ARC IV

CHAPTER 1:

JOURNEY TO THE EAST

LIURNIA OF THE LAKES, RANNI'S RISE

"Or shouldst I calleth thee lord?"

Lordan remains flabbergasted as the woman he spoke to months ago in the early stages of his journey reappears. And here was her true identity revealed, she was Lunar Princess Ranni all along.

He looks to Godwyn's phantom form, who was displaying a happy expression, seemly proud of the woman he married. Lordan then steps a little closer to confront Ranni, who had lied to him about her true name.

"So you were Princess Ranni all along? Why the name of Renna then?"

"Lordan. Don't be rude." Godwyn remarks from the side, earning him an annoyed look from Lordan.

Ranni takes a moment to observe Lordan, completely calm despite his improper tone when speaking to a member of royalty. "Yes. Mine own deception was on purpose. There art many in the lands between yond seeketh to harmeth me. Therefore, I hadst to taketh the proper steps to ensureth mine own safety."

Lordan thinks of a reason he could use to counter her point but remembered that he was here on a different purpose, and angering the person he was here to make amends to was not a good idea. "Uh. Fine. That's a fair reason, I guess. But no more surprises, please."

"Fair enow." Ranni's expression becomes that of a more serious note. "But we art meeting for different reasoneth art we not? something about thee harming a family member of mine own?"

"Yes... That's what I'm here for." He dreaded the possibility of retribution from Ranni. He was deep in the Carians territory at this point, any escape attempt would be near futile. He could only hope that Blaidd vouching for him was enough to let him off the hook. "I am... Sorry about that. I didn't mean- I just wanted to-"

Ranni raises her hand, causing Lordan to stop speaking as she herself wanted to say her thoughts on the matter. "I am acknown of thy true intentions and of what thee didst in the exact details. And I am eke acknown of thy endeth result. Not taking mine own mother's Great rune wast... Kind of thee. To sayeth the least. Any other Tarnished wouldst has't done differently."

"Yes. The lust for the Great Runes inspired many of the Tarnished to commit the most hideous of acts. In their mind, the results justify the means." Godwyn adds in his thoughts without the knowledge of Ranni. "But you are different, Lordan. Make Ranni know that."

Lordan listens to Godwyn's advice and thinks of a way to placid the Carians. He only has one way in mind, a service to perform on their behalf, something that Blaidd had hinted at when Lordan was given the dew to absolve his sins. "Anyway, I here to... Make amends in any way I can. I didn't mean to attack Rennala- Queen Rennala. I was just seeking the Great runes. This whole... Mend the Elden Ring thing has been... Messing with some of my choices."

"Oh, is that so? Thou wouldst render me aid, is that thy proposal*?* " Her assumption was met with a nod from Lordan, which changes her whole mood, even allowing her to adopt a small smile. "Intriguing. Then mayhaps fate hath steered thee to this reunion, regardless of the unfortunate circumstances. But I require from thee as much of those under my command. Wouldst thee riseth up to the task?"

"I... Try my best. honestly."

Ranni considered his answer, which in a way, answers nothing. But she found it satisfying as not many would openly admit to possibly being a disappointment. More honesty in her service was something she was lacking at the moment, especially with someone like Seluvis in her service. "Very well... There's nothing wrong with a well-laid scheme. An I am curious enough to see what thy destiny portends..." She then offers her hand to Lordan as a sign of accepting her service. "I'll allow it. Perform me service as recompense for your transgression, and all is forgiven, my lord."

Lordan nods and kneels to her, taking her hand to place a kiss on it, a gesture that earned him a small scoff from Godwyn at the side. " Try not to enjoy that too much, Lordan. Especially with me in your head. "

Great... I got her husband nagging me in the head... He stands to his feet and sought instructions from Ranni, not aware of the service that she wanted. "So... What do I have to do to make things better?"

Ranni regains her hand and adopts her same signature position. "There is, in my service, a half-wolven warrior by the name of Blaidd, your friend if I recall. I would have thee join him in searching for the hidden treasure of Nokron, the Eternal City. which is enshielf to us at the moment."

"So you want me to find it? This city? Where do I look?"

"That lies the problem. We have found it. But we cannot reacheth t. Perhaps Iji can provideth the insight." She snaps her fingers, and an illusion of a giant appears, reading a book while wearing a mirror helm. "Iji, Please explain thy findings."

"Yes, Princess." The Giant turns to Lordan and introduces himself. "Greetings, Lord wolf. I am Iji. The Carian royal family's dedicated blacksmith and Lady Ranni's war counselor. I am told that you are searching for Nokron with Blaidd. I will give you whatever guidance I can."

Lordan bows in return for the greeting. "Ok. So how do I get to Nokron? It is a remote place? Enemy territory?"

Iji shakes his head in response as both were wrong. "Either I am Afraid, for Nokron is a location hidden within the earth."

An underground city? Why does everything need to be that complicated...

"The fate of the Carian royal family is guided by the stars. As is the fate of Lady Ranni, the first heir in the Carian royal line after her brothers stepped down from the succession. But General Radahn is the conqueror of the stars. Who stood up to the swirling constellations with his father's instructions, halting their movement in a smashing victory. And so, if General Radahn were defeated, the stars would once again resume their movement. As would Lady Ranni's destiny. Perhaps, even revealing the elusive path. That leads to Nokron."

" He speaks true, Lordan. Halting the stars has limited the movement of fate. Something that Miquella once urged Radahn to resume in order to follow his own path. "

"So I need to defeat Radahn? Is that it?" He issues a question that was meant for both Godwyn and Iji. A question that created a little uneasiness in the room. "There is a big but, isn't there?"

Ranni steps into the converstion as Radahn was a personal topic for her to speak about. "Radahn is mine own brother, the firstborn of mine own family. T wast his task to holdeth the stars as our father did wish. An act yond did cause his clash with Malenia, for she seeketh to the resume the stars on Miquella's behalf. And to this day, coequal in his mindless state, mine own brother still carries out his goal."

"Therefore, the slaying of Radahn is an act that must be carried out. Both as the next step to progress the Princess's fate and as an act of mercy for Queen Rennala's son." Iji added in, knowing that Ranni was not comfortable with the words to use for telling Lordan to fall her brother.

Lordan listens to the request. What they are telling him to do seemed simple on the surface, yet complicated in its nature. For Ranni was asking him to kill her brother, an act that many consider kinslaying be it by indirect means. "So you want me to kill... Your brother?" His answer was given as Ranni nods her head, which causes Lordan to sigh loudly. "So I'm under scrutiny for accidentally attacking the Queen, but your request for me to make amends is to... Kill her son? Why... Why would you even ask me to do that? That's just... Fucked up!"

