For the first time since its inception, the Elden Beast felt discomfort.
And not the usual, mental discomfort when it felt as though it had done something to displease Mother's Will, or the strange, spiritual discomfort when it had been gained control of by Lord Placidusax and then later on Queen Marika, but instead a rather... physical discomfort.
Not even its defeat at the hands of the Frenzied Flame and its Mortal Vassal felt like this, as even that felt peculiar in a way, similar to when Marika split it apart into shards.
No, this was unnatural to the Elden Beast, for it could feel feelings, senses that it did not possess before; the smell of something that it could describe as nice wafted through it from what felt like an orifice of sorts. A strange taste of a foul sort permeated across a strange, slimy organ near to the... smell orifices? curious.
Fortunately, touch was not unfamiliar to the creature, but it appeared to be drastically distinct from its Beast Form; what was once the slimy coating of a watery celestial membrane, now felt more like that of a smooth, delicate skin. Similar to that of mortals, as Mother had once described.
Another peculiarity was hearing, as usually this was done from vibrations permutating across its entire body, now seemed to be localised entirely within two strange orifices, one on each side of its new body, where sound was detected and transmitted into useful information. Another familiar ability then, one used to identify the far away presence of birds via their muffled calls, and insects from their strange chirping sounds. Truly fascinating.
Although, there were a few issues it detected once the Beast realised Mother had successfully transitioned them into a Mortal Form.
One, mortals need to breathe air! And it didn't know the process for this, having never had lungs or known how to use them before. Luckily, it seemed to be an instinctual procedure, seeing as the body was performing the act of respiration without any conscious thought, so it seemed death was not on the horizon just yet.
Two - and it knew this to be a malfunction, as it does know what mortals should and shouldn't have - it couldn't see! There was just an inky blackness, with no end in sight!
Quickly moving its hands, for luckily which it was already accustomed to, towards where the eyeholes should be, it felt a squishy barrier reminiscent of skin, along with the jelly-like feeling of eyes beneath it.
It also felt pain.
'Oww...'
And quickly realised that its... eyelids, were simply shut.
Pretending that the privately embarrassing moment never occurred, it concentrated on the feeling of sheathing these infernal sight barriers out of the way, and even though it was a remarkably foreign sensation to the Beast, it succeeded.
Then discovered it was inside of a modest peasant-owned house.
Not to disparage less fortunate mortals of course, that was simply the conclusion drawn by its observations; oaken planks branched acted as the walls, presenting a very solid looking barrier, along with smoothened down wood for flooring. A glossy window allowed light to shine into the room, two red linen curtains drawn back beside the fixture. A red rug with a ring-like symbol also lay beside a wooden cabinet, where numerous old books and a couple candles lay strewn atop. Along with...
Ah. This is what the soft, yet squishy feeling along its back is from. A bed! It was always too big for one in the past, so these mortal comforts are proving to be rather fascinating so far. And the wonderful silky feeling on its front: a blanket! How exciting!
Deciding it had done enough observations of the room, and noticing the shut door at the end of the bed, the Beast decided to commence observations of its new body.
Still rather unused to the foreign anatomy, it took it (embarrassingly) quite a while to rotate its back so that the creature could sit upright. Once done, it brought the new mortal hands up to its eyes. This time, without poking them.
...Yes, these were familiar. It's Beast Form too possessed front limbs, from which it could do the same things mortals could. Nothing too new there, apart from the strange shells on the finger edges.
It seemed to also possess a chest in similar shape to Radagon's, although not nearly as muscular. Hmm... it would ascertain the form to be young from the lack of wrinkles and deformities, but it was hard to quantify mortal age.
Noticing the blanket was in the way of its surveying, the Beast moved it to the floor gently, before returning a gaze to the lower part of its form.
...
...
...Ah! This is how mortals identify someone to be 'male', correct?
Hmm, it also seemed to be a deformity in Mother's gift. After all, would the large size not be an inconvenience to movement? Or perhaps this is normal for mortals? Thoughts for later.
The legs also appeared quite scrawny, yet young and pale, following with the rest of their skin, which had no hair on it, apart from the mass it could feel on its head. Now...
...This is where a problem may arise.
Whilst it's previous form did have hindlimbs, they were never used for terranean movement, only ever in swimming across the vast expanse of its personal realm.
So whilst aquatic movement would prove no issue - perhaps even excel at - it knew that the vast majority of mortal life preferred to live on land as opposed to the sea.
Hence, it would need to learn.
To walk.
'Mine Mother is simply testing my... adaptability, I must tell mineself...'
And so, it turned to face the edge of the bed, firmly planting both feet onto the ground.
And ever so slowly, lifted with help from its hands to stand upright.
Once it could feel its centre of mass aligned, with some slight wiggling here and there, the Beast remained still.
And then slowly moved its left leg forward.
'I'm... I'm doing it!' The entity thought to itself in celebration.
But unfortunately, even though it had seen many mortals and demi-gods commence with this bipedal motion, the Beast never saw it as important or necessary to intake, so was unsure where to place the foot relative to where it used to be.
And so, from overextending by an obvious amount...
*BAM*
...It face-planted into the hardwood floor.
"Oww..."
So there it lay, arms spread out as though trying to make a snow-angel, the great being contemplated its mistake.
The noise seemed to draw attention from other occupants of the house, as moments later, the echoing sound of footsteps made their way towards the door to the bedroom, the click-clacking noise of the door handle operating, before it opened.
"Oi kid, you awa-"
An older looking man with a fine grey beard and moustache walked into the room, only to pause at the display of the Beast's naked form strewn across the floor, face still firmly impressed into the ground.
Then, noticing the new presence in the room, it turned its head to look up to the bemused face of the old mortal, no indication of any embarrassment at its predicament.
"Greetings, good sir. Wouldst thou be the one whom hath granted me shelter?"
"Uhhh..."
Seated at a wooden table within the main living room of the house, the old man and Elden Beast stared at each other, both quite perturbed at the other's appearance.
The creature's anxiety stemmed from the fact that this was its first time directly interacting with a mortal other than Marika and Radagon (both of whom can't exactly be considered mortal), whilst the grey-haired man seemed quite focused on the Beast's face.
