwyn, I'm the one gathering equipment here.
TIMESKIP
We entered an underground area on the outskirts of the village, on the way there were several messages that confused me.
"Behold dog."
"Dog ahead."
"Onward then dog."
"Look for dog."
I prepared Rogier's Rapier and my Sunset Staff, I remember the hollow dogs of the Lost Bastille, I was prepared to encounter a dog monster, but what I saw surprised me was a room full of turtles.
"A bunch of turtles?"
"They're not turtles, they're dogs." Godwyn said as he tried to pet a turtle, his hand ended up going through the animal, Godwyn looked sad.
"What are you talking about? They are turtles." I said as I opened a door on the other side of the room and found a chest.
"They are dogs!" Godwyn said beside me.
"They are turtles!" I said while hitting the chest, nothing happened, when opening the chest I found a green talisman in the form of a turtle.
"They're dogs, and this talisman regenerates your stamina faster!" Godwyn said as he pointed at the talisman, I equipped the talisman just below my ax talisman.
As we left the village, we found D.
"Well, well… Another fool who won't listen to reason, huh? But with a knack for weeding the Root of Death… Would you like to gain the strength of the beasts? If you are inclined to hunt more those who live in death, and weed their root of death, then I will introduce you to Gurranq, the beast man cleric. I have an issue to resolve. And the beast itself wants someone to take my place. What do you say?" D asked me.
I looked at Godwyn with a look asking what he thought; Godwyn gave me thumbs up.
"Yes, I would like."
"Very good. Show me your map." I showed my map to D, he marked a location on the map.
"I marked the location for you. From a hidden portal. He will take you to Gurranq, the beast cleric. I would love to stay longer to talk, but I have a business to attend to." D then walked away while waving goodbye.
"We are going to visit Gurranq later, now we are going to Liurnia." I said to Godwyn.
"I agree, I believe we have explored enough." Godwyn replied.
"But how will we get to Liurnia?" I asked.
"If I remember correctly, there is a passageway through the Stormveil throne room." Godwyn said.
"Well, to Stormveil we go."
I headed towards Grace near the village and transported myself to Stormveil.
TIMESKIP
We came out of grace in the courtyard where I fought Godrick, as I walked to the room across the courtyard; Godwyn put a hand on my shoulder and started talking with animation in his voice.
"Finally we go to Liurnia, we will face powerful monsters, we will explore ancient ruins, and we will get several maidens!" Godwyn said with a smile as he pointed to the sky.
Suddenly, a familiar sword fell from the sky a few meters in front of me. I know this sword. Don't tell me that…
Suddenly something heavy fell from the sky raising a large cloud of dust, I saw a red glow in the middle of the cloud, when the dust settled I saw a being wearing a large black armor covered with faces, on his back was a container full of weapons, the being grabbed the sword in front of him and began to float.
"You!" I said, as I wielded the Lord's Sword in my right hand and the staff in my left hand, Godwyn was still in the same position.
"Alden? What is that thing?" Godwyn asked without moving.
"The Pursuer!" I replied.
The red glow on the pursuer helm intensified, and he bolted toward me.
END OF CHAPTER