His outburst offered no reaction as Ranni already predicted his reluctant attitude to the matter, for she herself did not want to carry out such an act against her brother. "I asketh thee to doth this because i myself cannot followeth through with the act. I loveth mine own siblings, all of them enwheeling the twins from Queen Marika. But our planeth involves more than my kin, more is at stake here than mine own familiar ties. And Radahn... Hast suffered enow in his mindless state."

With her explanation given, Lordan calmed down and considered her words. It was questionable, but if her intention were a mercy killing, then perhaps Lordan would be more willing. He then remembered that Radahn was in the possession of a Great Rune of his own, meaning that Ranni's request was in line with his quest, be it by indirect means.

Lordan sighs once again, looking over to Godwyn, who simply nods for him to continue. "Fine. Fine. I really don't have much of a choice, do I? I will perform that service in my way of making amends."

His acceptance caused Ranni to smile in relief, someone had finally accepted the difficult task of putting down her brother, something the Blaidd had trouble coming to terms with as well. "Good, then I ask we proceed with haste. Journey to the east and maketh thy way to-"

Her instructions were interrupted as another illusion appears in the room. A man in robes wearing a mask and a large headwear was a newcomer to the meeting. "My lady, I am ready to present my findings on the primeval current- Ah, I see we have a guest, a new subordinate, I suspect?"

" Ah. Great. This cunt is still alive... " Godwyn immediately rolls his eyes at the appearance of Seluvis, a mage within the Carian Royals service. His presence dulled the mood in the room, for everyone that knew him had a form of disdain for the man.

"Seluvis. This man is the Lord of Limgrave. The Tarnished who felled Godrick. You will show him the proper due respect." Iji warned the mage, who seemed not to respond behind his mask.

"But he is also the one who assaulted the Queen, no?" His response was swift and made Iji produce no counter as it was true to a certain extent. He walks towards Lordan and circles around him while watching him, assessing the new Tarnished that would serve Ranni. "With respect my lady. But is it truly wise to allow this... Mongrel... To perform this task of great importance? I doubt he has the proper skills to ensure your ascension, one that we have been planning for years."

"Excuse me?" The words from Seluvis annoyed Lordan greatly. He had taken the time to come to the manor to right his wrongs, not to be harassed or judged for his skillset. "You wanna come here for real and say that to my face? Or are your balls too small to do it?"

"Immediately proved my point after all. Having him carry out your task is not wise, my lady. Perhaps I will be more suited to-"

"Enough of thy unbearable breath, Seluvis." Ranni's tone was firm and filled with a small amount of anger. It was not the first time Seluvis had stepped out of line to gain more power. "Lordan is mine own guest in this manor, and his guest rights shall beest be respected. Thy findings art not of importance to me anon, writeth me a report and I shalt readeth at which hour I has't the time. I have spoken, Away from my sight."

Seluvis stares at Lordan for a few seconds and attempts to remedy his situation. "My lady, I only meant-"

"Now."

Ranni's warning was final, and Seluvis bows as his illusion disappears. He willingly leaves not to incur Ranni's wrath, as he was one of the few people who knows of Ranni's many retributions that she inflicts on her enemies.

"I apologizeth for yond, Lordan. Seluvis is in mine own service until his uses runneth out. A day that is approaching swiftly, I assureth thee."

Lordan shakes his head at the sight as he looks to Godwyn, who only shrugs as he agreed with Ranni's intention. He forms a plan in his head. He needed more information on Radahn and thinks that Gideon might be the provider of what he requires. "Ok. So I fall your brother, take his Great rune in the process, and somehow start the movement of stars to reveal the entrance to this Nokron?"

"Yes, that is what we intend for you to do. Perform us this service, and the Carians will fully forget your transgression." His plan was approved by Ranni and her advisor, for they needed someone to undertake this journey on their behalf.

Lordan considered the alternatives but knew that there were none. He decides to go along as this was a path that he needed to take eventually due to Radahn's Great Rune. "Alright. I'm in. I will head to the Roundtable Hold to prepare some equipment and supplies for the journey. East right?"

Ranni nods at the acceptance once again, she was pleased due to her cards being played right to make use of a tragic incident. She nods to Iji to dismiss him and starts to send Lordan on his way. "Thou'rt a rare sort. Not many would have accepted the challenge, despite the circumstances. I anticipate good work from thee." She reaches into her pockets and produced two items, gesturing for Lordan to move closer.

"These shall beest useful. First, a seal to proveth thee an ally to the Carians. With this in handeth, no Carian shall be allowed to harmeth thee, lest they visage mine own wrath." She gives Lordan a seal with the banner of the Carians, granting him immunity to the region. "Secondly. Thou art an apprentice of the Witch Sellen, yes?"

How does she know that? Lordan thinks of denying it but remembered that Sellen was infamous among the Region's magic users. Any denial of his association may cause more problems, and he doesn't need any more with the Carians now. "Yeah, I learned magic from her for combat. That's not a problem, right?"

"No, far from it. Tis an advantage at the moment." She hands over the second item, which was a letter, sealed with a Carian crest over wax. "Giveth this letter to her. Tis a proposal. Since the academy is lacking a headmaster, I intendeth to installeth a replacement. The lady Sellen cometh into mind, despite her sullied reputation."

Lordan takes the letter and feels its material, it was of good quality, like the one Rya gave him. He keeps the letter in his pockets and the seal into a convenient access pouch for quick use. With the items in place, Lordan intended to leave. Only for Ranni to call out to him as he starts turning. "Lordan. Wait. A question for thee."

"Sure. Uhhh... What's wrong?"

"Is mine own husband h're with us anon?"

Lordan was caught off guard as another person had sensed Godwyn's presence with them. He looks over the unseen Demi-god who nods for him to reveal the truth. "Yeah... He's kind of in my head. I got him after activating his Great Rune."

"Not entirely true. I was in your head the moment you took the Great Rune. You just couldn't see me until you activated it. "

"But he is pretty annoying at times." He could practically hear Godwyn's eyeroll from the side. "But... He is useful at times."

"That is good to hear." Ranni smiles fondly when remembering her time in the past with Godwyn. Their marriage was arranged as a way to replace the peace Radagon had broken when he left Rennala for Queen Marika. While they were cold to each other at first, they grew closer due to their shared disapproval of each their Parent's decisions, eventually working together to plot against the Greater Will. "I wouldst wisheth to speaketh to Godwyn, if 't be truly possible. At another time, of course."

"As do I. She and I require time to... Catch up. " Lordan sighs silently as he imagined his body being used by Godwyn to converse with Ranni, and possibly other things that involve intimacy. He stutters a little at the thought and prepares to leave, his first destination would be the hold to catch up on the events there and get information on Radahn.

"I should get going. Got a long trek ahead, Princess."

