A Grafting Guide for Dummies: How to not die horribly. (Elden Ring SI)
By: WonNone
A random Austrian gets thrown into the body of Godrick the Grafted. Panic ensues.
Status: ongoing
Published: 2023-09-07
Updated: 2024-02-23
Words: 130138
Chapters: 36
Original source: https/forums./threads/1114055
Exported with the assistance of
A Grafting Guide for Dummies: How to not die horribly. (Elden Ring SI)
Introduction
Prologue
1-King of the Castle
2-Guide
3-Drop Dead Legs
4-A Knight to remember
5-Plans
6-Let Him Get Up
7-IT LIVES!
8-The face beneath Stormveil
9-Other Views
10-Carrying Noobs and new plans
11-Of Knights, Blood, and Strangers
12-Meeting a Sorceress
13-Preparations (Part 1)
14-Preparations (Part 2)
Interlude: Auden
15-The Assault of Stormveil Castle (Part 1)
16-The Assault of Stormveil Castle (Part 2)
17-The Assault of Stormveil Castle (Final)
18-A Conversation
19-New Views
20-A New Heart
Interlude: Like A House Of Cards
21-Destiny at the palm of your hand
22-Family Bonds and a Shackle
23-This is quite the mount
24-A Young Astrologer
25-Arriving in Liurnia
26-Of Crayfishes and Warriors
27 - Of Scions and Memories
28-Of Memories and New Plans
29-The Key to the Academy
30 - The Gate Town
31 - Magical Shenanigans, sadly of the bad kind (part 1)
32 - Magical Shenanigans, sadly of the bad kind (part 2)
Interlude - Of Commanders, Golden Scions, and Old Heroes
Prologue
Things like SI stories were always some kind of guilty pleasure of mine. I'd never take their place though. I was content with my life.
And then I woke up as an abomination with way too many limbs. Hope he didn't graft those to compensate for something.
Do you remember your first hangover? The first time you went out drinking with your buddies (or alone, I wouldn't fault you), got completely hammered, and then woke up the next day and felt as if your own body wasn't yours? Well, I had that kind of feeling right now, my head throbbing as if I had just taken more than a few shots too many. The strange thing is that I didn't even drink something yesterday.
My hand came up to my face, my six fingers rubbing my forehead to at least lessen the pain. I froze up.
Six fingers?
I opened my eyes, bright sunlight, blinding me slightly. I used my hand to cover the sun and give me some shade. And then I realized that it wasn't my hand. It had felt heavy before, heavier than my right arm. And now I could see why.
My "arm" wasn't one thing that grew from my body. It was mismatched, long, and bent at an unnatural angle, not in an alien way but something you immediately noticed.
The six fingers also were a giveaway.
All of this took me perhaps less than a second to realize and I recoiled, trying to get away from the monstrous limb. It followed me, it was attached to my shoulder after all. My look wandered higher up and when my eyes got to the upper arm I saw yet another arm stick out of it. My eyes wandered to my shoulder, and yet another two arms, much smaller than my own, greeted me. All of them were bent wrong as if someone had ripped them off and just stuck them to my frame.
As if they sensed my feelings the arms reacted, curling into themselves and trashing a bit. I also felt strange movements in my lower regions and looked down. The strange clothes, a mixture of various tapestry and some metal, couldn't hide the things that were my legs.
My "legs" consisted of many different legs being glued or stuck together, forming a fleshy lump that ended in my "feet", a collection of sewed-together feet. My toes wiggled and trashed, also responding to my emotions. My entire body made cracking sounds, flesh wiggling and trashing in a way that was wrong.
I couldn't control my stomach anymore and threw up.
After I had emptied my stomach on the strange stone tiles I had woken on, I sat down and collected my thoughts.
"Perhaps I did drink something yesterday. No way in hell I would be able to dream something like this sober." My stressed face relaxed a bit before I chuckled.
"Yeah, must have been some of the strong stuff." I had calmed down now and just sat there, waiting to wake up. That was the first stage of acceptance, denial.
Anger followed soon after.
My arm destroyed a tombstone next to me, effortlessly crushing stone, as I rose to my feet, screaming at the top of my lungs. My voice was old and had a strange accent, but it was also much louder than my normal one
"What the fuck?! Was I really this fucking wasted that I can't wake up?!" I looked around, searching for something, anything that could get me out of this place. It was beginning to suck.
But after my anger subsided, I tried to bargain
I could feel tears on my wrinkled face, and I was kneeling, my head staring into the sky.
"Come on, I've been stuck in this thing for hours! Please, let me out!" I looked at the beautiful sky with its many stars.
"If there is a god, please help me. Please let this just be a dream!" No one answered and then it started raining. The stone tile grew wet and the golden flowers around me got watered.
The next few days I spent staring into the sky, waiting for something, anything to happen. The situation had already set in, however. I knew where I was. I also knew who I was. And I hated it.
"Of all the fuckers I could have been, why him?" I stared at my hand, the long, ugly nails nearly looking like claws.
I stared at my hand a bit longer and then let it drop to the ground, staring into the sky again.
Why me?
I think it was on the sixth day that I got moving. My lumbering, mismatched body stood on its two feet as well as it could and I looked at the walls of the castle around me. They were damaged, heavily so. The amount of sieges this castle must have withstood must have been legendary. Though the mistakes were glaring, something that I had decided to fix.
Just sitting around and crying wouldn't help me, especially not because I was a shardbearer. Tarnished could come to the castle in just a few days, all of them gunning for me. And even if I didn't choose the get thrown into the body of a deranged psychopath, I wouldn't just die.
And perhaps, only perhaps, gathering the other Great Runes and assembling the Elden Ring would help me get home. The Elden Ring dictates important aspects of the world, such as life and death. And even if the chances that the Elden Ring would help me were slim, I would at least fucking try to get home.
I looked around my arena, strangely enough not spotting the dragon yet, and took my first step towards the exit, intent on exploring the castle and seeing if there were any glaring mistakes.
I then promptly fell on my face, my many legs and arms trashing in place, refusing to follow my commands. I groaned and tried to use my arms to lie on my back. Once again, the arms refused to obey correctly, flexing and trashing instead. I sighed and let my head rest on the cool ground.
This would take a while to get used to.
Author note: Hey there, the author here. I hope all those of you who read this chapter enjoyed it. I have to admit, starting chapters are always a pain to write, at least for me. As the tags say, I'm happy if discussions are created and please give me critiscm if you have any, I will try to follow it and improve the story that way. You can also bring up ideas if you have any. I can't promise that I will be able to follow all of them but what I can promise is that I will read the comments and try to see if it's possible. Thanks for reading this.
Now for those of you who followed my Worm story I have to announce that it's going to be put on hold for now. I just wasn't happy with the character I created and constantly was slipping into another perspective. I really hope that it doesn't happen in this story. Sorry for all those of you who were patiently waiting for another chapter, but I don't want to continue a story when I know I won't put my all into writing it. Once again, thanks for reading.
1-King of the Castle
1-King of the Castle
Walking was an obstacle in this body. I hadn't noticed it beforehand because I had mostly sat on the ground, but Godricks' balance was fucked. His right leg, the one consisting of way too many little feet, actually bent backward when I walked. It's hard to describe, but imagine that your foot would be a bit too long. But instead of this longer leg being straight like a normal one, mine bent backward every time I took a step. The closest thing that I can describe it to is the upper leg of a dog or something. From the shape at least, I've never seen a dog's leg bent backwards like mine and not break.
Long story short, I couldn't walk properly and had to "stumble" forward, both of my knees nearly touching the ground. I had thought the whole thing was just a thing game Godrick had going on, but no, it legit was because his right leg was messed up so bad he had to walk this way. The left leg was pretty shitty too, though much better than my right one. Instead of having many feet meshed together into some form resembling a foot, Godrick wore the foot of a Banished knight, those big fuckers that would fuck your shit up every time you crossed them. Of course, my body weighed much more than the body of a Banished knight, and that's why Godrick had to add other feet onto it, to bear his massive ass.
Combine all those factors with the fact that I wasn't ready to control more limbs than two at the same time and you had a recipe for disaster. Granted, I managed to somewhat walk after my first 50 attempts, but my face felt like hell afterward. Those were only the legs by the way. The arms were a whole other can of worms.
"Bugger me." I grimaced, using my large left arm, which I could only control to a certain degree, to lean against the doorway that led out of my boss arena. I took a deep breath and stepped through the giant doorway, my strange way of walking actually helping me to fit through it. Godrick had been a huge bastard, which meant I now was one too.
I played with the thought of trying to hunt down those strange scarabs that the Tarnished encountered during their travels, but quickly dismissed it. If they existed, and if I could see them, I was way too big and lumbering to catch the one in the castle. Especially because I was struggling while walking, I didn't even want to know how running would look, if I was even capable of that.
I exited the tunnel that led to my arena and could already see two Exile soldiers and a troll, all three of them guarding the way to me. As imposing as they might seem, any Tarnished of some worth would be able to beat or just run past them. Which led them directly into this tunnel and the fat duck behind it. Me.
I looked at the backs of the guards and silently prayed they were still sane enough to speak. The Shattering had taken years centuries if not thousands of years ago. Did the people here go insane, and turn into empty husks? All of those questions swirled in my head, but I nonetheless raised my voice and tried to mimic Godricks' way of speech.
"Guards, thee don't even notice thine own lord?!" I cringed internally after I said those words. My old English was far from the best. But it did seem to affect the guards. All three of them, even the troll turned their necks around so fast I nearly thought they would break them and fell to their knees. At least I now knew that they spoke English. If it had been Japanese I would have been screwed over in more ways than one.
"Mine own lord, thy servants are sorry, I pray you, don't punish us!" One of the Exiles, lanky soldiers adorned with chainmail and red capes, yelled, his head still pressed against the ground. I locked my face into a cold visage as well as I could and once again spoke with a bravado I didn't feel.
"Thou are forgiven if only this ones. I came hither to give thee a task." The Exiles and even the troll lifted their heads.
"W-what's it that you desire, oh merciful lord?" The other Exiled asked, refusing to stare past my legs.
"Taketh three other men with you and bringeth back a part of the soldiers I hath sent away to guard my region." A small cringe fought its way to my face. God, my Old English was bad. But it seemed that the soldiers didn't notice, perhaps too thankful that they would remain alive.