So much in fact, the Beast was beginning to grow anxious at the attention.
"Prithee, good sir, art thou well?" The creature asks curiously, tilting its head slightly, the bedsheet used to cover it shuffling around its shoulders.
"...Hmm? Ah!" He seemed to get shook out of his trance, "Sorry 'bout that kid, haha! you just... I got lost in thought, is all.
"But anyway," The old man shuffles his chair to get more comfortable, "Let's get to what I've been dying to talk about; you've made a right muck up of the forest kid!"
"Huh?" The Beast was confused; it sounded like an admonishment, but the man said it with a teethy grin. Regardless, it waited for confirmation on what the old man meant.
"Well, when I was busy out tryna catch some grub with the local hunters, colour me surprised when out of nowhere, the night sky suddenly looks as if it turned to day like that!" He snapped his fingers, "It was as if a sun was just born outta nowhere, and when we looked, it was clear that it was about to crash nearby; nearly looked as though we'd be turned to ash! But luckily, it landed way off from us, although it scared off our game..." He grumbled at the end.
"Ah..." A nervous sweat began to gather on the Beast's forehead. Another foreign sensation.
"Then," The old man continued, "To ensure the safety of the village, it was decided to investigate the crash site. Expecting a terrible monster or something or other, it was a great shock when we found you curled up in there! At the bottom of this massive crater, somehow completely unharmed! Incredible."
"Erm..." The sweat grew in intensity.
"And so," The old man went back to staring, almost glaring, at the Beast, "I elected to take you in and see if you'd be a danger to this here village; folks trust me around here, so if I say you're a threat, you can be as sure as sure you're done for, kid. So tell me..."
The old man leaned in, a menacing shadow shielding his eyes from view.
"Kid. Who are you?"
The Beast was in full panic mode now, eyes sealed shut in hopes of avoiding the old man's terrifying visage. Weird how a mortal man was capable of making it feel this way, but ever since it's first death to a supposed mortal, such biases made little sense to hold onto.
'This is it! Already I have failed mine Mother within the first hour of consciousness! First they will slay mine feeble mortal form, then Mother will decide that I am incompetent forevermore, then she wilt scatter mine essence amongst the infinite void in the hopes of creating a superior vassal! Idiot! Failure! Oh prithee, why must I be so-'
"PfffttHAHAhahaha!"
'-...stupid?'
The Beast cautiously opened its eyes to witness the once serious older man, who seemed ready to strike it down a moment ago, was now leant back in his chair, guffawing at the open air.
"Hahaha! Ohhhohahaha! Haaa..."
Eventually after a few more seconds of spontaneous laughter, elderly man calmed down enough to speak.
"Hehe... ahhh, its been such an age since I've found a kid around here who's not used to my pranks! Missed this feeling."
"So... thou art not going to slay me?"
That seemed to cause the man to chortle further, before continuing, "Of course not you silly boy! Hahaha, even if you fell from the sky or whatnot, that's hardly enough reason to kill someone, ain't it?"
He leant back in his slightly in contemplation.
"And whilst it is mighty suspicious, you look like a good kid... yeaaahhh, wayyy too cute to be a little evil-doer! hahahaha..."
Whilst slightly off-put by the old man's mannerisms, the Beast gave out a sigh of relief at the mortal's assumptions.
'It appears mine mortal guise is perfect at disguising mine divine essence. Thank the Will...'
The creature bows slightly, "Ah, I th-thank thee for thy kindness and hospitality towards one as ungrateful as me. It shall not be forgotten."
The old man appeared to gain vast amusement from the Beast's action, his eyes crinkling to show a smile hidden beneath facial hair.
"Well, I wasn't kidding when I said you were cute, boy; wouldn't think you could hurt a fly! In fact, here," He takes a hand mirror that was lain on the windowsill by the table, before getting out of his seat, "Have a look at yourself whilst I get some grub ready. Been cookin' it up whilst you were resting, so we can continue our talk while we eat. Now, don't fall out of your seat whilst I'm gone, hahaha!"
Ah yes, the Beast had to hold onto the grey-haired man whilst moving to the table from the bedroom initially, still quite incapable of walking as a biped.
Grasping the small mirror, the Beast bowed again, "Right. Thank thee again, kind sir."
"Haha, wait 'til you've tasted the food before thanking me for my 'hospitality' boy!" He chuckles a bit whilst walking off, "Such a funny way of talkin'..."
Now sat at the table alone, the Beast realised this would be a good opportunity to observe how it's face looks. Apparently it has the appearance of a child mortal, which does match up with the observations of its height and overall musculature. There is also the sense of curiosity, seeing as how, by the mortal man's use of the word cute, it must possess a certain level of attractiveness that mortals find pleasant.
Although, it didn't really understand the classifications associated with it, as different species of mortals had different ratings of attractiveness. Placidusax for example, was considered ruggedly handsome by his Thunder God, Druk. All four of his heads were at the time.
It did know that whenever Marika had a new child, they would each be referred to as cute by the midwives, so the Beast assumed it to be a highly flattering complement. They would not be alive if it was not, so it must mean something good.
So, the Beast carefully raised the mirror, making sure its face would be perfectly encapsulated in frame, and its first thought was-
'Home...'
It almost seemed unnatural how its hair seemed to flow ceaselessly, as though caught in an eternally slow breeze. The locks didn't even seem to be of a singular colour, reminiscent of the purple glow of stardust with yellow rune-like stems centring from the roots, it was incredibly similar in nature to its viscous Beast Form.
And its eyes... each one had swirling golden lights orbiting a white centre which reminded it of the comforting aura of its Mother.
The Elden Beast felt more relaxed than ever since awakening in this mortal form, glad to have some memory of its birthplace to carry with on its adventure.
But then immediately got tense after realising the old man - and possibly anyone else with him upon discovering its body in that crater - has seen its astral hair and glowing eyes! Yet he did not react? The Beast was fairly certain that mortal hair tended to take only a singular, unchanging colour, whilst their eyes retained only the faint glow gained from the reflection of light.
It creased its forehead in worry. Didn't Mother say to make sure not to give itself away, otherwise mortals may use its power for nefarious purposes? It seemed to have already failed in that regard, but perhaps it got lucky, and the elderly mortal was noble of heart?