"Of course. I wish you valorous fortune and good hunting, lord wolf." They exchanged bow to each other, but Lordan was stopped for a moment by Ranni, who gives a final word in the form of a warning. " But know this, Lordan. Because of thy action towards my mother, the name of Ranni the Witch is already sullied by thee, Tis only f'r Blaidd's sake, I offer thee a way out. So I will not brook disobedience in this matter, else no mercy shall be given to thee."

"I... Got it." He heard the warning from Ranni and feels the air in the room getting colder, cold enough to make his breath visible. Lordan nods a final time and leaves the room, knowing that Ranni's wrath is not to be tested. He walks down the spiral stairway outside as Godwyn followed along. "Is she always that... Scary?"

" Oh yes. Especially when it comes to her mother's welfare. Tell me, Lordan, have you ever heard of a creature called a Moon Presence? "

"A Moon Presence? No. Does she control one?"

" Indirectly, yes. It is one of her many cards in hand. "

"Ok? What is a Moon Presence anyway?"

" You don't. Want to know. " Godwyn's tone was serious at the mention of one of Ranni's many abilities, with this one being the most dangerous. They eventually made their way down the tower, and Godwyn fades back into Lordan's mind. His presence, however, once again sullied the mood of the Carian knights below.

Yup, I'm not welcome here yet. Lordan walks past the knights and meets up with Loretta again and was subsequently escorted to the manor's entrance.

With Lordan out of the manor, he summons Torrent to ride once again. He urges Torrent forward and rides off to the south, for a new journey begins to the east of the Lands Between.

THE ROUNDTABLE HOLD

"Hmmm. Is that all you have to show? How disappointing. I expected better from you." Gideon looks at the lamp containing the Frenzied Flame that was extracted from Lordan months ago. His research involved the flame's reaction to several elements of the world, magic, and different varieties of flames.

Gideon then takes out a flask from below his desk and pours its contents into a small bowl. Taking a candle from his deck, Gideon lits the bowl ablaze to create a fire that was green in color. He opens the lamp's lit slightly and moves the bowl of green flames to its opening.

He watches as the Frenzied Flame absorbs the green flames to completely extinguish the bowl. He closes the lid and notes down his observation in a nearby notebook. "Hmmmmm. Not sure what I expected. Wildfire was always a cheap imitation of magical flames."

A knock came from the door of his study, one that he was not expecting but suspected on who it was behind it. He had been waiting for Lordan's return for some time. "No need to knock, Lordan. We are past that already."

And instantly, Lordan opens the door, once again appearing before Gideon to get information. He walks to Gideon slowly while looking at the lamp of Frenzied Flame. "That thing is still around? Is it your pet or something?"

"I am using it for tests, to find a vulnerability. One that may serve useful in the future." The lamp rattled itself near Lordan's presence, which prompted Gideon to knock it once again. "Behave. Else it's the freezer again." He keeps the lamp to the underside of his deck and returned his attention to Lordan. "Now... It's been some time since you came to the hold. How is your progress? Reports from my scouts have been rather unclear."

Scouts? Spying on me again. Lordan takes a moment to think of the brief he should give Gideon. He didn't want Gideon to know everything that he had done but was also aware that the man might already have a rough idea. He just needed Lordan to say it for confirmation. With his thoughts on what to say, Lordan removes his helmet and leans against a wall to start talking.

"Well, I found Rennala and her Great Rune. Caused quite a stir with the Carians. But I agreed to do a task for them in exchange for their forgiveness."

"So you have two Great Runes now? Impressive. You are making good progress on your quest. You may be our next best option to restore the Elden Ring."

Lordan then rubs his head as that was not the case. "Uhhh... I didn't get Rennala's Great Rune."

"Why?" Gideon question to his reveal was swift and cold. He is a person that does not like delays to tasks of great importance, regardless of the reasons. "You were the one who infiltrated the academy, no? The one who broke through Princess Ranni's illusions? What reason do you have for not taking the Rune from her?"

Lordan folded his arms, intending to stand firm on his choice. "I didn't take the Rune because I didn't want to. She needs it more than me. And you know that, don't you?"

The two of them stare at each other without words as both were in disagreement. Gideon's opinion was of logic, and Lordan's was of morality, two aspects of choices that often clash in decisions. Their stare-down lasted for a few seconds, with Lordan not blinking at all despite looking down at Gideon's helmet.

"Choices have consequences. They always do. By leaving Rennala's Great Rune you open her to become a target for someone else to seek her out and steal it. Your little act of mercy may come back to haunt you or her."

"Well then, we just have to hope that someone is ready to face the might of Caria head-on. If they want to try such a shit idea, of course." His response created a large from Gideon, the older man was practically dripping with disappointment at his choice, not that Lordan cared, of course.

Seeing that Lordan was not about to change his or admit it a wrong choice, Gideon decides to move on, making an assumption that Lordan was here to learn more about the next Great Rune to retrieve. "It's your loss, boy. You gave up the easiest Rune to retrieve, and now you must seek another. And the options on the table happen to be of a higher difficulty than the rest."

"I will deal with it. Now tell me about Radahn."

The direct question from Lordan finally catches his attention. "You intend to seek the strongest Demigod for his Great Rune next? You must be far madder than I thought. Or perhaps the Frenzied Flame is messing with your mind? Influencing you to make the less ideal decisions."

Lordan rolls his eyes at the assumption, he was once again getting annoyed by Gideon's comments about him. Never has the urge to punch someone that smug been this addictive. What. A. Prick.

He refocuses on the task at hand and swallows his pride, information on Radahn was more useful to him now, considering what was hanging above his head. "I said I will deal with it. I just want to know about what and who I'm going to be fighting."

"And you didn't bother to ask the Princess herself? Considering that you have spoken to her personally?"

"Hard to do that when her entire country wants me dead. Her included in a small capacity."

"Hm. Fair enough." Gideon closes his research notes to keep and takes out a book from the selves behind him. He flips through it quickly and finds the page he was looking for. It depicted artwork of Radahn and Malenia in their final great battle during the shattering.

"General Radahn, the conqueror of stars himself. Firstborn of Radagon and Rennala. The strongest of all the Demigods in Marika's age. He alone held back the stars in the sky with his mastery of gravitational magic." Another page was flipped to reveal more text and new art of Radahn without his helmet appears, sporting red hair like his father. "He will the greatest challenge you face yet, Lordan. His namesake is not given without reason. And his battle against Malenia was, without a doubt, the greatest battle within the Shattering War. Although some depiction and accounts of their battle have been highly exaggerated."

That fact made Lordan raised his brow, most of the things told and seen in the Land Between have been the stuff of exaggeration made reality. "Exaggerated? How so?"