"As thee command, your Highness!" Both of the Exiled yelled and took off, running like the devil was after them. The troll and I were left behind. The troll didn't stand up however, its eyes still glued to the ground. I don't know how Godrick had managed to put fear into beasts as large as the trolls, but that fear prevented them from rising. And while Godrick would most likely manage to beat a few trolls, I didn't. At least with the level of control I had on this body.
"Thou art to return to thy post, troll guardian." My words came out as sneering and commanding as possible. The troll nodded and slowly stood up. I looked up at the towering creature and hid the initial rise of panic that surged through me. Beating one of these monsters in a game was one thing, meeting one face-to-face was something else entirely. It turned around and returned to the seating position it had been beforehand. My eyes remained on it for a few more seconds before I continued my little tour through the castle grounds.
The next creatures I met were the Warhawks. The two grafted swords on their feet looked downright regal compared to what I had going on. They turned their heads to me and screeched. It was a screech filled with hatred and disdain. I recoiled slightly but quickly caught myself and glared at the bird, which stopped its strange screeching. I clumsily maneuvered my heavy body past the hawks and arrived at the courtyard, the place that was supposed to be the last and strongest line of defense.
Indeed, the amount of Exiles controlling the castle grounds was impressive but when I turned my head to the right, I saw Liftside Chamber. A chamber where Tarnished, at least in game, could rest and make their way towards me without even alerting the guards in the courtyard. If I wanted to stay in Stormveil Castle the glaring mistakes had to go. I let my eyes wander to the left, inspecting the courtyard further and they fell on a group of Exiles that were just sitting there, staring into nothingness. They weren't sleeping, their hands not leaving their weapons for one second. But it seemed like they were in some kind of trance.
I took my eyes off the group and refocused myself on the entire courtyard. My footsteps once again began to echo around the castle and some of the Exiles noticed, turning around to see what caused them. The moment they saw me they threw themselves on the ground, some even so fast that I could hear their head impacting with the floor. Instead of speaking however, I strode towards the place where players would find the painting. But I still remember the many books that I saw when I first came in there and slowly advanced into the study room. I turned around to face the soldiers that had noticed me and gripped the broad wooden door with both of my larger arms, concentrating my entire willpower to control them the right way. I couldn't afford to fuck up. If I didn't even manage to close a door, how long until the soldiers start to dig a bit deeper?
To lessen my worries and to play up my Godrick persona I looked down on the soldiers and scowled.
"Well, back to thy posts?! Or do I have to add a few more arms to my collection?!" My words did the trick, and the Exiles scrambled back to their posts. My two arms finally listened and closed the doors, leaving me in a dimly lit study room.
The moment the doors were closed nearly all arms started trashing again and I groaned. I looked around the study and then slowly moved over to the bookshelf.
Hopefully they had something on grafting.
Authors' Note: Fast update! Hope you enjoy this one.
2-Guide
2-Guide
I had thought I would run against a few walls, but I'd never thought fucking books would be one of them. You know the saying "It's not hoarding if it's books?". Well, that saying applied to the study room.
It wasn't tall, even if I still was a normal human I would have noticed that. But for Godrick's body, all of the books contained in the room were within the reach of his massive arms. Well, my arms now. But despite the room being small the amount of books that was stored there was ridiculous. Of course, it wouldn't live up to something like a state library, but those also had entire buildings dedicated to them. But somehow the people here managed to cram as many books into this place as possible.
I looked at the rows upon rows of books and sighed, before readying myself and going to work. I started with the biggest books, browsing through them as quickly as possible.
A few hours later I indeed had managed to acquire a few books that I could use. One was even written by Godrick himself, though I wondered how he managed to write anything with those unwieldy hands of his. Perhaps he had used one of the smaller, nimbler ones?
I dismissed the thought and exited the study room, before stumbling to the room behind the arena as gracefully as I could. I opened the large double doors, my smaller hands holding the books while my larger ones did the deed. When I saw the throne in the middle of the room I slowly waddled closer and let my grotesque body fall upon it. The throne held and I began to read the first book, the one that Godrick himself had written.
Ah, thee who reads this book are indeed be thirsty for knowledge, aren't thee? Well, don't fret, for I, Godrick the golden, last o' the golden lineage shall teach thee! And if I myself shall open this book 'twill be because I shall look back at mine own past, filled withal glory and honor!
I looked at the first sentences for a while and then groaned, already fearing which kinds of self-love Godrick would describe in the book. Another thing I noticed was the fact that I had difficulty reading the lines of the book, although they were written in large letters. I chuckled slightly and shook my head.
Seems like even after becoming an eldritch old man I still couldn't escape short-sightedness.
The sun woke me from my sleep and I wiped away the drool that had started to form around my lower lip. I stood up, my body responding this time around, and tried to stretch all of my arms at the same time. Godrick had written in his book that all of the so-called "feedback" of the grafted body part would be sent to the brain of the individual, which meant that it was risky to graft things like heads onto one's body. One of the main reasons why nobody grafts heads to their body is the fact that their "feedback" could potentially overwhelm or kill you. If I were to graft a dog's head on my arm or somewhere else on my body, all of the dog's senses like smell or taste would directly shoot into my brain, which made the grafting process of a head immensely dangerous. The only reason Godrick most likely did it was because he didn't want to die by a lowly Tarnished. That made him take the risk.
I looked outside, gazing at the empty pillar the dragon had always been impaled on in my playthrough. Was I a few years too soon? Did the "chosen Tarnished" even exist? I sighed, turned my focus back to my arms, and gave them all the command to move upward. And slowly, very slowly, all of them began to rise into the air, standing still for a few seconds before falling out of my grasp again. I cursed slightly and sighed.
"What do they say, practice makes perfect?" I said as I collapsed onto the throne once again. Controlling all limbs would be a hassle. But if I didn't master them, where would I end up? Most likely dead, Godrick was hated by pretty much everyone in the Lands Between. And not to forget the Tarnished that were still after my head. I gritted my teeth and stood up, falling into a wide stance and readied myself. I took a deep breath and then sent a command to all of my arms.
"AGAIN!" The screaming was something that kept me focused and concentrated. My arms all moved upward, before once again falling out of my grip. I took another deep breath and roared once more.
"AGAIN!" The arms rose once more, this time staying in the air just a little bit longer. I lost control of my limbs for the third time, but I couldn't help but grin slightly.
"AGAIN!" And my training continued.
2 weeks later
- Gostoc-
Gatekeeper Gostoc was used to many things, tumult or sound being one of them
He was used to the screams of the soldiers foolish enough to try and eat the Warhawks. Those things were never quite tamed, even after Godrick had ripped their feet off.
He was used to the strangely funny sounds some of the animals made when they hopped by the hole in the wall he was supposed the be "guarding". And if he managed to catch them, they didn't make such a bad meal.
He licked his lips. Only the thought of those little, hopping animals made him salivate. He didn't need as much food as he had a few centuries ago but that didn't mean he didn't like eating.
Suddenly a loud impact seemed to rock the entire cliff and a few pieces of the old ceiling fell onto his shoulders. Bless Marika that even after all these years Stormveil was still one of the sturdiest fortresses to exist. It hadn't even yielded to Starscourge Radhan.
Yet another impact shook the walls and dust once again fell on Gostoc's shoulders and face. He growled slightly, dusted himself off, and directed his look towards the entrance to his location, right next to the main gate.
"The Omen crushes yet another challenger, eh?" He said to nobody in particular as the thundering impacts finally stopped and a wail of death was echoed shortly after.
"Hm, must be a new Tarnished." He said, picking his teeth with his only arm.
The phantom pains still hadn't disappeared since the lord had chopped off his arm with that gruesome axe of his.
And then he didn't even use it properly!
He growled once again and his eyes fell on his stump.
That bloody slug! He dared look down on him?! He ought to go to the craven lord personally and show him!
Yes, nobody should disrespect Gatekepper Gostoc, not even the last scion of the Golden Lin-
"YES!" His eardrums were nearly shattered by the scream that echoed to even his position.
"Eep!" He jumped into the air and fell on his butt, letting out a groan when he impacted the ground.
"By the gods, what was that?" He murmured and slowly stood back up, using his one hand to support himself.
He waited for a few more moments, waiting for some kind of monster to show up, but it didn't.
"Heh heh, must have been daydreaming." He shook his head, chuckling slightly.
' That sounded way too much like lord Godrick.' He shuddered slightly and prayed to Queen Marika that he had indeed been dreaming.
An unhappy Godrick was dangerous, but a danger you could avoid.
A happy Godrick? The sheer thought made him feel uneasy.
He shuddered once again returned to his usual post next to the gate and stood there, waiting for something to happen.
He didn't have to wait long either, since a group of over 50 men, all of them adorned in Godricks colors arrived just a few minutes later.
"I have returneth from the duty the lord hath given me." The Exile at the very front said, staring into Gostoc's eyes.
"Well, can't keep the lord waiting now, can you?" He said, smiling icily, and opened the gate for them.
After they had gone through the gate he looked after them, contemplating something.
Was the lord thinking of rallying the troops?
I threw the stone into the air with my largest arm, caught it with one of the shorter ones, and then tossed it back and forth between the ones on my back.
I picked up two other stones and chucked them into the air, catching them once again with two of my back arms. Now two of them were juggling the three stones without a problem.
A large smile grew on my face as I launched all three of the little stones into the air and caught them in my six-fingered hand, crushing them like they were made out of plastic.
I let what remained of the stones fall out of my hand and turned towards the axes that I had embedded into the ground.
And even after training with it for a while I still couldn't quite get behind the design of the main axe. Its shaft was just too long and it looked like the axehead could snap off at any given moment.
Of course, it wasn't the case, the metal being much more durable than it looked, but sometimes I still was a bit overwhelmed with the "physics" of this world.
I use the word "physics" very lightly, seeing as I'm a straight-up middle finger to it.
I slowly lifted the two axes, both of them coming free of the ground without any problem.
If there was one thing I had learned from this body after spending some time in it, then it was the fact that Godrick, and in extension I, were strong fuckers.
Not just in the sense of being as strong as my body height suggests, but much stronger.
I had fought against Godrick in the game and saw most of his attacks that looked strong and had hit like a truck when I fought him.
But having the power to make craters in stone while mildly trying was completely different than seeing it.
And seeing what kind of power I had made me fear the other Shardbearers even more.
Godrick, even after completely turning his body into a Gundam made of flesh was still considered the worst of them all, the runt of the litter.
I look at the two weapons in my hands and then slowly lumber back to the throne room. I finally had been able to get a proper table for my size and that meant I could use it to deposit the books I had been reading.