Turning to look towards the entryway to the kitchen that the man took, the Elden Beast heard a distant sizzling sound along with the gentle hums of the old mortal to an unrecognisable melody. Well, he didn't seem to be preparing some way to extract the Elden Ring sealed within its mortal form, so perhaps all was well?
Ah, thinking of that, the Beast thought it might be wise to ascertain the level of power available to it currently, most likely dampened by the feebleness of the mortal body.
Attempting to summon forth the holy essence intrinsic to its connection with Mother, it faced a palm upwards as a golden glow began gathering above it.
It was not a good sign to the Beast, that with only this little amount of power, its human body began to garner sweat and grow hot.
A few seconds later, and having to rapidly breathe out of light exhaustion, a slightly transparent sword made of yellow light hovered above the creature's hand.
'This... is not good.'
Just the summoning of a simple blade was enough to bring it to the brink? In it's previous form, it could produce millions of such traces continuously, as its holy abilities were sourced from its link and love for Mother. Faith would be another term the mortals use.
Does this mean the bond has been weakened, if not severed? Or perhaps a limitation of the mortal anatomy? The Beast was unsure, but Mother would not send it down here with such a permanent handicap, so perhaps... training this body to handle the divine energy of Mother's Will would allow for an increased capacity of such power? It would be worth a try.
The Beast then thought, if abilities innate in Mother were limited, then what about abilities inherent to itself?
Allowing the sword to dissipate, the Beast lay both palms on its knees, before shutting its eyes to engage in a makeshift meditation pose.
Then ever so discretely, the room began to grow darker unnaturally, as starry formations began appearing one by one in an array of cosmic colours, its hair responding by glowing brighter and floating as though underwater.
This continued until eventually, the whole room appeared as though in the vastness of space, spiraling nebulae, the wooden walls replaced with an unending expanse of galaxies, the floor seeming to vanish as the table and chairs were the only objects 'floating' in the luminescent void.
Without opening its eyes, the Elden Beast smiled at feeling its success.
'It appears mine connection with the stars is still fully present. It's unfortunate I never put as much effort into discovering further uses of these powers in comparison to Mother's divine light, but this is still a good starting point. Eventually, I may even gain access to the Realm of the Golden Trees once more, then... water-swimming may be feasible!'
It grew giddy at it's favourite (only) hobby; swimming.
'Yes, yes... whilst there is a certain allure to dancing amongst the stars, the feeling of water gliding across the membrane is simply-'
"I KNEW IT!"
"AHH!"
And with the sudden shock of the loud shout disturbing the Beast's concentration, causing it to jump, the galaxies and nebulae began either disintegrating or exploding in flashes of stardust, and as the room returned to its natural state of brightness, the resulting carnage from this was made clearly apparent; various furniture and decorations around the living space were toppled over, damaged in places and in the case of windows, cracked horrendously.
This was all taken in by the Beast, whose golden eyes were widened in horror at its multitude of blunders; giving itself away with abnormal bodily features, presenting supernatural phenomena to a peasant, and also damaging his home! Oh, how dreadful...
It began bowing at phenomenal speeds in an attempt at reparations, "G-g-good sir! a-thousand apologies for my g-gross misconduct! Prithee," The creature began getting out of its seat on shaky legs, "Allow me to-"
"Whoa, hey settle back down kid!" The old man, displaying impressive dexterity, rushed over to stop the Beast from falling with one hand whilst balancing an old metal serving pot in the other, "You don't gotta worry 'bout all that, I'll mend it up later. Just, lemme set this down before my hand gets burnt off... ouch..."
And so, a tense silence resumed after the old man went back to get two bowls and spoons, then began ladling the contents of the pot between them.
"A fine stew I've managed to scrounge together, what with the lack of meat from yesterday... ah, not that I'm blaming you or anythin' kid, just some poor luck on our part right? haha!"
The Beast found that the elderly mortal enjoyed laughing a bit too much, however it did working at making it relax, but not enough to touch the food just yet.
"..."
"Hmm? Not hungry?"
"N-no, kind sir, I'm just... well..." It was hesitant to make eye-contact, "A-art thou not frightened by mine prior display? Do I not cause discomfort by being in thy presence? Once again, I express regret for the damages-"
"Ohhhahahaha! Come off it kid," On the contrary, the old man seemed to opposite of fearful; an incredible excitement gleamed in his eyes that the Beast had not noticed until now, "How could I be scared of such a cute 'lil Spirit? Been ages since anyone's seen one around here! Then again, no one really comes 'round at all to this unnamed 'lil hamlet."
As is the current trend, the Elden Beast was confused.
"Spirit? Forgive me good sir, but I do not require burial before the Erdtree, for I am, in fact, clearly alive," it said with a raised eyebrow, seeming to grow slightly weirded out at the 'accusation'.
"Huh?" The old man was also bemused at the response, "Nonono, I meant that... well..." He seemed a bit stumped at how to explain what a spirit was to someone who, he believed, was a spirit, so he thought to take the slow approach, "'Round here, Spirits are known to have huge magical potential with an incredible lifespan. In fact, some are said to be the direct children of the Gods, with examples being-"
"Ah! I see," The Beast grew momentarily excited at the discovery, "Mother never did divine upon me my specific race, but perhaps it is true? mayhap that is the term for God-kin on this realm? Quite a-"
The 'Spirit' suddenly got quiet, looking back over at the old man in terror, whom appeared as if he'd been gifted a mountain of gold.
"Mother? Realm? Hahaha, seems like you've got a lot of interestin' things stored up in there kid!"
It resumed bowing once more.
"Prithee, kind sir... I-I've said too much!"
The old man, as amicable as ever, waved it off.
"Ah, don't you worry, boyo. Judgin' by the state of your legs, you'll be trapped in this village for a while, long enough for me to grill you to death! Hahahaha!" He chuckled whilst downing stew messily.
"R-right. Thou art too nice..."
"I must say though, never seen a Spirit like you before. Your alignment is somethin' I've not seen ever, and trust me, been around a while!"
The Beast tilted its head, "Alignment?"
"Y'know, the elements: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, etcetera etcetera! Can't pin point where your roots come from exactly! In fact," He dropped his spoon into the half-eaten stew bowl, "Y'mind showing me again?"