"For starters, Radahn's size is depicted incorrectly, for the writer only took into account his current state."

Lordan looks to the book and read on its contents, absorbing any information on Radahn that is recorded. "Gravity magic? So what does he do? Float me around and stuff? How exactly do I counter that kind of magic?"

Gideon takes a moment on this question, for he himself had little experience in the magical practices of the Alabaster Lords. He thinks for a moment and devises a possible strategy for Lordan to employ. "Hmmm. Perhaps the gravity magic could be disrupted in some way? There was research done that the usage of such magic relies on a conduit, a living thing in some cases. Find that conduit, and you may take out his strongest option."

Gideon's suggestion felt a little underwhelming to Lordan, he had hoped that Radahn was weak against something that he could use, an element or weapon that would give him an ace in the hole. Nonetheless, Lordan took out his journal to note down the useful detail, also jotting down a small sketch of Radahn as a habit of drawing things.

"Huh? I suppose that will have to do. Besides, what's the worst that could happen? What's he gonna do? Throw a moon at me?"

"Based on some eyewitness accounts, that is a possibility."

"What?"

"Nevermind that. I have something that I require your assistance with since you are on the way." Gideon opens a drawer from his desk and retrieves a letter, sealed with the hold's wax seal. "This is for Nepheli, they are new instructions for her. Therefore I request you to relieve her from her duties as your warmaster for a short period."

Lordan takes the letter and keeps it into his enchanted bag. "So no one has fought Radahn before and lived? You aren't giving me a lot to work with here..." You response makes Gideon sigh as it was the truth. For only one person in recorded history has survived a fight with Radahn.

"Only one has done that, his half-sister Malenia, the Blade Of Miquella. She fought Radahn in Calid to a standstill, resulting in a draw with both gravely injured. A conflict that she forced in order to resume the movement of stars for her twin brother. Its a pity considering their circumstances, the two would have made a proper replacement..."

"Replacement?"

"Ah. Yes. I forget that you are not native to the lands and do not know its history and records. And most importantly its rumors." He keeps the book once Lordan was done and returned to his explanation. "Queen Marika had her son bethroned to the Princess of Caria as a peace offering for her breaking of Radagon's marriage. And when it became clear that Godwyn and Ranni were, in fact, not to the Greater Will's favor due to their refusal to fully follow its ways, Queen Marika planned a second alternative to replace her reign just in case. Malenia and Radahn, in all intended purposes, fit that bill."

"How do they fit that bill exactly?"

"Two of the strongest Demigods with one as an Empyrean and another the next Elden Lord was a good alternative. And if the rumors were true, their match would have been... Near perfect."

"What rumors?"

"The rumor being Radahn and Malenia once being... Close. Very. Close."

Ah. Great. Another pair of siblings fondling each other... He rolled his eyes at the thought. Lordan gathers his thoughts on Radahn information and starts to work up ideas on how to fight Radahn, some rough ideas pop up in his mind that requires refinement. "Alright. I got what I needed. I will make my way to Caelid, once I'm done with the hold. Any more words of wisdom I should know about?"

"Yes. Morals are the death of Logic, Lordan. Eventually, you will need to learn that what is necessary comes over what is right. And giving up Rennala's Great Rune was... A foolish Mistake."

They stare in silence again as the topic was brought up on Lordan's decision. He decides to ignore Gideon and walk away with a final word. "If that kind of act is a mistake, then I will fucking do it again."

He walks slowly to the exit of the study without looking back to make his point. "Kill the boy, Lord Wolf. Before he kills us all."

Lordan leaves the room completely and kicks himself mentally as Gideon manages to get the last word in. Damm it. That old cunt out-talked me again. He walks towards the great hall and made his way to the other side of the hold, where friendly company would be awaiting him in the form of a spirit tuner, an old smith, and a somber woman who saved him once.

"Well done, Roderika. That was masterful work."

"Thank you, master Heat. Truly, I would not have made it this far without you."

The smith shakes his head at her praise, one that Roderika deserves for herself. She had come a long way since coming to the hold, her spirit tuning services had proven very popular with the Tarnished that visited the place. "I did nothing, girl. Everything thus far is of your own effort."

"I disagree, master Hewg. Without your help, I wouldn't have-" Footsteps were heard approaching their area as Roderika turned around, showing some excitement at the visitor. Her eye lit up as Lordan came into view. It had been some time since she had last seen him. "Ah! Lordan! You're back!"

"Hey Roderika, Hewg." He approaches the pair and greeted them with a bow which only Roderika returning the gesture. "Sorry for leaving so long. A little busy lately..."

"Hmph. Figured you were dead..."

"Why are you always so predictive about my death? Is there like a betting pool about when Lordan's gonna die or something?" Lordan's question had no response, which made the answer clear. "Someone made a betting pool of me dying... Of course they did..."

Rodirika laughed at his reaction, amazed at his ability to make light such a fact. "Please have seat! Tell me about the lakes. What was it like?"

Lordan takes a seat on the floor and sighs as he remembers the journey through Liurnia. It had its share of unpleasant experiences, with the deaths under the hands of Ranni's illusions at the academy being the most painful ones. "It was... Wet. And cold. Met a turtle with a hat that somehow speaks like a priest. And... I may have pissed off the entire region, which is why I'm traveling to Caelid to make amends I get."

His response to Roderika created worry in her face, even Hewg stopped his work for a moment at the mention. Both of them were aware of how dangerous the region was in the lower east of lands. "Lordan... Traveling to Caelid... Is a death wish... Its land is plagued with disease and rot. It's a waking nightmare."

"That bad, huh?" He thinks about Roderika's opinion on the region, giving himself a shrug as he was bound to travel there eventually. For he needed all the Great Runes he could find, including Radahn's. "Ehhh... You win some, you lost some, I guess. Which is why I'm gonna need help, both of your help."

Roderika nods at his request, her determination to assist Lordan had become a factor in her development of skill. "Of course, Lordan. I will help with all I have. And So will master Hewg, right?"

"Don't drag me into th-" Hewg stopped his work halfway as Roderika stared at him. It was the first time he saw her death stare, if she ever had one. "Of course... You have your weapons to fix and improve, and I will be here to work on them... As always..." Roderika's stare turned back into a smile at the blacksmith's response, leaving Lordan confused about his sudden change of mind.

"Ok...? Thanks. Both of you." Hewg's mention of working on weapons made Lordan remember something, a weapon he had found in Liurnia that could be modified to something he thought about. "Oh. And I found something. Nicked this off a Cuckoo Knight." He reaches into his enchanted bag and pulls out the weapon in question, a crossbow nocked with three bowstrings.

Hewg takes the weapon to inspect, studying it unique mechanism that allows for triple bolts to fire off. "Hmmmmm... Not bad. Not really sure how and improve on this in its current state."