The books were all about grafting and stitching the body parts together. And I had to admit, after reading them I understood why Godrick had placed some limbs the way he had.
But some I still didn't understand, like that one short leg just being attached to my upper leg.
Not even mended into it, the leg legit just hung there and pointed away from my body.
I was prevented from further critiquing some of Godrick's graft choices when an Exile came into my room.
"My own lord, the men have returned." I turned around and looked down at him.
"Give them following instructions: they must renovate and reinforce Stormveil castle, starting with the entrance to mine own wine cellar! Furthermore, give them the task to seek more loopholeth where intruders could get in!" I said, forcing out the Old English and hoping they would understand my butchered words.
Before the Exile I was talking to could leave, however, another thought came to my mind.
"Also send a messenger to Castle Morne. Its warden hasn't reported back for quite a while." I wanted to know if the Misbegotten had already started their rebellion.
If they hadn't, I would perhaps be able to draw a few soldiers from Castle Morne to Stormveil.
I could use all of the hands I got (pun not intended).
"You may leave your lord be." I waved the Exile away, who bowed and quickly made his way to the rest of the soldiers.
When he walked away, however, I noted the thorns that came out of his armor.
Another problem that I would have to deal with later on.
I sat down on my throne and sighed.
I knew of the most loopholes the Tarnished used to get into the castle and if my men would at least be able to seal off the cellar my sleep would already be more comfortable.
Of course, Stormveil had many more problems to deal with, but I didn't want to risk Tarnished getting into the castle.
Because if they made it even to the main gate it meant that they had managed to beat Margit, someone who was a harder challenge for most of the Tarnished than me.
I looked at my arms and legs, the grotesque body that I possessed.
There would be no real way of fixing it, at least as far as I knew. I slowly walked up to the books on my desk and opened one of them on a page I had specifically marked.
Grafting of muscle groups.
The sad thing was that I didn't even lack the material for my first grafting experiment.
There were so many bodies and limbs in the kitchen, all of which I could use.
I just had to get them.
"COMETH HERE, SERVANTS!", my loud voice echoed through the castle and reached the men I had meant.
Only a few minutes later all four of them were standing before me, refusing to meet my eyes.
"Y-yes your lordship?" One of the commoners asked.
All of them were gangly, had extremely long necks, and empty eyes, and looked truly ancient.
I could say that my face was old and wrinkled but the faces of the commoners, who properly were younger than Godrick, were grey from age.
"I want thee to bring thine lord some of the bodies and limbs from the kitchen." I was silent for a while and then noticed something.
"Also fetch thine lord his tools for the procedure." All four of them nodded and ran as fast as their weak legs enabled them to.
I hoped Godrick even had personal tools for grafting because I surely wouldn't be able to stick my hand into something and get a good graft out of it as he did with the dragon head.
I took a deep breath and went back to my throneroom to prepare everything for the procedure.
They didn't have any gloves for my size, which meant I had to do it without anything.
But at least they did find some scalpels and other sharp tools for me, which were all better for finer work than my axe.
"Leave thy lord alone now, servants," I said, motioning to the door with one of the hands-on my back (I couldn't do that a week prior).
All of them took the chance and left the room as soon as possible, shutting the door as they left, leaving me and four corpses behind.
It would have been dark if I hadn't lit torches beforehand. I lifted the first corpse, which, like the other ones, had been wrapped into a sack.
I laid it on the table I normally had my books and then cut the sack open with one of the scalpels I held in my hands.
The stench that arose from the opening made me gag and I looked down at the face of the corpse.
He had been a soldier, I realized. One of Godrick's own, judging from the surcoat he still wore.
His face was getting eaten away by maggots and I gagged again, the scalpel in my hand trembling.
But I couldn't stop now.
This was the way to make me stronger, and even if it was only a little bit of power, I had to take every chance I could get.
The trembling got less and I slowly lowered the sharp blade to the arm of the soldier.
Start from the bicep and tricep and then follow the muscle fibers downward, until you reach the Brachioradialis. Afterward, turn back and use the scalpel to cut the entire piece out.
The blade bit into the partly decayed skin, dug into the muscles and I dragged it down, following the muscle fibers until I reached a point between the elbow and the forearm.
I stopped and then cut a curve into the flesh, returning to the point where my scalpel had first entered the arm.
I hesitantly reached for the muscle tissue and lifted it on one edge. It came off with no problem, the wet sound that was produced however nearly made me throw up.
Grafted body parts of a donor that has been dead for longer have to be attached almost immediately after the removal of the body part.
Godrick's written words shot into my head and I looked at my two arms. And after a short while, I slowly put the right one on the table, with the small scalpel holding arms hovering over it.
If I had the chance and bravery to do it, I would exchange my entire left arm for something else. It was another glaring mistake in Godrick grafting.
Sure, it gave him more raw power. But it also slowed him down and took away his balance to the point where the downsides outweighed the upsides.
I laid my right arm on the table, and the arms with the scalpels began their work, cutting into the upper flesh of the arm and slowly peeling the skin off.
The most shocking thing was the amount of pain I felt during the whole ordeal.
I should have been crying and begging on the floor the moment they started to take off my skin, but I wasn't.
Godrick's pain tolerance seemed to be either very high or the "outer" parts of his body didn't send back quite as much pain as the one situated closer to his smaller, real body.
That isn't to say it didn't hurt. I felt like being cut by a knife while drunk. You felt the pain, but it wasn't as prominent as it should have been.
Cover muscles that were grafted on with skin once again.
The needle slowly pulled its last wire through my reapplied skin, making it stick to my body again.
And then something in my chest thrummed to life and I felt energy working its way to the skin I had just reattached.
The skin began to grow over the edges that I couldn't cover with the original patch of skin and adapted to the newest muscles that had been added.
The great amount of energy subsided, but now that I had noticed it, I couldn't oversee it anymore.
The Great Rune situated in the center of the Elden Ring, the anchor rune, rested in my very being.
I flexed my right arm, feeling a minimal difference in how it moved and worked. It was an improvement, as small as it might have been.
I turned back to the corpses.
Work was far from over, however.
Authors Note: Hope you liked this chapter. And yes, MC will also go for other things than human body parts, but that's the thing he has in abundance right now.
3-Drop Dead Legs
3-Drop Dead Legs
-1 week later-
Stormveil Castle was big.
Not just big in the term that described castles though. This thing could be compared to a gigantic palace.
Which was on one hand very impressive and on the other pretty damned shitty.
Impressive because I was wondering how any normal human could build such things. The structures were ancient, much older than I (?) was. And I never had the opportunity to explore the entire place, something I was genuinely thinking of doing.
What was shitty about the whole thing was the fact that that meant that more holes or entrances existed that the Tarnished could slip through.
My right hand gripped the golden axe, with which I had just been training, tightly, reflecting my thoughts. I let it go, seeing no use in holding onto it after the training I just had gone through.
The past few days had been spent on grafting. From what I've heard I used up quite a lot of corpses in my grafting sessions.
My Exiles had to bring them to me while I was working, seen as the commoners were too weak to lift more than one entire body alone.
Most of the corpses belonged to commoners and were thus not of great quality, but they at least gave me enough muscle tissue to work with.
I used the limbs of the dead soldiers in another way, however. They had stronger muscles and heavier bones, things which made them harder to destroy.
Four arms that belonged to the soldiers were grafted onto my abdomen and hidden beneath my cloak. If ever something got too close, and I hoped that would never be the case, they would find themselves stabbed by the daggers the four arms held. However, that was the only thing my new hands would be able to do right now. I still had to get adjusted to commanding even more arms than before.
Their remaining limbs and muscles were spent on strengthening and stabilizing my legs and arms.
The remaining corpses stayed in the kitchen in case I needed to stitch any wounds or replace some of my shorter limbs.
Some of them however would be used soon enough, for the last complete graft I could currently make.
At first, I had to get the dead body of the troll that was hung up just beside the kitchen area, however.
The sounds my right foot made when I walked were still extremely annoying, but soon I would be able to get rid of it.
I walked through the courtyard, a group in front of me, which gave me a better look at their armor.
The thorns were puncturing through their chainmail and were rotting it away.
I remembered the thing that was situated underneath Stormveil and shuddered slightly. That location was one of the few locations that I genuinely hated on my first walkthrough.
I wouldn't go down there unless I had to, and right now I had no reason to throw myself into a fight with a gigantic tree worm.
"My lord, we are here." I blinked slightly and looked at the Exiles that were now standing still.
"Ah yes, you may leave now, servants." They bowed and wanted to leave until I stopped them again.
"Has any news arrived from the warden of Castle Morne?" One of the Exiles turned around and shook his head.
"I'm afraid not, my lord." I clicked my tongue and made a dismissive gesture with one of my hands, playing up my Godrick persona once again.
"Then thou may leave." The Exiles nodded and walked away, most likely returning to their posts.
If there still wasn't any contact with Castle Morne I guessed the rebellion had already started. Which was something I had to perhaps take care of. But first I had to focus on my graft.
I looked at the doorway in front of me and sighed. It was perhaps 7 feet tall, maybe a bit higher, which was nothing compared to my height.
I groaned slightly and then twisted my body sideways, my improved back muscles giving me a bit more flexibility.
Fitting through the door was still a difficult endeavor, however. I had to stick my left arm in first, press my right as close to my body as possible, and then twist my upper body until my shoulders could fit through the door.
Which was also a close call, because I could feel one of my hands touch the door frame.
The last part was also pretty hard because my legs were still a bit too large to fit through the door the normal way. I could have just given up and crawled through it, and I would have done so.
But nearly all of the Exiles were watching.
That's why I slowly put my right, misformed foot into the next room first and then bent him backward, allowing the left leg to pass through without any further problems.
When I was finally inside the kitchen I stood up to my full height once again, stretching slightly. I heard the footsteps of a Banished Knight that was patrolling the area and saw the cooks sit in front of the fireplace, their empty eyes staring into the flames.
And then I heard scurrying.
I turned my head to the right and saw something that could only be described as an amorphous mass of limbs that was stitched together in the weirdest of ways. It had only one, pale, arm left that seemed to be its own and had four legs, three of which would then split off into two parts to support its weight. A cloak, masterfully made for its size hid most of the grotesque form.
And the face of a young woman looked up at me.
"Grisela." I didn't know why I knew the name, but I said the name without even thinking about it.
The Grafted Scion tilted her head slightly, her golden eyes staring at me, and then smiled.
"Grandfather." The arms around my stomach flinched at the name, curling into themselves.