"Umm..." It was hesitant to give itself away further, thereby disappointing Mother again.
"C'mon, ya can trust me! I didn't get a good look at it from the kitchen," He clapped both his hands together in a prayer formation, "Please, oh generous Spirit, bless this old soul with but a glimpse of your awesome power!"
Not catching on to the clearly joking tone of the old man (nor his hidden smile), the Spirit felt joy at being treated this way. Perhaps it had already found its first follower? Well, they certainly couldn't disappoint!
Barely holding back an expression of glee, the Beast resumed the pose it had taken last time to bring forth the endless starscape, its hair began floating and again the infinite cosmos surrounded them.
The old man seemed severely awe-struck.
"R-Remarkable..."
He reached out towards a cluster of stars drifting towards him, able to palm the structure and felt a soothing warmth he hadn't felt in an age.
"Feels like..."
Before the he could continue his train of thought, the Beast spoke up, eyes now open and glowing almost blindingly.
"If thou art curious of mine roots, I wilt say that I was born amongst the stars above. I do not know how much I am allowed to tell... but Mother did craft me from stardust using her golden light. That is all I will give."
Now the old man felt as though he was about to finally keel over, eyes wide and staring over at the Spirit before him.
'Born amongst the stars? But that would mean... impossible...'
To the elderly mortal, it was thought that all Spirits have abilities representing an aspect of the natural world. Salamanders would be originally formed in volcanic environments, and so controlled the element of Fire. The same applied to Undynes and Water, Gnomes and Earth, and so on.
So to encounter a Spirit that could control the Outer Realm as a source of strength, wield the power of the cosmos, that would imply...
'He's a Greater Spirit. No doubt about it.'
Greater Spirits did not follow the convention of regular Spirits, being seen as close to real Demigods as could be possible, they could control directly the aspect inherited from their creator God. Such a being has never been seen in at least the last thousand years, not since the Age of Heroes, as the creation of such children had fallen out of fashion in favour of the Falna.
The old man, seeing this being in front of him, rekindled a determination he'd not felt in fifteen years.
'Perhaps he can... no, later.'
Deciding to put this thought away for later, the old mortal regained his previous warm expression, observing a miniature galaxy moving past him.
"That's fine kid, no need to tell me all your secrets. Just a few more questions though, if ya don't mind?"
The Beast blinked at the inquiry, its hair returning back to a more relaxed flow as the void slowly dissipated to reveal the room again, this time without any explosions.
"What doth thy wish to inquire about?"
"Well for starters, do ya know why you've fallen outta the sky? Err, stars I mean."
The Beast grew alarmed briefly before quickly looking back and forth between the windows and entryways into the room, scared of anyone being nearby.
After a few seconds, it then leaned in to the man and whispered.
"Can thou keep a secret, good sir?"
Sensing the seriousness of the situation, the man leaned forward as well.
"Sure son, won't tell a soul. Promise."
"Well..." It began, a slight sparkle of excitement in its already glistening eyes, "I'm on a secret mission, given to me by Mother. It is mine duty to gather a covenant of stout-hearted warriors and heroes, and erect an Order that will ensure peace and prosperity for this Mortal Realm for eons to come. This is mine purpose."
Internally, the old man was buzzing in excitement, but only allowed the slip of a lopsided grin to come out.
"Ohhh? An order of heroes, you say?"
It nodded, "Indeed. The realm from which I oversaw previously had countless heroes ready to defend the peace of mine Mother's reign, all of such stories I have memorised to commemorate their service," The Beast gave a small prayer with clapped hands, "May they find a tranquil rest amongst the golden barks, bless their souls..."
Now the elderly mortal was ecstatic.
"To think, I could be this lucky! Hahahahaha!'
"The only problem is," The spirit continued, appearing somewhat glum, "This time I will be doing it... independently, without mine Mother's infinite wisdom to guide me. Not to mention I have no knowledge of this realm and its constituent laws and people... It will most certainly be a challenging trial, but I must succeed, or return home a disappointment and be erased."
The man gained a look of alarm at that, as though the thought of the Elden Beast being killed was a great sin.
"Erased? Huh?! Why would your Goddess do that to ya boy?!"
"...Unfortunately, the reason for mine being here, is due to... well, I failed once already, so..."
"Failed? Failed what?"
"Prithee, m-mays't we discuss something else? I'd rather not talk about the destruction of my realm..."
"Ah," Now the old man felt bad at pushing the question, bowing slightly, "Sorry kid, guess I crossed a line there."
"It be alright, fair sir. You've been more than kind thus far."
Whilst it might appear odd for the Beast to express such trust in a mortal they just met, this was also the first time it has made direct contact with someone like this other than Marika and Radagon. So it could be said that it was feeling a little excited at simply talking to someone face to face, therefore not wanting to ruin the newfound relationship by being unreceptive. It also helped that the kindly elder man had proven to be a rather welcoming host, even brushing over its little idiosyncrasies and giving it compliments, something only Mother has ever done.
The Beast was not unaware however of the peculiar behaviour of the man; when mentioning that it had been to another Mortal Realm before this one, he did not seem to acknowledge it as being impossible, or even care at all, as most mortals it believed would balk at the idea of multiple universes.
Not to mention his ceaselessly exuberant nature, even in the face of its display of cosmic power. Many would likely be fear ridden at letting a stranger with such abilities into their home, but the gentleman looked utterly at ease!
He even inferred that his Mother is a Goddess, albeit an Outer Goddess, but still. Perhaps he has made contact with Outer Ones before, and so is accustomed to these sorts of situations? Curious.
The Elden Beast was definitely glad that this was the first mortal it made contact with at least; Mother must still be guiding it in some capacity to lead this man to them.
"Oh yeah, and would you tell me the name of your Mom kid? I know a lotta Gods 'round these parts, so wondering which one of 'em might've created ya."
"Oh, well, Mother does not have a name per say, more of a title," It put a hand to its chin, "Mortals from whence I came referred to her as the Greater Will though."
"Hmm? Sounds awfully pretentious, I'll say," He stirred his remaining stew in thought.
The Beast grew slightly agitated at the perceived insult, squinting its eyes towards the man.