"Ah. Yeah. Which reminds me." Another hand reaches into Lordan's bag and he pulled out his notebook. Lordan takes a while and flips to the page where he had been sketching, a new design based on the design of the crossbow he found. "What do you think? Can we make this?"

Hewg takes the book in hand and squinted his eyes while reading some of the explanations written. He asked Roderika for assistance on some of the information he didn't understand. he manages to get the full picture and came off impressed by the new design, nodding his head at the concept. "Fully repeated bolts from a feeding box... Yes. This is very well done. If your design is functional, we can make it. You always bring me interesting stuff to work on, lad."

Lordan shrugs at the comment as his "I try my best... I'm not a very good smith anyway."

"You... Drew this, Lordan?" Roderika takes the notebook from Hewg's hand, flipping its contents to see more sketches done by Lordan. Sketches that included places, creatures, landscapes, and other random drawings. "Wow... Lordan, this is very well done."

"It's a hobby. I just draw for fun." He watches as Roderika flips more pages and eventually finds a page with a sketch that catches her attention. A sketch of her, performing her spirit tuning on his ashes. "Ohhhhhh... That. Sorry, I should asked permission." He watches as a blush starts growing on Roderika's face. "Uh... Roderika?"

"Huh? Oh! Sorry! I overstepped." She returned Lordan's notebook, and he looks at the page of her drawing. Lordan sighs and tears out the page of her sketch, looking at the back before offering her the page.

"Here. You keep it."

"Re-Really?"

"Yeah. Hang it somewhere or something. Better than it staying in the book." He hands the page over, and instantly Roderika smiles brighter than ever.

"Thank you, Lordan... This is a wonderful gift."

"Don't mention it. And don't tell anyone that I draw them too." He moves closer to Roderika for a whisper and holds back a laugh as he remembers one of his drawings for fun. "And I also drew Gideon with a snot brake mustache. Kinda fitting considering he's a bit of a dic-"

His conversation was interrupted as loud noises came from the room nearby where Fia resides. Lordan stops his attempt at humor and becomes serious immediately, marching over to the doorway of the room with his weapon ready.

He barged into the room with force, seeing a man in armor near Fia where she sits on her bed. The man wears armor conjoined with silver and gold, with an additional torso sticking out of it. He was a knight of the Golden Order. "Fia? What's going on?"

Fia doesn't respond and simply stares at the knight as he turns his attention to Lordan. "Lordan. Please go. This is not your concern, I can handle this." She makes a plea to no avail as Lordan stays put upon seeing the room in the ruined state. For that man had taken out his anger on the objects around her because of the Hold's rules on violence.

"Who is this, then? Another one of your victims?"

"He is innocent. Leave him be, hunter. Your quarrel is with me alone."

The Knight's response to Fia was to slap her with his backhand, a hit so hard she yelps and falls off her bed.

"HEY!" Lordan jumps into his combat awareness and gets into his battle stance, his hand gripping his sword hilt. "Step away for her!"

The knight gets into his stance as well, gripping the greatsword on his back. "And who do you think you are protecting, Tarnished? Do you know what this woman... What this bitch is?"

"Like I give a shit! You can't just go around and attack who you please! Who the fuck do you think you are?!" Lordan and the knight circle around the room, and Lordan stops in front of Fia, who was on the floor from the slap.

"Lordan... You need to go. I can deal him myself."

"Fia. Shush. And stay behind me." She attempted to protest but stopped as Lordan looked back slightly, his eyes showing some anger behind his helmet's mask. So Fia listens and does not protest, silently grateful for Lordan's intervention.

""I don't believe we've met. I'm known as D. I hunt down Those Who Live in Death and weed their Deathroot. like the woman behind you." He tilted his head slightly to get a better angle to view Fia, which Lordan shifted slightly to block out his view. "There's no mistake. Death has left its mark, once again, on you."

"What do you want? Dick?" Lordan gives D a nickname, using the alphabet that was his name.

"What do I want?" D scoffs at the question, wondering why someone like Lordan would not know him. "I serve the Golden Order, to put this crooked land to rights. Following only the guidance of the great Elden Ring. Those Who Live in Death fall outside the principles of the Golden Order. Their mere existence sullies the guidance of gold. Tainting its truth. And so it is the vermin must be exterminated... Down to the very last."

D comes closer to the pair, and Lordan's grip on his sword grows tighter in anticipation of a fight. "Step aside. Lord or not, I will cut you down to get to her. I allowed to, as far as I'm concerned, due to your marked state."

"Try it, bitch." Lordan refuses, stepping firm on his position. Fia herself prepares a spell to cast, one that can save Lordan from D if things get out of hand.

"You are willing to die for a parasite like her?"

"I'm willing to gut a cunt like you to save the woman that saved me. Is that a problem?"

"And you think you stand a chance? Do you know what I'm capable of? Tarnished?"

"No. I don't. Do you know what I'm capable of?"

D advances closer, and they were now close enough to clash, both waiting for the other to make the first move.

"Seeing by your status and state, I think you are not capable of much."

"Then a little advice, Dick. The more you fuck around, the more you are gonna find out."

Both men stayed in their intense staredown, their fingers gripping weapons in their holsters to be drawn at any time. They slowly unsheath their weapons and prepared for a fight.

"Sheath your weapons, you twats! Now!"

A voice came from the room's entry door as Gideon walks in with his staff in hand to stop their conflict before it started. "Lower your weapons! There will be no fighting in the hold, it is neutral ground for all who seek refuge. Now. Stand. Down."

Both of them stare at one another for a time, with D looking in between Lordan and Fia for an opportunity to strike. He then hesitates as Gideon came closer to him specifically, knowing full well what the senior Tarnished could do. "You are all making a mistake. Letting that witch live is going to cost-"

"My only mistake was thinking that you would be able to behave. You were told that the hold allows all to enter, even the ones you disagree with." Gideon moves closer to D, stepping in between him and Lordan. "And by striking Fia, you have forfeited your rights to reside here, leave."

D looks fully at Gideon and comes out of his battle stance, letting Lordan to do the same while remaining in his guarded state. He and Gideon get into a staredown of their own, both not blinking a beat behind their helmets.

"Leave. Or I will make you leave. Do you understand?"

A warning was issued as Gideon's staff was ready to cast its magics, for he had the right to use force in the hold to exile those who are not welcome. D thinks of attacking but sees himself outmatched due to both Lordan and Gideon being here to deter him and decides to back off for now.

"You will both regret this. The Golden Order will come for her and you for this outrage." He moves to the door and starts to leave, looking back at Lordan one last time before leaving. "And you specifically. You will regret going near her, for she will betray you in the end. I am sure of it."