A few minutes later I was, as good as my body allowed me to, seated in front of the Grafted Scion who was currently attempting to make something to drink in the kitchen.
All the while I sat in front of the painting with Godfrey and his partner Serosh, staring at my hand.
'Did Godrick graft his own family?' My stomach lurched slightly as I stared at Griselda, but not because of her appearance. But because her grandfather had made her this way.
' But if she is one of Godrick's granddaughters, are the other scions too?' My hands tightened into a fist, anger rising in my chest.
"Grandfather, are you alright?" Griselas' voice brought me back to reality and I noticed that one of my hands had gripped one of the wooden pillars next to me and had promptly crushed it.
"Ah, yes I am, little one. I was just testing the quality of the wood here. It might have gotten brittle, and brittle wood can be dangerous."
The young scion seemed to accept the answer and nodded, before going back to the kitchen to finish the drink.
I looked at the broken pillar next to me and sighed. Were my emotions also influenced by this body?
I did notice that my tolerance for mutilation had gone up since I had been stuck here. And that shouldn't be good.
"Grandfather, the tea is ready!" The young scion bounded over to me, in her hands a tablet with a large tea can, for normal humans anyway.
Grisela took the can and proceeded to pour the tea into a cup, struggling to do it properly with her original arm. When she was done, however, she offered me the cup with a smile, waiting for me to take it.
My large, deformed hand slowly, very carefully, took the small cup from her and I smiled.
"I thank you, young one." She just smiled back and proceeded to pour herself some tea.
"I hope I didn't disturb you in any lordly matters, grandfather?" She tilted her head once again, a bit like a curious dog.
Before I could even answer her question directly a strange memory passed through my head, just like the one that had given me her name.
She is always alone, she waits for me to speak to her. I can't, not yet.
I was silent for a while and then shook my head, smiling slightly.
"Nay, you didn't. Let us converse, little one!" I spread my arms, thankfully not knocking anything over. I think I scared the cooks at the fireplace though.
The young scion smiled and we began to talk.
"Marilla always wanted to fly, that's why she grafted a few wings onto herself. She said she would go out to look for more, but hasn't returned since then." The tea can was empty now and the sun had already gone down.
Grisela had told me everything about her siblings, Marilla, Gwen, Godiva, Godefroid, and Roderick, in the span of five or six hours.
She had been very emotional about it, smiling the entire time while I was listening. But she was starting to get tired, her body slightly dipping forward whenever she nearly fell asleep.
"I think it's time for you to go to bed young one." My voice seemed to shake her awake from her current half-sleep and she shook her head.
"But I'm not tired yet grandfather." Her body betrayed her however and she yawned long and loud. When she had stopped she was blushing slightly.
"We will have time to talk on another day too, Grisela," I said, one of my hands instinctively reaching forward to pet her head. I stopped short, however, instead letting it fall on her shoulder.
The young scion nodded slightly, although I could see disappointment on her face.
"Alright, sleep well, grandfather."
"The same goes for you, young one." Grisela scuttled out of the kitchen and into the direction of one of the towers of the castle.
I on the other hand turned around and sighed. I hadn't handled the entire conversation very well, but I didn't know what to do. Godrick clearly hadn't spent much time with his granddaughter.
I sighed once again (I did that a lot lately) and walked to the door where I knew the troll hung in the game. I once again squeezed my huge body through the door, to the apparent horror of the dogs standing in front of the dead troll, and managed to enter the little space.
The dogs just looked at me, their decayed eyes sizing me up before deciding they did not want to mess with me.
I looked at the troll's body, which was hanging from something akin to a cross, just upside down. Although I did see a few bodies lying under the pile, I did not see the crimson hood that the Tarnished would sometimes collect to help Roderika, a spirit caller.
Did Roderika even exist?
I shook my head and then got to work, taking the troll's body off the pole he was hanging on, and then looked back at the door, groaning.
How was I supposed to do this?
Transporting the troll's body wasn't a physical labor, it was a mental one.
The number of times I tried to fit the fat bastard's gigantic body through the doorway couldn't be counted.
In the end, I gave up on finding a mathematical solution and tried to shove it through the doorway with brute force.
Tried being the keyword. Stormveils' walls were thick and I couldn't find any stable ground in the little room, which resulted in me pushing against the troll's body without being able to move it past the first few inches of the doorway.
After that attempt failed I resorted to the method I probably should have picked from the start.
I started to take the troll's body apart, starting with its limbs.
And I also understood why Godrick had also picked a troll's torso as his own.
All trolls possessed extremely tough skin, against nearly all kinds of physical threats. Their bones could be compared to stone, a fact I discovered when one of my bone saws broke when I tried to separate its arm from the shoulder.
After that, I had to walk back and get one of my axes to get through the large bones. It wasn't clean by any means, but it was better than nothing.
And when I had finally cut away enough body parts to fit the body through the door I carried them back to my throne room, piece by piece.
The entire process took a while, but I was sure that it would be worth it in the end.
I laid down the last limb of the troll I had, its head, and then prepared everything for the following morning.
The light wasn't the problem, but I had gotten tired from all the trouble the troll's corpse had given me.
And I surely wouldn't try to graft in the dead of night while I was barely awake.
I walked up to the throne and collapsed upon it, my crown threatening to slip off my head.
I corrected it, slipping the crown back into place, and then leaned back, a few of my bones popping as I did so.
My eyes closed and I fell asleep, my largest arms holding onto the armrests for stability, even in my sleep.
-The next morning-
I woke up just when the sun's rays shone upon my eyes. I stood up, stretching myself until I heard a few pops in my back. At my command, my arms also moved and stretched. I was readying myself for the next, and most difficult, graft.
I walked to the corner where I had deposited all of the troll's limbs and inspected them.
I would only need one limb for now, the others would have to be stored in a cool space to not rot away.
I picked up the limbs and waddled to the room where I had stored the other parts. I left the flesh of the troll there but took most of the limbs that I had previously stored there with me. I would need them to connect the troll's leg to my leg properly.
When I arrived at my throne room the sun was shining brightly, illuminating the golden flowers in my arena.
I entered the throne room and then took out a piece of wood that had a strip of leather wrapped around it.
I had to admit, I had never experienced it in real life, but the piece off would stop me from biting off my tongue or screaming too loud.
I set down the piece of wood on the table and looked at the troll's leg, before taking out a shortsword I had taken out of the armory.
I hoped that it was enough to skin the leg.
The shortsword was indeed enough to skin the troll's leg, but I had to use both of my axes to cut off the parts of the troll parts I didn't need. I cut off the foot and some of the upper and lower ends of the leg.
Those nerves would have to be replaced by other grafted parts. I also cut off some of the muscles around the troll's leg, until I could already feel the bones when I touched the last muscle tissue.
I would still use the trolls' muscles, but I could distribute it on my entire body.
After a few more cuts with the increasingly duller shortsword I carved away the last layers of muscle I didn't need and stared at my bloody work.
My stomach rebelled slightly but I cleaned up the mess I made and stored all of the remaining parts of the troll's leg, except for the skin, away for later use.
I checked the few normal-sized limbs for the last time, making sure they were ready to be grafted to my new leg the instant the old one came off.
I took the piece of wood in my mouth and bit down on it, testing its durability before sitting down on the floor to ready myself for what was coming.
My arms reached for my golden axe and gripped it tightly. I saw the blade shine golden and my heartbeat sped up.
The axe came down.
It cut into my right leg but failed to cut through it in one go. My eyes widened in pain and I began to scream, my outcries muted because of the piece of wood.
My legs were surrounded by legs, some of them still in their armored form. I was bound to be durable.
But as a price of that durability came my slow movement speed. And even if I had to use the golden axe to get through my natural armor it would still be worth it in the end.
The bloodied axe came down again, and I screamed even louder behind the piece of wood.
I was sweating heavily now, with tears running down my face.
But the leg was nearly off.
I raised the bloodstained axe a third time and brought it down with all of my might.
This time the leg was hacked off and the following scream I gave destroyed the piece of wood completely.
When I returned to my senses, my eyes fell on the separated right leg that lay a few feet away from me.
I couldn't stop, otherwise, I would lose too much blood.
My left arm reached up the table and dragged the portion of the skinned troll leg down onto the ground, while the right grabbed some muscle tissue along with two normal human arms that were missing their hands.
One of my small arms took out a scalpel, while two other hands brandished needle and thread.
They started to work on the arms, while I took care of the leg.
I dragged it closer and held it in place just three or four inches away from the bleeding stump where my previous right leg was.
When my small hands were done I quickly took thread and needle from them and began to fast and clumsily sew them to my stump. After they were attached to it, the skinned troll leg came next, the thread and needle sloppily connecting it to the two arms.
My Great Rune thrummed to life once more, giving me the helping hand I needed.
The threads were connected better and the separate body parts began to mend into a larger one.
I sat there for a few minutes and then began to chuckle.
That was painful, more painful than anything else I had ever felt.
I felt like I had to vomit.
But I still had work to do.
My eyes wandered to the rest of the things I had prepared for the graft. The various small limbs should help stabilize the leg, the muscle tissue, and of course the skin itself.
I couldn't vomit now. I had fucking started this graft.
And I would finish it too.
Author's Note: Alright, I think that ends the whole "MC grafts without a pause" phase. From now on the grafts will most likely be mentioned, but only described if they are really important. I also plan on actually go through a part of Stormveil in the next chapter.
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed and as always, give me comments with your thoughts and perhaps recommendations in them. For example, what I could do with grafting, what concept you would find interesting etc.
Also yes, the chapter title is a song title.
4-A Knight to remember
4-A Knight to remember
I stared at the wooden elevator in front of me and contemplated if it would hold my height.
It seemed sturdy enough, but seeming sturdy enough didn't make it sturdy enough.
The other problem was also of course the normal-sized door in front of it, something I had no chance to get through.
My new right leg was tapping on the floor, the armored slore of my new foot making a slightly clanking sound.
"Why do you even want to go up to the Rampart Tower, my lord?" The Banished Knight that would normally patrol the kitchen area asked me. He sounded pretty bored and uninterested.
"I hopeth thou will give thine lord enough respect, knight." My cold words seemed to have their desired effect and he nearly snapped into a salute.
"Yes my lord, I'll stop answering questions." I nodded at his words, once again turning to the elevator. I nearly wanted to give up on trying to get on the elevator, until I remembered something.
"Knight, bring me the item in the chest thou were guarding. Thy lord needs it." The Banished knight nodded quickly and his armored footsteps soon left your ears.