"Mine Mother be not pretentious. Her guidance hath made Gods out of mortals!"
Clearly not cowed by the assumed exaggeration of a child Spirit, The old man just chuckled at the pouty expression on the Beast's face.
"Right right, not tryna offend. But what about you kid?"
"What about me?"
"Well, can't keep calling ya 'kid' can I? what's your name?"
"Mine name..." Its forehead wrinkled in agitation at the questions it could not provide good answers for, "...Well, I do have a title as well, which is known as the El-"
"HUUUUUH?!" It slammed its hand on the table in anger, making broth fly slightly in the air, "YOUR MOM NEVER GAVE YA A NAME?! What kinda parent does that?!"
"C-c-cease thine allegations against Mother!" He seemed more scared than angry though, not expecting the pain coming from its ears and so trying to cover them, "S-she has a very important use of time, ensuring that all goes well in the Lands-Between via communion with the Two Fingers, and so had little time for me!"
Interested at the locations and titles given, the old man however ignored it for now in favour of pressing.
"But still, c'mon! Like, can't take that much time to give ya kid a name!"
"Hmph! I'm sure Mother reckoned my magnificent title proved a more desirous moniker than the more common mortal naming sense."
Meanwhile, within the unfathomable abyss of twinkling starlight...
A golden constellation in the vague shape of mortal woman was having a 'freak-out'.
"I NEVER GAVE THEM A NAAAAAAME!"
Yes, for whilst the Greater Will possesses grand power and intellect...
This does not extend to emotional intelligence.
Like Mother, like Son.
"Well, in that case... how 'bout I give you one?"
At the query, the Spirit's eyes widened in surprise at the suggestion.
"Giveth me... a mortal name?"
"Ha! Spirits are still mortal too y'know? Also, can't go around introducing yourself as... err, what's your title again?"
Not wanting to argue to discrepancy of being referred to as 'mortal', the Beast answered.
"I am called the Elden Beast."
The old man's brow rose, "Elden Beast? Not sure what that means, but it sounds intimidating. Why a beast though?"
It motioned to its cloth covered body, "This is the first time I've possessed a mortal guise. Mine Beast Form is much more glorious," It says with a proud tone.
"Well how 'bout that," The brow rose further, looking bemused at the implications of such a statement, before remembering that the Great Spirits of old possessed alternate forms as well, so he brushed past it. Returning back to his happy-go-lucky expression, he asked, "So. Want a name? Got a good one already cooked up."
"Hmmm, It would certainly help me blend in..."
"In that case, here: Cosmo! Thought it'd be nice, considering the space theme you've got going on."
"Oooooh!" Its eyes sparkled again, clearly quite satisfied regardless of its prior hesitance, "A satisfactory mortal title! Prithee," It bowed for the umpteenth time, "I would offer thee a boon for thine assistance thus far."
"Hah!" Once again amused at the 'high and proper' disposition of the Greater Spirit in front of him, the old man gave a close-eyed grin, "In that case, how 'bout my reward be an exchange of information? I'll tell ya everythin' I can about Genkai, whilst in turn you tell me all ya can about, err, what was it called? the Lands-Between?"
This just served to confuse the newly christened Cosmo.
"Curious... how can a blessing to someone also be a benefit for me?"
The old man guffawed at the innocent inquiry.
"Speaking of names actually, instead of callin' me sir? People 'round here call me Gramps, alright kid?"
"Gramps?" The Spirit tilted its head, shooting an accusatory look at the man's head, "That is a title. Dids't thine Mother not give you a name?"
"Ah, come off it kid, course I got a name!" Gramps sighed, "That's just a secret I'm not willing to give up to no one, alright?"
"...Right. Apologies, good s-... Gramps."
He chuckled at the fumble, "It's fine, it's fine kid. Now, best you start eatin' before it gets too cold! We'll talk more after."
Confused at what the old man meant, Cosmo grew panicked when he looked down and saw the untouched bowl of stew steaming softly before it, most likely lukewarm after leaving it for so long.
"A-ah, apolo-"
"Oh for- just eat it already!"
"R-right."
Copying what it observed Gramps do, it picked up the wooden spoon on the side and scooped up some of the mixture of brown broth, carrots and potatoes.
And looked at it.
...
Continued watching it.
...
Still watc-
"Oi." The old man caught the Spirit's attention, looking at Cosmo with a deadpan expression, "What are you doing?"
"..." Its cheeks began to go rosy.
"...Well?"
"...I've... never eaten before..."
"...What?"
"Um, you see, my previous form did not require replenishment of nutrients, nor did it have any orifices, s-so I-"
Not even beginning to understand how anything in creation, either mortal or God, could live without knowing such a basic function, Gramps just decided to roll with the incredibly bizarre behaviour of the Greater Spirit. As he has been doing since this morning.
He sighed, "First not knowing how to walk, now eating? Alright, here, like this..."
The old man went slowly through the motions of putting a scoop of stew in his mouth, chewing then swallowing.
"There, try it yourself now."
Hesitating briefly, but feeling better from the encouraging look Gramps gave it, Cosmo delicately placed the spoon and its contents inside its mouth, then began chewing.
And like that, a new world was open to it.
An incredibly explosive feeling emanated from the tongue, the crunch of its teeth on the warm potato and carrot slices adding a certain satisfaction it couldn't quite place. It all felt so... foreign, yet good. Very good.
Then, remembering that it had to swallow, it performed the action, feeling a pool of warmth now located within its previously empty stomach. A comforting sensation was felt as the this occurred, making it want to consume more.
Its eyes sparkled dazzingly.
"This is magnificent! Mortals get to do this all the time?! Such an incredible sense, taste can be! I wouldn't ever have thought..."
The Spirit's monologue was interrupted by itself, deciding to lose itself in repeating the motion of scoop, chew and swallow at an almost rapid-fire pace.
Gramps just seemed relieved that he wouldn't have to deal with a starving Greater Spirit anymore.
"Ha, wait till you try drinking then. Lemme go get something from the kitchen actually, it'll help wash that down... Oi oi! Not so fast, you'll choke! Honestly, you'd think you were one of the hunter's mutts with how you scarf that down! Kids..."