With the final word said D leaves and so makes his way out of the hold. Gideon sighs and walks slowly to exit the room as well. "He won't be back, I will make sure of it. And Lordan? Try not to get into any fights in the hold. I can only close an eye to so much."

Gideon clears the room to leave them both alone. Fia touches her face where D struck her to feel its pain, his metal gauntlet increased the damage to bruise her face slightly. Lordan comes over to her side, kneeling down to her level to examine the injuries she sustained. "You good?"

Fia sighed and nods at his question. She was used to hostile reactions against her. "I will be fine, Lordan. That was very kind of you. Most the not care for people like us."

"Well, most people are cunts. Kinda like that D guy, eh?" He stands and offers a hand for Fia to take. She smiles slightly and takes the offer to helped to her feet. They were then interrupted when Roderika peeked over the door to see the aftermath of the incident, her face filled with worry for Lordan due to D's confrontation that she heard outside. "Lordan? Are you alright?"

"Ah. I'm fine, Roderika. Just wait a minute. I will join you guys soon." He sends Roderika back to the corridor and stays by Fia's side a while longer, and she takes back her seat on the bed. "You gonna be ok? I can stay for a few days in the hold in case he comes back."

Fia shakes her head and was grateful for his offer but knew that Lordan had business elsewhere, and she was already plotting of a way to dispose of D, knowing that the man would come back to issue his judgment on her for her mere existence. "No, thank you, Lordan. You have done enough for me. I do not need..." She paused mid-sentence as a window of opportunity come to her mind, remembering that Lordan had not embraced her yet. "Actually. There is something you could help with."

"Alright. What is it?"

"Would you allow me to hold you? For a short moment?"

The request leaves Lordan a little stunned, even if it was not the first time she requested such an act. He rubs his head a little and considered it. Lordan then lets out a sigh and opens his arms, inviting Fia for a hug that she requested. "Sure... Just... Make it fast, please."

Fia nods and stands to her feet slowly, walking towards Lordan and embraced him into a hug. She holds on tight as Lordan awkwardly allows her to lean he head on his chest. "Uhhhh... Is this... Ok?"

"Yes. Lordan. You are... Very warm."

Lordan allows her to hold him a little longer and feel himself to be amiss, like a small part of him was taken, yet something had taken its place to make him a little stronger. "Fia. What did you do?"

"What you felt light up inside you was a baldachin's blessing. Though it is but a fleeting thing, I am afraid. I hope it will help you in some way." Fia finally lets go and settles back on her bed. She sits in her regular regal posture while looking at Lordan to address him.

"Why was he after you? Really?" Fia stayed silent on Lordan's question and decides to reveal her true nature, even if Lordan changes his opinion of her.

"The truth is... I was known as a Deathbed Companion where I come from. After I received the warmth and lifely vigor from a number of champions, I lay with the remains of an exalted noble to grant him another chance at life. To do so is the purpose of me being." She looks at Lordan's face to observe for signs of anger, disturbance, or disgust. She was surprised as Lordan remained neutral. His mind about her was made up long ago when she saved him from death. "Does that bother you?"

He considered for a moment. Sleeping with a corpse was a questionable act to many, but considering the things Lordan had seen throughout his travels before coming to the lands, it was a lesser evil to him. "I have seen worst."

Fia nods, knowing that Lordan was a seasoned warrior due to his training from birth despite his age of only twenty-six now. "But before I could bear the noble into new life, I was awakened by the guidance of grace and chased from my birthplace. Pray, be kind."

"And you are still gonna do it even if it puts you in danger?"

"Even if it costs me my life. I have no other purpose in the world."

It was a decision he could respect, considering that he himself had been stubborn in many things. "Well, I hope you find your own path. " He bids Fia farewell and turned to leave, only to be stopped as she held his hand.

"If you visit the hold again. Please, let me hold you as often as it takes. Despite all, I still wish to be Deathbed Companion."

The request from Fia was a weird one and one that Lordan wouldn't entertain due to his consideration for Melina, the maiden that he cared about dearly. But he could see Fia's pleading eyes and thought the gesture to be harmless if no intimacy was to be involved. "I will... Think about it. No promises." His answer was enough for Fia to be contented, and she happily lets him leave.

Lordan leaves the room completely and Fia was left alone once again. She looks at her hand and remembers the warmth that Lordan had within him. She had felt an ancient power within him, a power that many thought was lost long ago. She mused to herself and starts making plans on her goal, with D's demise being the first plot she had in mind.

"Yes... He is perfect. He is the one to set things right..."

She imagined herself at the end of her goal, brandishing a rune of Those Who Live in Death. A rune in the form of a child, preferably with Lordan's gloomy features.

LIMGRAVE, THIRD CHURCH OF MARIKA

Lordan checks through the equipment he had laid out on the floor, sitting near the site of grace of the church. His travel from the Roundtable Hold to Limgrave was safer than usual, partly due to the restoration of order by the Limgrave's army under his banner. While he was a little annoyed by Kenneth's snobby attitude, he could not deny that the man was useful in the terms of governance of the region.

Not bad, Kenneth. Guess you are a good advisor after all.

He runs through the weaponry his had in mind to use in Calid, most of them with a longer reach or were ranged. Many in the hold had advised him on the dangers lurking at the eastern region, with the most important advice being not letting rot infested creatures come close to him. And so he stocked up with some polearms, arrows, and bolts, including some firebombs and fire grease to coal his weapons with flames due to the fact that fire was a deterrence towards rot.

"Hmmmm... More than enough, I guess." He keeps most of the equipment and items in his enchanted bag and was left with the new Weapon he and Hewg crafted, a Repeating Crossbow.

Taking the crossbow in hand, he inspected its function, loading the crossbow with a set of bolts fed by a wooden box. Lordan takes aim and cranks the hand wheel, making the crossbow fire a round of a few dozen bolts at a nearby wall in a matter of seconds.

"Oh yeah... Now we are taking." Lordan smiles at the invention's working order and holsters it into his weapon bag for fast access. With his equipment checked, Lordan prepares to leave, only to stop when he remembers something or someone in this case.

Better check in with Melina. And gain some strength with the excess Runes.

He takes a seat near the site of grace and looks around, making sure he was alone, including Godwyn, as he wanted a private conversation with Melina. He was worried about the mixed signals she had been giving him, showing warmth before quickly turning it cold without explanation. Hopefully, she wasn't angry at him for something that he didn't know about.

"Melina? You there? Can I speak to you?" He looks around his surroundings with no appearance from her. "Please?"

His addition of the last word triggers her appearance in the form of blue mist. He sighs in relief as a part of him had thought she would not appear. "Hey... Melina."

"Greetings, Lordan. Are you well?"

"I'm good. What about... You? Anything I should know about?"

