Log 28
It has been days since I've even looked at this thing. I've been sleeping in the woods, within one of the caves I cleared out. I don't even have the courage to show my face at the Roundtable. Even so, I must go on.
I cannot continue to simply lay about and wallow in self-pity. Like it or not, I am not fighting solely for myself anymore. Melina and I made an accord; that in exchange for her aid and guidance, I would transport her to the foot of the Erdtree. I owe Melina much, it is thanks to her help that I have gotten this far in the first place. I may be a coward, and a craven, but I have made an agreement, and I intend to honor it. It may not amount to much, but on what remains of my pride and honor, I shall fulfill my end of our accord.
Log 29
I first ventured down to the east of Limgrave. I came across the Mistwood, with it's demi-humans and gigantic bears (why is it that even the animals in this accursed place are twisted beyond reason?)while hunting for those sellswords, but I didn't bother to stick around for long after I slew any of them I could find.
This time I rode down this road with a purpose in mind beyond senseless slaughter. One of the notes Kale sold me told of a treasure hidden in the ruins of another old church. According to him, it can be used with crystallized tears of the Erdtree to create powerful elixirs, so I rode in search of it.
The church was guarded by another of those giants, but mighty as they remain, I've grown accustomed to facing them in combat, and he fell before long. Behind the church lies a swampland filled with more of those horrid bats, and some even more bothersome dragonflies.
Now I sit by the light of grace, writing as I rest for the night. Oh, how I wish I could have seen this place in its prime. It is but a broken ruin now, but just from what little remains of this place, it is clear to see that it must have been a majestic and beautiful place of worship, even more than the Church of Elleh. Oh, how beautiful these lands must have been…
Still, this treasure hunt was quite fruitful. I found the flask that Kale spoke of, and what seems to be crystalized sap of the Erdtree. I still don't quite understand the process myself, but even so, the effects are undeniable. Supposedly there should be more of these hidden throughout the lands, so this should serve me well.
I was more surprised to find the second treasure hidden within these ruins. To think, that a chalice holding a mythical sacred tear was just resting here, untouched! An object of worship since ancient times, I suppose it stands to reason that it would be enshrined within a church, but that it should survive after all this time, while the rest of the structure goes to ruins, is nothing short of mystifying. Truly, this must be providence.
While I was busy marveling over it, Melina advised me that I should make use of it. She told me that by dropping the tear within my flasks, it would strengthen them. I balked at the idea of throwing away a holy relic at first, but I suppose this is no time to be standing on ceremony. The effects certainly speak for themselves, and no doubt this will help me survive in this accursed place.
Melina strikes me as a rather humble sort. She claims that she can offer no guidance, but if it weren't for her I would have been lost a hundred times over by now. I'm truly fortunate to have met her.
Speaking of guidance, Melina told me something rather peculiar. She claimed that she could hear "echoes" of Queen Marika, and offered to recite them. I felt that hearing the words of Queen Marika the Eternal herself would be a rare occasion for a lowly Tarnished such as I, so I gladly took her up on her offer, but what she said confused me. I shall try to record it here as accurately as I can recall, in case it may serve me to remember in the future.
"In Marika's own words. My Lord, and thy warriors. I divest each of thee of thy grace. With thine eyes dimmed, ye will be driven from the Lands Between. Ye will wage war in a land afar, where ye will live, and die."
I'm grateful for Melina's guidance, but I feel that I must be misunderstanding something. If Melina speaks true, then it would seem as if Queen Marika herself was the one who took the grace of gold from Lord Godfrey and his warriors, but according to the old legends, Lord Godfrey's grace was lost after the loss of his final worthy foe. The loss of grace is supposed to be determined by the Erdtree itself, but could Queen Marika be the one deciding who should lose the grace of gold? I always believed that the loss of my grace was simply a result of my cowardice? What could this mean? Could Melina be lying?
No, I mustn't think such treacherous thoughts about my companion, nor blaspheme against the Queen. These matters are surely beyond the mind of a simpleton such as myself. I should stick to what I'm good for, and focus on fighting.