Meanwhile, Cosmo was elated. It had not only discovered the glories of possessing a mortal body, but had acquired an impressive source of information purely by accident! To think it would be this easy to form a Golden Order, perhaps it won't be as difficult as it thought?
The task seemed daunting without Mother's wonderous counsel, but perhaps this 'Gramps' mortal would be her way of supporting it?
And even better, it can maintain its cover! Seeing as the elderly man identified it as a 'Spirit', and they are supposedly a known race on this plane, there is no need to worry so much about showing off its power.
As long as no one knows who it serves, and what its true origins are (apart from Gramps, but he has proven to be a trustworthy mortal), it should be safe. Oh, and to also stay away from malicious mortals and Gods, but it can generally detect those of purely evil disposition, so just avoid those such individuals and all should be well.
Yes... all it had to do was glean as much information from Gramps as possible and then form a plan of action for creating an Order.
Oh, and also quickly learn how to use its legs. It needs to make this body... 'combat ready'.
So as he quickly ladled more stew into its bowl and continued munching it down, the Beast felt brief content with the situation.
'Yes... nothing could possibly go wrong now.'
"WHICH ONE OF YOU CHEATING BASTARDS DID IT?!"
"HAAAAH?! YOU'RE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE DONE IT! YOUR FAMILIA BARELY MAKES ENDS MEET!"
"WHAT DID YOU SAAAAAAAAY?!"
"YOU KNOW WHAT I FUCKING SAID, DUMBASS!"
Freya could only sigh at the turmoil surrounding her from her seat at the Norse Pantheon high table. What should have been an emergency Denatus to decipher the cause of the brief feeling of divine power, which resonated across the entirety of Genkai and Tenkai, quickly deteriorated into pandemonium, where each and every God and Goddess began accusing one another of enacting some grand scheme to get a leg up in the competition.
Which only served to irritate her at once again being reminded of the overall arrogance and hubris that encompass the majority of her fellow deities.
Honestly, it's only a matter of time before she becomes a target of their anger, seeing as she represents the current highest ranking Familia in Orario. They'd do anything to make it seem as though she'd used her Arcanum, thus creating an opportunity within the following power vacuum.
How adorable her fellow immortals are.
And look! Ishtar over on the Mesopotamian table is already glaring at her, as if she's the cause of all this.
So Freya smiled coyly back.
And Ishtar, with gritted teeth, turned back to face the centre of the room, thunderous expression remaining.
Ah, as fun to deal with as always!
And now to check on her favourite Goddess, as well as highest ranking competitor, Loki on the seat next to her.
The redhead seemed careless to all the ongoings around her, maintaining her usual smug closed-eyed countenance.
But of course, a Trickster Goddess would only find all this tomfoolery amusing.
"So, who d'ya think did it, hmmm?" Loki slyly inquired, her gaze flickering between each of the spatting deities in search of any guilty or nervous faces.
"Hmm, it's hard to tell Loki," The silver-haired Goddess was also examining the others around her discretely, "Any one of us could be petty enough to use our divine powers to con their way up the ladder. In fact," She tapped her chin whilst side-eyeing the tomboy, "I wouldn't particularly put it past you to try this."
"Ack!" The accused flinched, "Oi! Just 'cause I'm ya opponent, it don't mean I'd do somethin' like this to give my children a boost Frey Frey! You know me, c'moooon! Besides," She folded her arms together whilst pouting, "My kids are doin' just fine without any divine cheats, thank ya very much!"
Freya giggled at the defensive posture, before raising her arms up in surrender, "Of course, of course. I was only teasing you Loki, I know one of my favourite Goddesses wouldn't go against the law for an easy win~!"
"Hmph. And don't ya dare think otherwise!" She huffed, before resuming her analysis, "Have ta say though, this all seems rather peculiar, don't it?"
"Whatever do you mean?"
"Well," The Trickster Goddess rubbed the back of her head, "If one of us down here used our Arcanum, based on the pact we all made before we started descendin', then the culprit would already be up there and their Familia disbanded, yeah?"
"I was thinking the same as well," Freya admitted, losing her smile as the seriousness of the situation was brought to light, "That means that, since Ouranos called this meeting in the first place, someone has been able to use their Arcanum whilst bypassing the contract."
"Mhm," Loki agreed, also appearing grim, "Seems so."
And that proved a terrible situation. For a God or Goddess to have full access to their divine power whilst also within the Lower World, granted them full capability to do whatever they pleased without any consequences. And the only way to stop such a Deity from prospering would be for another God to fight with their power, which would in turn cause unfathomable destruction upon Genkai.
If this was the case, there would not be many safe ways of preventing this from escalating rapidly.
And if this Deity was once a part of Evilus...
Her thoughts were interrupted by the echoing of the doors to the meeting chamber slamming open, with Ouranos himself walking through towards the centre of the table arrangement.
Everyone immediately dropped silent, as it was common knowledge that Ouranos, Primordial God of the Sky, as well as the first God to descend and bestow a Falna to the mortals, was not to be trifled with.
Considering he both had full control over the Guild and access to the Dungeon, to displease him essentially meant extinction for one's Familia. His fair and just disposition usually meant that such occurrences are rare, though.
Once he reached the centre table, with each Pantheon facing directly towards him, he began speaking.
And it already didn't seem good.
"I have just engaged in council with the Gods and Goddesses who still remain in Tenkai," Ouranos began in his usual dour tone, "And it appears that no Deity has returned there since the burst of divine energy last night."
Once again the majority of everyone began accusing each other of trying to bypass the constriction on using their Arcanum, although this time with vicious whispers instead of incoherent yelling.
After a few seconds of this, Ouranos raised his palm in a calming gesture, of which everyone obeyed and silence resumed.
"...It has also come to my personal attention, that the burst is unidentifiable to any Deity currently within both Tenkai and Genkai."
Loud gasps rang out within the chamber, with no one, not even Freya, expecting such a statement. Hushed whispers, this time in nervous discussion instead of vitriol.
"Ouranos, what could you be implying?"
The God to ask the question on everyone's minds was the current leader of the Norse Pantheon, Odin the All-Father, wearing a patch over his left eye and having long grey hair, stands up from his seat at the head of the Pantheon table.
It hurt Freya's pride, but the order of hierarchy in these sorts of meetings held with their positions in Heaven, not their Familia strength.