She shakes her head and was grateful for his concern. They sat in awkward silence for a moment before Lordan remembers his true intentions. "I uhhhh... Got some runes to gain strength. Wanna help me?"

"Of course. Let my let rest upon yours, for but a moment." Melina offers her hand, and Lordan removes his gauntlet to hold, once again comforted by the feeling of her touch. Melina speaks her chant, and Lordan closes his eyes to choose his aspects to improve. He chooses the attributes to improve and feels himself being powered by the runes as they imbued into his body, permanently increasing his chosen aspects.

He lets go of Melina once the process was done, once again leaving them in silence as they consider their next words to each other. Lordan eventually breaks the ice and speaks first.

"Melina?"

"Hm?"

"Are you... Are we alright?"

She remains silent at the question with an emotionless face as Melina thinks of a response. He looks at her carefully, trying to read her facial expression for hints of her answer. "I just... Can't help but feel that there's something wrong between us. Is it me?"

Melina immediately shakes her head as his assumption, as she did not want Lordan to feel guilty about their confusing state. She takes a little while to come up with words to explain herself, knowing that the truth was not to be revealed, so a made-up reason will need to be given. "I... Apologize, Lordan. I have been distracted lately by a personal affair. I hope I didn't give you the wrong impression."

"Oh. I see." He looks at Melina to read her body language, knowing full well that she was hiding something. He decides not to poke further as he was afraid of her putting up her walls between them. "But you can tell me anything, right? I'm always around for you, like you for me." His offer makes her smile, instantly brightening his own mood.

"I know. And I am grateful for this. I just need time, Lordan. I promise I will tell you everything when it is right."

Lordan nods at her offer and prepared to leave, his mood better due to them clearing the air. "I look forward to that, then." He gives Melina his farewells and begins moving. Lordan walk a little towards the church's exit and was confused on why Melina had not disappear yet like she normally does.

"Lordan... Wait."

He stops midway and turns around to see Melina walking towards him. She plays her thumbs as a decision was pondering in her mind, for she was about to take the first step to open up to Lordan.

"Yes?"

"Could we... Travel together? For awhile? To talk?"

Melina looks down at the ground, and she was awaiting rejection. Which never came. "Melina... Of course, we can. I was just wondering if you wanted to do the same."

His approval makes her smile brightly, and both of them walk together to exit the church. Lordan then blows his ring, and Torrent was summoned in front of them, moving towards Melina as it did not see her for quite some time.

"Torrent. I miss you greatly. Old friend." Torrent offers itself for Melina to pet, stroking its mane to comfort it. Lordan waits for Melina to finish and stands near Torrent's staddle.

She finishes her greeting and moves to Lordan, who offers to help her up on Torrent's back. Melina prepared to grip the staddle and pull herself up, only for her to be surprised as Lordan grabs her by the waist to lift her up into the seat, a gesture that causes her to blush greatly.

Lordan adjusted the staddle once more to ensure it fit two passengers. He gets distracted as he looks up to see Melina looking down at him with a smile, one that he enjoys looking at in this place, a sight that brightened the dark and cruel world around them.

Their faces were close as Melina bends down a little to meet his eyes. He resists the urge to go closer, not wanting to freak her out when he had managed to make Melina open up a little more.

So all Lordan did was stare helplessly at her. A beautiful sight.

Wow...

"Lordan? Are you getting on?"

He snaps out of his daydream and awkwardly looks away, rubbing his head from embarrassment. "Y-yeah. I'm coming up." He grips on the staddle and effortlessly mounts up. He looks back at Melina at more time to ensure her ready state.

"You ready?"

Melina smiles at his question and puts her arms around him to hold on. "I am."

Lordan laughs a little at the act and urges Torrent forward. It dashes off to the east, and they begin traveling to Caelid where the next Great Rune awaits. With Torrent adopting a slower speed to them more time to talk, silently supporting them to further develop their relationship in its own way.

LIMGRAVE, THE EASTERN BORDER

"But yeah, that's the heated topic back then or at least a topic that's been going from some time until now."

"But what was the result of that debate? Surely they wouldn't settle for peace? Considering that their beliefs are against each other."

"Well... Peace was off the table the moment when multiple religions declared that one city was their kingdom of heaven, whatever the fuck that means, of course... Honestly, it was a mistake in the end. A lot of people died for no reason."

They spoke for the past few days upon Torrent's back while riding, with Lordan telling Melina of the world outside of the lands between. He told of his travels with Vargram, the histories of the world where he came from, the people of different races and cultures, the places and sights that were called wonders of the world, and most importantly, the food.

"But yeah, depressing topic. Let's talk about something else. What's your favorite food, Melina?"

She provided no response as Melina herself wasn't so sure. In truth, Melina did not require food to sustain herself. "I... Don't one."

"I see... Well, my favorite is cookies."

"What are cookies?"

The question catches Lordan off guard, but he remembers that he may have come from a different point in time compared to the current time of the Lands Between. "Cookies are like this... Small pieces of bread, but more crunchy or soft in some cases. People cover them with sugar, fill them with nuts or raisins, or in some cases chocolate bits if it's available." He looks back slightly at Melina to still see her confused expression as she did not understand some of the topics he was saying. "But the only way you can understand to eat some I guess."

"Ah. I appreciate the sentiment, Lordan. But I think it is not possible to-"

"I will find a way. Promise, ok?" His promise makes Melina stop her word, and she knows full well that it is useless to change Lordan's mind once he set to it. Their conversation continued as Melina asks the next question with all the new information Lordan had given her.

"These lands you speak of, the ones outside the lands between. How far east or west are they? Do they hang on the edge of the world's end?"

"The world's end?"

"Yes, our known world has a limit. Right?"

Her assumption made Lordan let out a small laugh, but he quickly stops as he knew that Melina's ignorance of the world was not intentional. "Oh yeah, about that. There isn't an edge in the world. Contrary to popular belief, the world isn't flat, it's a globe that loops around."

"Really?"

"Yep. Keep traveling west from the east, and eventually, you will end up in the east again." His explanation causes Melina to process the information with her own understanding of the world outside, no matter how little that was. Lordan then decides to take a different approach to their conversation. "Alright, your turn then. Tell me something."

"What would you like to know?"

"Anything. Something about yourself, for starters. Anything that you want to tell me, and I will listen."

She paused and thinks about what to say. In truth, Melina was quite unprepared for this kind of small talk. Her whole life, she had kept close to a small circle of relations, most of them not truly familiar with her as well. She thinks of what she could disclose, something harmless and unimportant. "In truth, Lordan. I have been the ward of Que-"

Torrent stops in its tracks as Lordan pulls its reins. He and Melina look forward at the horizon to see dozens of black smoke columns in the distance. It was an indication that trouble was ahead.