I had of course been talking about the "Mimic Veil", an item that allowed the player to mimic their surroundings.
It was also the item that allowed Godrick to flee the capital among the womenfolk when it was attacked.
Perhaps I would be able to use it to get into places I hadn't been able to before. I was a little ashamed that I only noticed it now too.
The knight's clanking footsteps marked his return and he was carrying the veil in his hands.
"My lord." He offered me the veil and I took it, inspecting it for any damage. I found none and nodded at him, giving him a hand gesture.
"You may leave now, knight." He followed my orders, turning around and walking away after I told him to.
I looked at the small mimic veil in my hand and then slowly slipped it on my head, although it barely fitted.
I could feel my body shrinking and compressing, but at the same time, I knew I wasn't changing as a person.
When I opened my eyes I was standing before an elevator that didn't look like it was too small for me. I laughed slightly but my eyes widened when I heard the voice coming out of my mouth.
I ran back to the kitchen area and looked for a bowl full of water. When I had found one I stared at my monentary face.
The face of the young blonde man stared back.
'Is that Godrick's young face?' I looked at the reflection in the water, still stumped.
If it was Godrick's younger face before he got into grafting I had to admit that he didn't look that bad.
He seemed to have a naturally strong jawline, bright golden eyes, and pearly white teeth that would most likely twinkle if he smiled.
But one thing that stood out was his paleness. His cheeks were also slightly sunken in and he had eye bags.
All in all, he looked one thousand times better than the body I was truly stuck in. I shook my head and then returned to the elevator.
I didn't come here to look at Godrick's younger adult self.
I had come here to explore the castle and see if the thorns were already spread as far as they had been in the game.
I stopped in front of the elevator once again and slowly got in, not sure if my weight had changed or not.
The elevator held and I was able to ascend to the Rampart Tower. The place had been difficult to master in the game, especially because those Warhawks constantly chucked exploding barrels at me.
I took off the mimic veil, returning to my monstrous true form, and looked down the deep elevator shaft that only could be activated if you triggered the pressure plate at the very bottom.
A pressure plate that you could only access when you dropped in a specific order and specific places. And not to forget that even after all that a Crucible Knight had decided to guard the thing.
Crucible Knights were something akin to Mini Juggernauts in this world. Most of them were decked out in armor and had great shields with one gigantic horn on them. And not to forget their swords which would dice you up even if you got hit only once.
Would I be able to win against the one that was guarding the pressure plate? Perhaps, if it was game mechanics, but I wouldn't rely on something like that.
I also didn't have a real reason to go down there. Sure, I could, but I didn't want to, it also wouldn't give me any benefits.
Well, it would if I would be able to kill the knight.
I stood there for a few minutes, just staring into the deep elevator shaft. Then I stepped back and walked down the next flight of stairs.
'Let's just add it to my "maybe" list.' The stairs creaked beneath my weight and I cringed slightly, should have perhaps kept the mimic on.
"Lord Godrick! Why do I have the honor of your visit?!" Another Banished Knight stood before me, a halberd in his hands.
"Thy lord is inspecting his castle. Have thou found anything strange in the last few days or weeks?" I was pretty good at hiding my cringe by now, although I was still sure that my old English was extremely bad.
The Banished seemed to think about my question and then nodded slightly.
"Indeed. There are two things in fact!" I raised an eyebrow and then made a gesture for him to go on.
"Please follow me, my lord." He led the way and just a few metres outside I could already see what was wrong.
The thorns already were inside Stormveil, the illness had taken root.
The knight led me, while I was using the mimic veil to not destroy anything, through the wine cellar, showing me the wall that had replaced the open gap that would give Tarnished an easy entry. Which was good, great even. It meant I had one problem less to worry about.
But then he showed me the thorns once again. The damned thing was growing everywhere, even into the walls, slowly digging through the walls.
"Servant, I want thee to get a few able-bodied men and cut these vines down." The knight seemed confused for a while and then looked at me.
"I don't want to seem rude my lord, but why?" I made a show of scowling down at him and taking off the veil. Suddenly I towered over him again.
"Thou dare question thy lord?! I need these vines for further research!" I was lying through my teeth of course. I didn't know what to do with the thorns yet, I just wanted them, gone.
The knight flinched at my answer and when my head got too close I could have sworn his helmet dipped down slightly to stare at the grafted foot that belonged to one of his former brothers.
"Of course my lord. It shall be done." I nodded and then walked back to the kitchen elevator, my new right leg making it a much more enjoyable and faster walk than previously.
I stilled in front of the elevator leading to the kitchen and then turned around to look at the deep shaft of the other elevator.
'Perhaps the Crucible Knight could speak too.' The thought went through my head and I slowly got closer to the elevator shaft, staring down into the darkness.
'He would make a great ally.' My arms twitched slightly and I took a deep breath, before nodding.
"Grandfather, where are you going?" The young scion was staring at my axes I had laid onto the elevator and the large crossbow two of my back hands were brandishing.
"I am merely investigating a little problem, young one." I evaded her question, which made her even more curious.
"I doubt it's so little if you need both of your axes, grandfather." I could hear the worry in her voice and stilled for a second.
'Does she even have anyone else? All of her siblings are gone and I don't know anything about her parent.' I looked down at her and my previously stressed face relaxed.
"Do not worry young one. Your grandfather has survived the Shattering, it will take more than that little problem to bring me down." I bent down to her level and whispered into her ear.
"Perhaps the axes won't even be used." Griselas' face relaxed slightly and then nodded before she pointed at the door in front of the elevator.
"How are you even going to fit through this door grandfather?" I smiled slightly and laid a hand on her shoulder, pulling out the mimic veil with another one.
"Watch and be amazed." I put the mimic veil on my head and then suddenly was at the same eye height as Grisela.
Who let out a startled sound and hopped back, nearly hitting a wall.
"Quite astounding, isn't it?" I didn't receive any answer until Grisela slowly touched my cheek with her arm.
"It feels so real!" And suddenly she began to ruffle through my hair and pinch my cheeks.
I jumped back slightly, through the door that led to the elevator, and then stood just out of her arms' reach. I cleared my throat and dusted my seemingly noble clothes off.
"Ahem, yes indeed, it looks and feels real, but that isn't a reason to suddenly treat me like this." Grisela laughed slightly, before nodding.
"Sorry about that grandfather. Um, do you know if we have another one of these in the castle?" I shook my head, and Grisela slumped slightly.
"What a shame." I could hear that she wasn't happy, properly about her grafted body too.
"If you want to, your grandfather will lend it from you." That seemed to perk her up and she jumped slightly.
Don't let her go outside!!!
"On one condition though. You must not leave the castle and stay away from the lower areas of it. Otherwise, you are permitted to explore the place as you like." The young grafted scion was still jumping up and down, nodding as fast as possible.
"Alright, I'll see you later then grandfather!" She took off, her many legs carrying her away from the kitchen with a surprising amount of speed.
I turned around and stepped on the elevator, letting it take me up again. My axes lay beside me, along with a few leather straps that I would use to tie them to my back.
I couldn't drop like a normal Tarnished could in the game, I would have to climb down to the Crucible Knight.
When I arrived upstairs I had to call the Banished Knight patrolling the area to carry my axes to the outlook where the Stormhawks were situated. As much as I preferred the looks of the human form, the mimic veil gave me, over my real one, it was much weaker.
When we were out of the tower, however, I waved the knight away and took off the veil, once again turning back to normal.
The next thing I did was to tie the leather straps to my two axes and tightly tie them around me. The result nearly looked like a back scabbard, if a pretty shitty one.
I checked the crossbow and its bolts, making sure they were properly stored at my side.
I wasn't sure how much harm they could do against the Crucible Knight if he decided to attack, but At least they should force him to block the projectiles. I began to walk past the birds, all of them sitting on explosive barrels.
All of them screeched in my direction, but thankfully none of them attacked. I didn't know how I stacked up against explosives, and I didn't want to find out.
I arrived at the first set of chairs to the left that led to a platform that oversaw the cliffside of the castle. I looked down and swallowed.
'Fuck, this is high.'
I slowly stepped over the parapet and slowly lowered myself downward, my two larger arms giving me the safety I needed.
When I was just a few feet above the platform I let go, landing very narrowly on the edge, all of my arms frantically seeking something to hold onto.
Thank god the wall wasn't entirely flat, otherwise, I would have fallen to my death right then and there.
I pressed my back against the wall and slowly walked left, and a huge, partially destroyed pillar 30 feet or so away from me.
I looked at the small drop and thin stone path that would normally lead me there during a playthrough and shook my head.
No way I would be able to do that.
Instead, I looked down and weighed my chances of jumping. The ground was still quite far down there, but perhaps I could work around that.
I began to climb down the platform I was currently on, my arms finding attitude in old cracks and pillars. And slowly, very slowly I made a descent.
A few dozen feet above the ground I let go, landing with a loud thumb when I impacted with the ground.
I looked down once again, seeing the brittle stone platform that the player would normally jump on beneath me. I shook my head.
No, I would not try jumping onto that.
The cliff face was much easier to climb down than the castle wall had been. Of course, my multi-armed body also played a part in that. My many hands found purchase on nearly everything and gave me more stability.
I finally dropped down onto the last platform, right next to a golden tree and quite near the narrow path the Tarnished normally would have to take to cross over. I looked to my left and spotted a ruined gateway a bit farther in the distance.
My strong legs brought me over to the other side with one leap, ignoring the narrow path outright.
I slowly began to walk towards the gateway, readying my axes just in case.
And then the knight arrived, armed with a bronze sword and shield, both weapons of the same color as his armor.
The axe-ornamented helmet turned to look at me, and the shield came up into a defensive position, already advancing towards me.
"Thee served under mine own ancestor, the great Godfrey. I am his descendant, Godrick. Hear to mine own words, royal knight." And for a second, the knight stopped its advance.
And in the next he dashed forward, his sword stabbing at my stomach, and a loud inhuman roar echoing out of his helmet.
I intercepted his blow with my larger axe, matching his attack with my strength.
One moment later I barely managed to redirect an attack of his shield, my second axe managing to wrench it away from my left side.
The knight put his shoulder in front of himself as if he wanted to tackle me. Instead of that spectral horns began to sprout from his armor, stopping just short of reaching me.
I jumped back a few feet but the knight followed, once again stabbing forward with his heavy sword. I blocked and fired the crossbow in the direction of his helmet.
The knight seemed to notice it immediately however and jumped out of the way, landing a few feet away from me.
I growled slightly and then attacked, putting my amassed muscle power behind the next swing of my axe.