Ouranos sighed deeply before continuing.
"It means that a Deity outside of our universe, from the expanse of the Infinite Multiverse has exerted their power on our domain."
Now everyone had a visage of panic writ on their faces, and for good reason.
It was well known amongst the Deities of Tenkai that there exists the Infinite Multiverse that reaches far beyond the confines of time and space, upon which one can gain access to a limitless set of realms one can travel through. Theirs is but one of many, and an unstated rule is that the Gods and Goddesses of Tenkai should not mess with trying to acquire entry through the veil between worlds, as to do so would in turn invite potentially disastrous consequences should a Deity foreign to their realm gain access and engage in war with them.
However, it appears that such a policy meant little to nothing if they can just appear anyway.
Loki turned to Freya amidst the rampant fear induced whispers, sweat garnering on her strained brow.
"T-this don't look good, does it?"
Freya, significantly more composed but no less worried, replied back.
"Indeed not."
The panic reached such a state that even the Pantheon leaders began to grow antsy, some even beginning to make battle plans.
"We must prepare for otherworldly war!" Indra, the leader of the Hindu Pantheon, a youthful looking man with long brown hair and yellow eyes, declared with all the finality of an execution, "All of Orario, where the strongest warriors reside, should move forward to where the veil was split!"
"We can't afford to do that!" Ganesha, a God of the same Pantheon always equipped with a red elephant mask, who's Familia is dedicated to the safety of Orario, objected ferociously, "Ares might see it as an opportunity to sack the city, not to mention leave it more likely for monsters to escape to the surface without the stronger adventurers! I AM GANES-"
"Ganesha, please... sit down," Shiva, God of Destruction in the Hindu Pantheon, an incredibly tan and long black-haired man, deadpanned, very used to his son's... quirks.
"Y-yes Father!"
"But Ganesha does raise a good point," Odin pipes up, a hand stroking his aged chin, "Ares still refuses to acquiesce to a peace treaty between Rakia and Orario, the muscle-headed idiot. Even if Zeus or Hera were still around, they wouldn't be able to keep him calm whilst we sort this more prevalent issue first," He says wistfully, staring with his singular eye at the two empty chairs left at the head of the Greek Pantheon table, left that way out of respect.
"Hmph," Grunted Apollo, the Greek God of Archery, Music - and secretly amongst the other Deities, being a raging pervert - with an apathetic look, "I sincerely doubt the old man and that ragged consort of his could be at all helpful in this instance. They certainly proved that after their incredible failure against the you-know-what."
He then turned to face Freya and Loki, looking them over with his usual creepy face.
Hephaestus, who was sat next to him but not in his line of sight, felt it too and scooted away with a disgusted look.
"I'm sure you had a fun time picking off the scraps of their Familias afterwards, huh? Freeeeeya. Loooooki."
Freya was unphased at the routine needling of Apollo trying to get under her skin. Whilst she did feel slight regret for making Zeus and Hera's day even worse after losing most of their Familia members - a travesty she wouldn't even wish on Ishtar - it was all apart of the competition that the Gods agreed on. She was simply solidifying her power base, that's all.
Loki however, looked away from the disturbing look in Apollo's eyes, whispering under her breath, "Ugh, I need my Aisey Wisey to clean meself off after that..."
Odin, who was and still considers himself a long time friend of Zeus and Hera, slams his fist into the desk heatedly, glaring hatefully at Apollo for his repeated disrespect.
"You wanna say that again, brat?"
"Hahaha! Your Familia lives outside of Orario, Odin the Gross and Old! As if you'll have the strength to contend with me in a War Game!"
"I don't need my Familia to kick your ass boy!"
"Then come over here you wrinkled ancient ba-!"
"SILENCE!"
And silence resumed, with all disputing Deities immediately returning to their seats and tensing up.
Ouranos, once realising that he had regained control, coughed slightly and resumed talking.
"As I was saying, before being interrupted, a Deity from beyond the veil has used their divine power to interact with Genkai. However, it is important to note..."
He took a deep breath.
"...That I recognise this signature."
!
For the first time since the beginning of the meeting, not even the most vocal (such as Ganesha) were even making a sound; it was as if everyone had stopped breathing.
The first one to speak up after the announcement was once again Odin, the previous spat with Apollo forgotten in the face of this revelation.
"Ouranos... d-does that mean...?"
The God of the Heavens sighed, "Yes Odin, it does. It appears that... Themis may be returning to us."
Freya's mind was moving at lightspeed as the Deities around her all broke out into a thunderous cacophony of shouting and screaming.
Being not of the Greek Pantheon, she did not know much of Themis, other than the common knowledge, such as her being a daughter of Ouranos, having a... relationship with Zeus for a while in Heaven that ended poorly, and stubbornly refusing to stop speaking in the archaic sense of speech because it was 'cultured and dignified'. However, the most interesting fact that is well known amongst all Deities of Tenkai, is that she is one of the few Gods that unbound herself from the laws of Heaven, and escaped through the veil into the Infinite Multiverse.
Such an act, as stated before, is incredibly taboo due to the extreme repercussions such a selfish action could incur. However, her reasoning was something along the lines of disagreeing with how the Deities at the time were overseeing Genkai during the Age of Heroes, who were just letting them be to face the monsters on their own, beyond the odd weak blessings from whence religions were still commonplace. Being a Goddess of Order and Divine Law, it was understandable for her to feel this way as it was her very nature, but to disagree so much with the order of the world that she sought to escape it as a symbol of rebellion? Freya thought it was too far an action to take.
She had even vowed to never, ever return, which only served to break poor Ouranos' heart. Being a Goddess of Love, she was sensitive to such things, even familial, so her heart went out to the old God.
Focusing back on the... 'discussion', she could see Odin stand up with a worried expression, facing Ouranos who seemed grimmer than before. The room quietened to listen in on their talk.
"So she has rescinded her vow, then?"
"I did not feel herself enter, but rather a burst of her power. It seems she's gotten vastly stronger since over a millennia ago."
"Then... what was the reason for such an action, I wonder?"
"She did always desire perfection... perhaps she's declaring her intent?"
Ouranos sighs at that.
"Perhaps. She was always so... hot-headed."