Shit. I forgot about Nepheli at the border.

"Hold on tight, we are going fast." Melina nods at his warning, and Lordan urges Torrent to travel at full speed. They make good to the border as the sight of smoke becomes nearer as they approached.

They crossed a ridge covering the view and finally sees the border to Calid in its current state. It was in a ruined state with damaged wooden battlements stretching throughout the border to Caelid. The source of the smoke columns were found to be dozens of piles of bodies, all in a rotting state and being burned by Stormveil soldiers.

It was clear what Lordan and Melina were witnessing, the aftermath of a recent battle that he missed.

"What the fuck?"

1994 YEARS BEFORE THE SHATTERING

"Captain! Land on the horizon!"

The first mate of the ship shouts out loud from the ship's bow upon spotting the signs of land ahead of them. His callout alerts the entire upper deck of the longship, and they make haste to prepare for berth.

"Finally... On the double! We will reach the port in the hour!"

The captain speaks, and the crew all responded with a collective aye, a common language for sailors. The captain looks around the deck to ensure all was in order. He moves to a stair that led to the interior of the ship, descending into the lower deck to check on his passenger, one that no one had known was on board for the duration of their sail.

"Oi, kid. You awake?"

The captain speaks to the passenger, who responds with only a grunt. For he was annoyed at being called a kid at the age of twenty-three.

"Well, if you don't like me calling you that, you gonna give me a name. You have a name, right?"

"It's Rags. And I don't like talking much."

The captain sighs, and he brings out some food for Rags to eat in the form of preserved bread. He leans against wall of the ship while Rags eats his food in silence.

"Don't mind me asking, but why are you taking the ship to the Ashlands? Farum isn't exactly safe to travel to these days."

"I'm looking for something. That's all you need to know."

"That something worth pissing off the Dragon Order? That's their home ground, you know? Especially with the current-"

"Yes." Rags stops his meal at the question, responding with an immediate yes to the question. He stares at the captain for the question, and it was enough to unnerve the man, making him drop the questions.

"Well... We will be alongside soon. Leave as soon as you can, don't let anyone see you. Good luck." The captain leaves and returned to the upper deck of his ship, leaving Rags alone at the same spot where he hid as a stowaway. He takes a swing of the alcohol given to him and finishes the rest of the meal.

Rags leans his head back and sighs. He was once again in for another suicide mission. His next destination was the center of Farum itself, a near-impossible place to reach due to the current state of the region.

Nonetheless, Rags stubbornly endures. He needed to for her sake. Dead or alive, he needed to get her back.

A few more minutes passed as the ship was beginning to reach land, the sound of the crew working to berth the ship can be heard as they shouted and barked orders at one another. The ship hits a soft surface from the side, and it was now finally secured to land, cueing Rags to move.

He gathers all his equipment and was now in his usual armor, prepared for a fight should he encounter resistance at the harbor. With everything set, Rags leaves discreetly through a hidden exit that the captain provided for him, allowing him to go on land without notice.

FARUM AZULA, THE BLACK PORT

Upon exit, Rags imminently hears crowds of people all rushing to the ship that was just berthed. He looks to the source to see people by the hundreds with thousand behind them all rushing to the ship while Dragon Order soldiers tried to maintain order. All of them with trying to get on with panic in their eyes.

"Wait for your turns! The ship going to be full!"

"Hold you fools! Women and children first!"

"Get in line!"

The soldiers all barked the orders to the citizens to no avail, as panic was the dominating factor in their current situation. Rags use the chaos to slip through unnoticed as the soldiers and guards were all too busy maintaining order to care. Neither of them recognized him either. He eventually makes it to the port and starts going into the crowd to move past them.

While everyone was trying to flee from Farum, Rags was pushing to go into it. He hears their pleas, their desperation, their panic in their attempts to flee. The ships at the port were making loop trips that only came once every two weeks, with some not surviving at sea.

"Shit. Hope we can get on board this time. What's the news up north?"

"All bad. The Golden Order has reached the shores with their armies by the millions. They will be all over us by the month in the worst-case scenario."

Rags hears some of the conversations between the crowd and assessed the situation. The war between the Dragon Order and the Golden Order was near its climax, with the invasion of Farum underway. And every citizen living under the Dragon Order was now a target for the Golden Order's wrath.

He finally reaches the end of the crowd and walks into the inner port, which is now mostly abandoned. The empty streets were silent, with only the sounds of winds blowing through.

Rags makes his way out of the port and exit the settlement's wall to the dark landscape of Farum. He looks out in the distance to see the barrel wastes of black and dark stone, a volcanic-prone region that millions resided on under the Dragons.

"Renna. You there?"

His question was responded to when Renna appears in front of him from a blue mist, dressed in a new attire more suited for travel with maintaining her signature dark look. "Rags. You made it... Good. I trust the travel by sea was uneventful?"

"It was... Rough." He replied with a lack of emotion. Renna could see Rags in a distressed state that he was actively hiding. The thought of finding Marika dead on a stake was stressing him greatly.

"Rags... Are you-"

"I'm fine. We have to move."

He cuts her off from showing her concerns, staring at her blankly as he awaited a form of protest. Renna decides against it and simply looks to the distance ahead, pointing to the direction they require to travel to. "That way, that is where we must go."

Rags looks in the direction Renna was pointing towards and takes Torrent's ring to prepare a blow. Only for Renna to stop him as she shakes her head in disapproval. "No Rags. Torrent would not be suited to travel here. I have something else in mind."

She reaches into her enchanted bag to retrieve three small cages of mice, placing them on the floor before gesturing to Rags to step away. Renna then recites a spell, and the cages burst into smoke, revealing two new mounts of horses that had draconic features.

"And these are?"

"Qilins. They are suited for the region's environment."

"What happened to the third mouse?"

"The spell has a quarter of a chance to fail. I always use an extra just in case."

Rags doesn't ask questions and checks on the newly made mounts for them with Renna, both of them getting their selected Qilins ready. Once he was done, he moves over to Renna's side and helps her up her mount, carrying her by the waist to lift her up on the Qilin's back.

Rags then moves over to his own mount, mounting it with one swift motion. He gets used to the usage of the Quilin as a horse to ride. Renna pulls up her mount to beside him and awaits his readiness to go forth.

"Are you ready?"

He stops his adjustments and looks to Renna at her question, his eyes filled with renewed determination. He was going to save Marika from whatever state she was in, even if the whole region stands in his way.

"Yes."

With his one word, the duo urge their mounts forward and rode into the Ashland of Farum, where the inner prefectures awaits.

And so Rags goes forth, with Renna by his side, to his next goal. His mind was ready for battle in this hostile place.

I'm coming for you. Please be alive.

FIN