It slammed into the shield of the Crucible Knight and lifted him off his feet, slamming him against a tree that was standing near us.
The bark was obliterated by the knight's body and even the stonewalls behind it were dented. The old champion stood up again and charged at me, his shield held closely to his body.
And then it shot forward, a mighty bash intended to skewer through his enemies. I had prepared myself and managed to block with my axes, my feet digging into the earth beneath me.
Even with all that I was still shoved a few inches backwards, losing my balance for just a moment. The knight, as mad as he was, knew how to use the chance and stabbed forward, his sword stabbing into my new right leg.
I screamed, feeling it pass through the hard troll skin and muscles until it got stuck in the troll bone, unable to go in further. I didn't let the knight pull his sword out, however, using my longer arms to grab him and pressing him further against my body.
I could feel the horn of his shield stabbing into my right arm, puncturing one of the arms holding it together. I didn't let go, however, the arms on my abdomen stabbing at the knight's body over and over again.
His armor held strong, the normal daggers unable to even scratch it. But I wasn't trying to get through his armor in the first place.
I heard a loud squelch and knew that one of the daggers had managed to get through the slits on his helmet.
Now the knight roared, but was unable to escape my pseudo-bear hug, thanks to my greater physical strength.
At least that's what I thought.
Suddenly the knight stomped on the ground, sending out a golden shockwave that weakened my grip just enough for him to escape. My hands managed to loosen his helmet a bit, but it was enough.
A giant tail manifested from his back, and he whipped towards me with great speed. I blocked the strange incantation with my axe and stormed forward, using my right, longer arm with the golden axe to make a wide sweep.
I only managed to hit the knight's helmet, sending it flying against the stonewall.
The old man with an overly large beard underneath it didn't seem to notice the lack of a helmet however, using the moment to target one of the arms on my abodem. He hacked it off, but not without being hit by my second metal axe, a hit he couldn't quite block in time.
The blow sent him reeling and I saw my chance. The reloaded crossbow fired again, this time managing to puncture into the throat of the knight.
The blow didn't kill him, however, as he once again went into the offensive. He jumped into the air, a pair of beautiful spectral wings coming forth from his back.
He dived down, his sword held like a lance to skewer me. I raised my golden axe and brought it down with a scream, my longer reach allowing me to hit his head before his sword reached my body.
The wings disappeared and the knight's body went slack, like a puppet with its strings cut. Something golden streamed out of his body, and into mine, settling somewhere in my chest.
I was panting, feeling the blood running from the wounds I had gotten from the fight.
I picked up the small arm the knight had hacked off and put it back onto the stump, hoping my Great Rune would reattach it.
At first, it didn't seem to work but then the familiar energy flowed up to my stump, connecting it back together. Not quite as fast as when I had needle and thread, but it was great for reattaching body parts.
The bleeding had slowly begun to lessen and I slowly tested my right leg, putting my weight on it.
It hurt and was slower than normal, but it wasn't as bad as the initial pain had made me think.
My right arm on the other hand was missing a few hands that were supposed to support it, all of them crushed and shredded thanks to the horned shield of the knight.
I looked at his dead body, blood pooling from his split head. I picked up his helmet, gripped him underneath his shoulders, and began dragging him past the gateway he had been defending.
I already saw the elevator and laid down his body, staring at it once again.
'That was the first person I killed. Shouldn't I be feeling something?'
I stared at my hands and shook my head. No point in dwelling on it now, I had to get the body back to my throne room.
I could use it to grow stronger.
Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed this chapter and the general direction the story is going. The MC is slowly adding things to his body and improving it to better last in a fight. Also, quick question. What would you guys like to see from the Crucible Knights' parts?
Here's the route he took to get to the knight. He did a lot more climbing, but just that you get a gist of how normal players would get down there.
Side note: This fight was something he struggled with because it's his first real fight in Godrick's body and the Crucible Knights are just really formidable enemies in general. Hope I didn't make him seem too weak, but in my eyes managing to beat a Crucible Knight, even a mad one, is quite the accomplishment.
As the last side note: Should I stop trying to make pun titles or are they acceptable enough?
5-Plans
5-Plans
-2 days later-
The newest addition to my right leg stomped on the ground, creating a very weak golden shockwave around me, the particles of it floating in the air for a few seconds.
The large foot came down again, but this time I was unable to conjure the shockwave.
I sighed and shook my head. When I had returned to my throne room I had decided to use the flesh of the Crucible Knight, grafting his two feet onto my right leg. His two arms were crossed over my chest, working as pseudo armor and a bad surprise for anyone who tried to get past the daggers on my abdomen. His muscle fibers were used to strengthen my arms and legs, though I couldn't find anything that could smelt his armor yet, so I kept it in my throne room.
The moment the new grafts had attached themselves to me, I felt a strange energy flow through me, a bit similar to when I concentrated on drawing the power from the leg of the Banished Knight that was on my left leg. I somehow knew that I would be able to use incantations similar to that of the Crucible Knight.
My leg came down again, and this time another shockwave was created, perhaps a bit stronger than the first, but still weak compared to what the knight showed.
The other incantations were something I hadn't even been able to summon once.
Which meant I was training. Trying to summon the incantations over and over again. My success quote wasn't very high yet.
"Grandfather, the scouts have returned to the castle, along with a few soldiers!" I stopped my endeavor and turned to look at Grisela, who was running towards me.
On two legs I might add. She simply loved the Mimic Veil.
"Ah, that is good, young one." I began walking out of my arena, into the direction of the courtyard. The scouts seemed to have been at least partially successful, at least they managed to bring the soldiers who were guarding the bridge to the Weeping Peninsula with them.
I saw the soldiers wearing my colors first, along with the Exiles I had sent to retrieve them.
The leader, a quite large Exile bowed when I came closer.
"Lord Godrick, thine servant has carried out your bidding." I stared at the soldiers, nearly all of them had empty, dead looks.
That was going to be difficult.
One thing I had gradually found out in the last few weeks was that normal people wouldn't die. Well, they would, but then they would just… reawaken a few weeks or months later. The course of death was also crucial for your revival.
The worse the death, the longer it would take you to come back.
There was also the rule of thumb that you would lose part of yourself when you died. Something akin to the mind flowing away, until you only acted if someone told you to or if you were being attacked.
The soldiers in front of me seemed to have died countless times already, their ashen skin and empty eyes speaking for themselves.
I still didn't know why people who were NPCs or bosses in the game didn't respawn, but it only meant that I was on my only life here.
I shook the thought off and one of my fingers pointed at the soldiers. I then addressed one of the Exiles.
"These men shall guard the main gate. Show them the best stations for them to stand." The Exiled nodded and left, having to give the soldiers a push to get them to move.
"Hast thou found information about castle Morne?" My words were directed at one of the other scouts. He nodded, his hood not giving away any emotion.
"We did, my lord. It seems that the servants rebelled. They managed to cut off communication, but Commander Edgar assured us that he and his men had everything under control." I grunted acknowledgment, my brain already digesting the information.
Castle Morne still stood and the Missbegotten weren't much of a problem yet.
"However, if I may add something, my lord. The Misbegotten didn't seem to care if most of their side fell." My eyes once again found the scout and I gave another grunt.
"Very well, thou hast thy lords' thanks for this information, thee may go after thou hast answered me the next question." The scout nodded, and I bent down until I was only a bit taller than him.
"Didst thou see the Fell Omen?" The scout shook his head and I sighed slightly.
"Thou may go." He and the other scouts did, returning to their posts on the upper part of the Rampart Tower.
Margit the Fell Omen. Perhaps the strongest guy in Limgrave right now. I couldn't even say if I would be able to beat him. I sure as hell didn't want to get on his bad side too.
And he kept Tarnished away from my castle, which was always a plus in my book.
I had already begun to return to my arena, a bunch of straw puppets standing on the side. I took up two crossbows and a few bolts and began to fire at the puppets, the arms on my back, targeting them.
Something made me feel uneasy.
I couldn't leave Castle Morne alone. Not because I wanted to be a hero or anything, but for two reasons.
Allies. Edgar genuinely seemed to serve Godrick in canon, and if Castle Morne still is actively fighting the Misbegotten it means they aren't on the losing side of the conflict.
And the second, perhaps even stronger reason, why I didn't want to let Morne to its own devices was because of Irina, Edgars' daughter.
I still remember the first playthrough of her quest line. Meeting the young, blind noblewoman that was surrounded by the corpses of her protectors. Helping her father bring an end to the rebellion and return to find her dead, butchered by the Misbegotten.
That's where the story didn't end, however. Edgar turned insane after hearing what fate befell his daughter and began to mindlessly slaughter people, not all Missbegotten.
And after Edgar is killed by you Irina. But also not. The girl doesn't know what her former name is and refers to herself as "Hyetta", a woman who wants to become a Finger Maiden, a woman chosen by the fingers to help the Tarnished who want to claim the Elden Ring.
And throughout your adventure you meet her again and again, each time giving her the "grapes" she asks for. In truth, these grapes are human eyes, infested with the very essence of frenzy.
At the end of your journey, you can meet Hyetta one last time, in the sewers beneath the Capital. She did become a maiden, but not a normal one. She instead serves something that burns the entire world and infests everything remaining with a neverending frenzy.
And you, the Tarnished can choose to become the ending of the world, the Lord of the Frenzied flame.
One of my back hands reloaded the crossbow once again and the bolt hit its mark.
I could never allow anything like that to happen. The frenzied flame was dangerous, perhaps even on the same level as the Scarlet rot, an illness that could eat through entire regions.
My thought process was cut off when my hands were looking for more bolts to fire but came up empty. I looked at the straw puppets and saw that they looked like a pincushion.
I slowly walked over to the puppets and began drawing the arrows back out, checking each of them for any damage.
-???-
The grip around his staff tightened when he looked at the willful traitor, but not only because of anger. Other thoughts wandered through his mind.
The youngest Shardbearer had grown old, and yet the other Demigods had hardly changed, as if they were in a time bubble.
Godrick the Golden may be the only Shardbearer who could potentially die of old age.
And yet, in a millenium that might be his last the traitor had managed to surprise him.
His cloak blew in the wind when he saw the last member of the Golden Lineage reload the crossbow and aim it at a target, hitting it in the head afterward.
Godrick had begun acting.
For the most part, the regions were in a state of stasis, only the little, unimportant things moved on. But their rulers didn't leave their seats of power, instead, they stayed there, everything nearly unchanging.