"Hmph, tell me about it..."
"Excuse me guys," Indra interrupts their reminiscing, by which the whole room is silent to hear for some new gossip, he starts, "I have to ask that, since Themis may be coming back, she is not under oath to seal her divine powers in the Lower World is she?"
"Indeed," Ouranos replies, "However, she has always been less prone to direct violence and can be reasoned with. I'm not sure how much she's changed, but her disposition should be overall benign to those who show her appropriate respect."
"Indeed, we may be lucky with Themis," Odin nods in agreement, but then his tone grows grave again, "But what if one of the less-than-benign ones come back? What if Eris decides to appear outta nowhere?"
Freya blinked at that. Ares' brother? She's aware that the Goddess of Strife and Discord is another who decided to leave this universe through the veil, but the reasoning wasn't made privy to those outside of Ouranos and his most trusted.
And clearly it was a sore subject, seeing as the old God's eyes hardened and his voice took on a harsh tone.
"Should her malicious presence breath back into either the Upper or Lower World, I will be made aware immediately. That is all."
Odin also apparently saw it as a dead end, so hesitantly dropped it whilst sitting back down.
"...Very well."
"And so to end this emergency Denatus, I implore you all," Ouranos raises his voice, looking around the entire chamber, "There is no immediate danger to Orario or Genkai at large, but it is good to remain vigilant. It is unknown what Themis has done or intending to do, but it is unlikely to be with hostile intent. But keep in mind, she is a Goddess with access to Genkai, along with full access to her divinity. Do not do anything to agitate Themis in the event you encounter her."
He then rises from his position at the centre table, and ends his statement with finality.
"That will be all. You may all leave."
And so his slow exit and the chamber doors slamming open again are the symbol for everyone for start getting up and leaving, already whispering like children discovering an exciting new toy.
Freya would like to criticise them for this behaviour, but remembering every time a child interested her enough to abduct them for her own, quickly reminded her she'd be a hypocrite.
So she and Loki walked out together, the latter clearly keen on discussing further the incredible revelation they'd all just witnessed.
"Sososoooooo! Seems as if getting out of the Infinite Multiverse and returning home ain't as impossible as believed! And who'da thunk that little old Themis would be the first! She was always such a perfectionist..."
Freya giggled at Loki's comments, "Indeed. In fact, I once recall that you and her would get into little spats over your tendency to bother Hestia. Quite a protective aunt, wasn't she~?"
"Urk!" She stops walking and turns to face the silver-haired Goddess with an expression of pain, "Why can't ya go more than a minute without teasin' me?! Honestly though, if that woman waits another millennia to come back, it'd still be too soon! Such a busybody she was, honestly...
"But ignoring her," She jumps right back into her cheerful demeanor, continuing the walk through the doors, "What'dya think about her message though? Seems a touch bit arrogant to flash it out like a beacon."
"Hmm?" Freya was sleeping during the explosion of divine energy - work at the Hostess can be pretty exhausting at times - and all her Familia were busy in the Dungeon or also asleep, so she wasn't able to glean any visual information on the source.
"Weeeeeell," Loki began coyly, "One of ma kids were practicing their magic late at night again - Lefiya can be too determined sometimes - and she says it was like a golden star just fell from the sky! In the East!"
A brow rose.
"And the civilians were alarmed?"
"Nah, most of everyone were asleep at the time, and those who were awake were too drunk to even acknowledge it I'm guessin'. But hey, ain't that an entrance if I've ever heard of it! perhaps that's our good ol' Themis' method of transport, huh? Heck, might just be terrorising a lil' village right now with her Laws and Order. Blech!"
"Or perhaps," Freya smiled, "She sent something else down there?"
"Pfft, like what? Some sorta mythical artifact that controls the very laws that define Genkai's reality?" She suddenly stopped after saying that, seeming a little nervous, "Actually, she was so obsessed with Law and Order, that I'm startin' to think she mighta made somethin' like that..."
Deciding her comment affected Loki a little too much, she did a bit of damage control. Whilst a rival with the Trickery Goddess, she was not against being friends outside of all the Familia business.
"I'm sure that wouldn't be the case, considering Ouranos would have mentioned it. Plus, we'd feel if the laws of reality were changing around us, wouldn't we?"
"Yeah... yeah, you're right," The red-head sighed, "Just imagining her with that kinda power gives me the heebie-jeebies, y'know?
"Anyways," Both Goddesses had exited the Denatus hall and got back onto the main walkway that took those towards the main elevator for the Tower of Babel, various other Deities walking towards it around them, "I've got some business with ol' Goibniu I gotta sort out real quick whilst I'm here; need ta make sure my girl Tiona can get a replacement for our upcomin' expedition!"
Freya once again was shown why she admired Loki, she who was always willing to do anything to please her children. Even if it could get a bit on the pervy side of things.
"So now that the Denatus is over..." The Trickster Goddess pointed exaggeratedly at the her, "We're back to being rivals! Byeeeeeee~!"
And she runs off to find Goibniu presumably, likely to weasel out a good deal from the head of the Smithing Familia.
And Freya in turn, had some planning to do.
'I wonder... I should be extra careful to observe over Orario in the coming months. Who knows? Themis' golden star just might provide something I'm looking for.'
She couldn't wait.
A/N:
There we go, the Elden Beast discovers the trials and tribulations of the human body, meets a helpful old man, and learns the joys of eating. All is good!
The choice to identify the Elden Beast as a Greater Spirit I think makes sense, since I couldn't find much on Spirits in general, so just thought I'd add some lore stuff in there to expound on how they come into being. And Since the Elden Beast is the creation of the Greater Will, it would be seen as a Greater Spirit in the Danmachi definition, but is a God in the Elden Ring definition.
I was really excited to expound on the connection that the Greater Will has with Danmachi; Themis was chosen as the name due to both her being a Goddess with suitable alignments and having connections with Ouranos and Zeus. Literally could not be a more perfect name I think.
You might be able to guess who Eris will be, but that won't be important for a while, so no worries.
And remember, this is going to have many AU moments, but that's just because I'm trying to have Elden Ring components mix with Danmachi whilst also making sense. If this is gonna be isekai, it will be isekai that makes sense.
Thanks for reading!