And that was good. It meant the capital was safe from the potential attacks of the rulers. But other dangers existed.
The Tarnished were the most dangerous ones.
Little pests that seemingly always came back, even when you crushed them to nothing but a little puddle on the ground. It might take longer for them to come back, but they always did.
And there seemingly was no end to them either. He had killed and hunted countless of them, yet they still came back, each time trying to get closer to their ambition, the title of Elden Lord.
His eyes wandered across Stormveil Castle, the damaged walls also speaking for their age and what they had gone through.
It was always the first target of the Tarnished.
The weakest Shardbearer was inside after all. That was also why he was here, to prevent anyone from even going into the castle in the first place.
If a Great Rune was taken that meant that the Capital might soon be in danger, and he couldn't let that happen.
His thoughts were interrupted by a strange, but familiar sound. The high pitch sound when a Crucible Knight stomped the ground to prepare themselves for a battle to the death.
He looked down and saw the golden particles dissipate around the youngest Shardbearer. His eyes narrowed.
Godrick wasn't static anymore, and he wasn't sure he liked it.
"I will watch over thee, youngest of us." He willed his body to disappear into golden light, and woke up in his real body, many miles away.
I stomped the grounds once again, the weak shockwave now even managing to move the straw puppets. Even if it wouldn't send even normal soldiers flying, I was making progress.
But my thoughts always strayed a bit, be it whether I was thinking about Castle Morne or the Shardbearers I would have to face. Even if I was slightly stronger than Godrick had been beforehand, I would most likely get turned into dust before I could even reach them.
I walked back into the throne room and walked to my cleaned desk. It often got messy, courtesy of my grafting sessions. Instead of attaching the rest of the Crucible Knights' flesh to me, I began to slowly leaf through the books, wanting to see if there was something else I had missed about the "art" of grafting.
I think I was pretty good at it, especially because I slowly seemed to regain some sort of muscle memory Godrick had.
It made grafts much easier and faster. I still was nowhere near the point where I could stick my hand into someone's head and use it, but my efficiency had improved. And thanks to the Great Rune I could graft things to my body that it would normally reject.
I stopped at the side of an ancient book, written by one of Godricks' many uncles or something.
Gerick the Golden was one of my uncles from my mothers' side.
I touched my forehand, feeling a short bout of pain. It went as soon as it came and I returned to the page I had stopped at.
The book wasn't all about grafting, but more about general knowledge of the Lands Between with a large chapter about grafting.
But the page I had stopped at wasn't in the chapter that covered grafting. It was about the wildlife of the Lands Between.
-'The gigantic Crabs found in the Lands Between are very varied. However, something one can always rely on is the fact that the moment these giant animals will kill you if they get their hands on you.'
-' The Crayfish is at home in the swamps of Liurnia, staying away from the houses of the residents in fear of being eaten. There are some recorded cases in which Crayfish have grown to the size of small horses, at which point they turned extremely aggressive.'
I chuckled ruefully, remembering the number of times I had been killed by those damned lobsters Liurnia. They had grown far past the size of "small horses". But I silently made a mental note to perhaps get myself the head of a lobster. Perhaps I could use it to build myself some sort of sniper on my shoulder.
I shuddered slightly, thinking about the potential backlash the head could give me if I attached it too fast.
My other uncle, Goran, died because he tried to control the head of a troll to use its' roar.
The flash once again settled in my forehand and I groaned.
"Note to myself, always be careful when grafting, and don't do anything stupid," I murmured slightly, continuing to read the notes about the animals in these lands.
'-Land Octopi are something that started appearing in these lands just a few decades in the past. These animals make for a great meal if one manages to catch them. Bigger groups of Land Octopi are often seen with their larger relatives, the Giant Land Octopi.
Where the small are not that much of a threat to anyone, who has even the most basic training, the large members of the species should be avoided at all costs. They hit hard enough to split a grown man in two and also seem to possess the ability to regenerate from wounds inflicted on them, by eating one of their tentacles. Said tentacles seem to regrow after some time.'
Land Octopi are also going on the list, especially their tentacles.
I spent the next few hours immersed in the book, reading about the various animals you could encounter. Godrick had even added other, seemingly new animals like the Runebear to the list.
'-The Runebear, a magnificent creature of great strength that seems to have appeared after the Elden Ring was shattered.'
That wasn't, of course, the only thing he wrote about the bear, but it was the shortened version.
I could have most likely spent even more time reading the book, but when it was slowly getting darker I decided to end my reading session, calling a group of Exiles to me.
"What is thy order, mine own lord?" The Exiles slowly seemed to grow used to my more active presence, not shrinking away at every moment.
"Thy lord wants thee to contact the mercenaries protecting the carriages o' those mindless wandering nobles. Warrant them that I shall pay them handsomely." I handed them a large bag of gold coins.
Gold, as I had found out, still had a meaning in the world. Runes, the strange energy that you got from killing other beings, were the main currency now, but gold could still be used for general payment.
I, unfortunately, didn't know how many runes I currently had, I just knew that I had gotten some after killing the Crucible Knight.
"What dost thou want them to do for thy payment, my lord?" The Exile took the bag of coins, weighing the heavy thing with both of his hands.
"Thou shall give them the gold in exchange for two things. Firstly, they have to be ready to be called to my banner, and secondly, they have to hunt down various large animals for mine own… experiments" The Exiles knew what the words meant and nodded, bowing before they left.
"It shall be done, mine lord." I waved them away, once again turning back to my books.
Perhaps I still could find something interesting.
It was late (or very early in the next day, I didn't know) when I put down the book. I wasn't sure if I would be able to remember everything, but at least I was able to partially plan what my next steps would be.
I would have to travel to Castle Morne, and as much as I hated to leave the safety of the castle, I wouldn't risk that Irina would turn into the thing that destroyed the world. It was also one of the few things I would be able to stop.
I left the throne room and looked into the sky. The stars were beautiful tonight, bright and clear. My thoughts wandered off to yet another person I was worried about. Ranni, the Lunar Princess.
She often directed Tarnished at the other Demigods to fulfill her own goals too, and she was good at concealing herself and her followers.
But I couldn't just give in to my worries. I had to plan at first and then change it accordingly if anything happened.
My eyes wandered to the bright moon, staring at it for a few seconds, before I returned to my throne room, making the last plans for tomorrow.
-A few hours later-
"My lord, I do not understand. Why would you risk your safety for Castle Morne?" I could hear the dumbfoundedness in the voice of one of the three Banished Knights that would soon accompany you on your journey to Castle Morne.
"I am Edgars' lord, and I can't allow any dirty misbegotten to reign over a castle that is under mine own protection," I said, looking at the two dozen soldiers, ten Exiles and two Banished Knights I had chosen for this mission.
"My lord, don't you think you will stand out? You are known far and wide in Limgrave." I smiled slightly at the question and then nodded.
"Aye, I am. However, thou hath to remember that I possess something that shall help me stay unrecognizable. I am vulnerable, however, while I use this accessory and thus I have a mission for thee before we travel to the Weeping Peninsula. I want thee to fetch one of the carriages that stand down at the Gatefront. Thou shall also get mounts to pull it." The men were quiet for a while and then one of them spoke up.
"My lord, this endeavor might take a few days, if were are lucky." I stared at him, my eyes narrowing.
"Do thou think thy lord doesn't know that? T'was the reason why I picked you in advance! Thou should know what you should do and then follow my orders!" All of my arms were thrown into the air in an act of anger. All of the men present, even the Banished Knights flinched slightly.
"Thou art still here?! Do what thou were told to do!" And they did, all of the men immediately leaving the place they had been standing on.
I was left alone once again and sighed.
I was sure that I was better than the "previous" Godrick had been, but I couldn't just make a heel face turn, that would make the men suspicious. And if I didn't overdo it with my orders, they should all be in line, at least for the time being.
I just hoped they would be able to organize the carriage and the mounts for it fast enough, I wanted to cross the Morne problem off my list as soon as possible. And the less time they needed to finish my orders, the less likely was the chance that the Misbegotten would win against soldiers of Morne.
I looked into the sky once again and then slowly began walking into the kitchen where Grisela was most likely dancing around right now.
I would have to ask her to give me back the Mimic Veil at least for a short while.
Authors Note: Well, that ends this chapter. The next chapter is going to be the travel to Castle Morne, I hope I won't have to drag it out into two chapters.
Anyway, just like usual, if you have any ideas/criticisms just tell me, and I will try to answer as quickly as I can.
6-Let Him Get Up
6-Let Him Get Up
-Five days later-
The Weeping Peninsula deserved its name. Compared to Limgrave, where rain was rare and the water quickly was sucked into the ground to give it nutrients.
The Peninsula was in a constant rainfall. Ever since we crossed that damned bridge that separated Limgrave and the Peninsula it had been pouring buckets.
I was sitting in the carriage, which wasn't pulled by trolls but by twelve of the strongest horses the men could find.
I also finally got to see Limgrave for myself and even if I didn't want to get stuck in this world, I had to admit that the land was beautiful. I also was able to see an Evergoal, a prison of sorts, on the way here, which opened yet another bag of possibilities.
However, back to our travel into the Peninsula. The muddy ground made it more difficult to move forward, especially with the giant carriage. Which meant we were crawling at a snail's pace.
And that was just an invite for an ambush.
I could see the first arrow puncture into the throat of one of my soldiers. He wasn't dead after it, even the weakest of the soldiers were able to take extreme punishment, but the second arrow caught him in the eye, and the soldier collapsed, his body going slack.
The other soldiers, even if most of their thought process was gone, still acted on old muscle memories, pulling out their weapons and readying themselves for a fight. The Exiled within my rows took cover behind one side of the carriage, loading their crossbows and the Banished Knights brandished their weapons, already charging at the ambushing Misbegotten.
I could have stayed in the carriage, but that also meant I would risk losing men I might need later on. The Banished Knights in particular were troops that were worth their weight in gold, both of them seemingly cutting through the monsters like a knife through hot butter, at least judging from the sound.
I opened the door of the carriage and took off the veil, growing in height until I towered over anyone present on the battlefield.
My sudden "arrival" seemed to shock the Misbegotten, because they froze for just a second. That shock didn't last long, however, and they roared as if challenging me.
The first Misbegotten that ran at me, along with five of his friends, was an ugly thing. I couldn't quite say that they were as ugly as me, but they came pretty close.
Their mouths were too wide and some parts of their bodies were covered with feathers, all the while they had strange feet and a lizard-like tail. The group that was charging at me also held iron cleavers in their hands, ready to tear into my flesh.
I responded by stomping the ground with my left foot, and a small storm suddenly appeared all around my body. The attackers were sent backward and I pursued, my axe making a broad slash wide enough to cover a ten-foot area.
If the blade of my axe didn't hit them, the handle surely did. Combine it with my strength and I had bones and limbs broken beyond repair. The first group was dead, and I turned around to face the more annoying problem.
The archers hadn't stopped firing at us for quite a while now.
The first soon found an arrow in his eye, while the second was killed when I threw a dagger into his chest, the arms located on my abdomen proving their worth once again.
I looked around, and despite two dead soldiers, I hadn't lost anyone to the attack.
"Wrap the bodies that are still usable up and put them into the back of the carriage. Thy lord will perhaps use them later on." My soldiers didn't say anything but got to work.
I looked at the dead Misbegotten, frowning slightly.
Did this mean that Castle Morne was already losing? Or did the Misbegotten just try and cut the Castle off from the rest of the Lands Between to prevent communication?
I wasn't sure, and I hoped I was just overthinking things. I looked at the road ahead of us, already knowing what would come soon enough.
"My lord, we are done." One of the Exiles said, catching my attention.
"Good. We should get to Castle Morne as soon as possible." I said and slipped the Mimic Veil back on, allowing me to once again get into the carriage.
We arrived at the destroyed part of the Outer wall and passed through. We weren't attacked this time. And I already knew why.
In the distance was a gigantic golem, guarding the stairs to Castle Morne. Not just bigger than me, they were approximately twice the size of the trolls.
From the game, I knew that there existed a few variants of these, with this one having a great bow.
But it didn't use it against us, not even drawing an arrow.
This guardian golem was beaten by me in combat, thus I became its new master.
Now the pains in my head returned, flashes of the golden axe I was holding and the hot furnace that burned in the chest of the golem.
I shook my head, clearing it once again. Well, if the Golem wouldn't attack us we would have fewer problems.
We reached the stairs that led to the elevator that would bring us the courtyard of the castle and I exited the carriage once again.
"Men, ready thyself for a fight." I wasn't in my real form yet, but I let three of the Exiles carry my weapons after me. I would need them when I transformed.
We reached the elevator and the first group, consisting of all the normal soldiers and a few Exiles went up first.
The rest of us had to wait for the elevator to come down again and bordered it too. The ride was surprisingly short and when I stepped from the elevator I could see my men and the men of Morne engaged in battle.
Hard cleavers bounced off brass shields and warhammers split misformed skulls. The rest of my men ran into battle and I too took off the veil once again and readied my axes.
I let out a loud yell and charged, both of my axes ready, my crossbows loaded and the daggers ready to stab anyone that got too close.
I slammed into the first few Misbegotten like a truck into a deer caught in the headlights. My axes hacked them apart and my body bowled those over that I didn't manage to catch with my weapons. Instead, they were crushed to death, my feet crushing their ribcages and letting their innards spill out.
A larger, more scaled Misbegotten let out a challenging roar and stomped closer, a giant axe held in both hands.
Well, giant for him perhaps.
I dropped my smaller axe and grabbed him by the head, squeezing until I heard something crack, and then dropped his lifeless body. Before I could return to fighting the canon fodder, however, I heard another roar.
A large man, compared to everyone but me, came running towards me, a gigantic stone club in his hands. A Mad Pumpkinhead. The strange club met my golden axe and the wooden handle was quickly snapped by my second axe.
The beast tried to recover, but it was too late. My axe came down upon his shoulder and hacked a part of his body clean off. My crossbows fired at the Misbegotten archers that stood to the side and managed to catch at least one of them in the mouth, judging from the gurgling sound I could hear.
My men were also slowly making process, my Exiles and Banished Knights working in tandem to dispatch the Misbegotten as fast as possible. The defenders of Morne also hadn't given up yet. They slowly drove back their enemies, until they were pushed into a corner.
That seemed to enrage the Misbegotten, their attacks growing more and more erratic. The men couldn't engage anymore, putting up some kind of shield wall to stop the Misbegotten from hitting them. It would take time for the Misbegotten to tire out, and we didn't have that time.
"Let thine lord end this." My voice wasn't loud I think it was the quietest I've been since I became Godrick. A few of the men were silent, not saying anything for the better part of a few seconds.
"Very well, lord Godrick." The soldiers opened the circle they had made around the Misbegotten.
They saw their opportunity and ran for it, wanting to get out of a situation that would mean sure death.
And then ran right into the next, in the form of my multi-armed form standing in front of them.
The first hit a crossbowbolt in the eye, he fell like a puppet with its strings cut.
The second and third were crushed beneath the weight of my golden axe, their blood flying on my face.
The fourth and fifth were hacked apart in one swing of the other half.
The six was kicked by my right leg and was sent flying into the wall, breaking his neck.
The seventh and eighth got too close for their good and my daggers mercilessly stabbed their eyes out and removed their organs with just a few quick stabs and rips.
The tenth and eleventh, who both managed to get past me were skewered by sharp blades of wind that I had sent after them after I killed the tenth with a stomp that once again summoned a storm for a short time.
The courtyard was caked in blood now and I wiped off some blood off my face.
"Thee there, bring me to the man whom I entrusted this fortress." My golden, blood-covered axe pointed at one of Mornes' soldiers and he bowed slightly.
"Yes lord Godrick!" He began to guide me and my men through the castle, taking an entirely different route than the one the player would use in the game.
Edgar, the warden of the castle stood in front of a table, talking with two other Banished Knights when we entered.
"Lord Godrick himself has arrived, Edgar." The warden of the castle shot up as if he were a child caught with his hand in a cookie jar.
Only I wasn't his dad or mother, I was much more his eldritch boss who could kill him if he wasn't careful with his words.
Well, that was the case with the old Godrick, I still had to play the role.
"There he is! The man who hath managed to disappoint me to the extreme! Dost thou want to say anything to defend yourself, Edgard?" The man seemed like he was ready to collapse. Though, I'd say it wasn't because of his life.
"Father, who is the old man that is in the room with us? Is he important?" I turned to my left and saw a girl with a blindfold sitting on a few blankets. Irina, Edgard's daughter. Edgar seemed to realize what she had just said, his eyes widened and he wanted to warn the girl.
I was faster.
"I am somebody that will help thy father, young one." The answer seemed to shock Edgar, but I just made a sign with my hand.
"Of course, he owes me then. But I think thy father will like the deal I present him." Irina seemed to perk up at my words and looked in my direction.
"That is very nice of you, kind sir. I hope my father will be able to pay you back for what you did today." I didn't answer, instead, I sent Edgar a look he seemed to understand.
"Irina, I and my… guest will have to talk about the problems in the castle, could you please leave the room for a few minutes?" Irina nodded, ever the dutiful daughter, and stood up. At my sign, a few of my men helped her. When the door finally fell shut I turned to Edgar again, one eyebrow raised.
"Well, what is the cause for this rebellion?" I said, staring down at the commander.
"A Misbegotten Warrior, my lord. The beast managed to rally the other Missbegotten under itself. I also managed to get its hands on the treasure of the castle, the grafted greatsword." I already knew what to do.
"Well, why don't we kill the beast, eh?" Edgar was silent and then stared at you.
"My lord, the way to the beast is guarded by other beasts." I could feel my eyebrow tick a little.
"Then we shall kill those too, and slaughter our way through them!" My hand slammed into the wall next to me, cratering it. I wouldn't fucking stop now. I was so close to bringing Irina out of here, but with the Misbegotten Warrior, or Leonine Misbegotten as he was also called, that would become difficult.
"Of course, my lord." Edgar bowed, but only after a few seconds.
"Where have thou seen the beast the last time?" Edgar was silent for a while but then answered.
"In the area around the beach. It seems to have gone there to rest there after the massacre it created." I clasped my hands together and smiled slightly.
"Well then, let's group together and end the beast once and for all."
I couldn't rely on narrow beams like the Tarnished could and thus had to jump down first, my comrades following a bit further behind.
I had taken nearly all of my men with me. The only ones I left behind were three Exiled and one Banished Knight, to protect Irina if the need for that arose.
I landed yet again on the stone ground of the castle, crushing an unfortunate Misforgotten under my weight. The rest were either crushed or killed by my axe. I just had to wait for the men to come down.
And then we descended one last time, our feet now touching the wet sand of the coast. Morne was situated near the sea and the little graveyard the Leonine had retreated to was akin to a small island.
"Ready thy crossbows and other weapons men, We are going to end this foul creature fast." My hands tightened around the axes and I stepped on the island.
The Leonine Misbegotten knelt there, a gigantic sword consisting of other swords buried in the ground. His glowing red eyes saw me and he roared, pulled out the greatsword, and charged at me, moving with surprising speed.
Only for him to be hit by dozens of crossbow bolts at the same time. I grin came to my face.
Yeah, I wouldn't fight fair.
Only some bolts seemed to have made it past the durable skin of the Leonine and he roared again, jumping in the direction of the crossbowmen to quickly kill them. He did manage to hack off the arm of an unfortunate soldier, who went down with a scream. The Leonine seemed to smile and brought the greatsword down in a swing.
His blow was stopped by my axe and the Crucible Knight's arms on my chest reacted, stabbing the Leonine in the shoulder with the Hookclaws I had retrieved from the wine cellar.
The Leonine roared again and ripped himself free, a large wound on his shoulder. I stepped to the side, giving my men to opportunity to fire one again.
A few of the bolts dug into the open shoulder wound and the Misbegotten seemed to lose it. He shrieked and attacked me, the greatsword creating sparks against my axe. He shrieked once again, and the weight behind the greatsword got stronger as if he was trying to overpower me.
It was futile.
I ripped my golden axe upwards, and his arm holding the greatsword was forced upwards as well. The Leonine was unable to defend for a short while, and I took the opportunity, the Hookclaws ripping into his face and chest at the same time, exiting them from the back, dripping with blood.
No roar came from the Misbegotten, instead his body twitched for a few more seconds. I withdrew the claws and the body fell to the ground, its face barely recognizable.
I was silent for a short while, but then turned around, a large, mostly fake, smile on my face, and addressed my men.
"Well, didst thou witness? The beast is dead, and that is without any losses on our side. And whose accomplishment is that?" My eyes wandered over the men, and nobody answered, even Edgar.
"Well, it was thine bolts that slowed the beast down! Thy lord is proud, very proud indeed." My words seemed to cause mixed reactions. Judging from their confused looks the most common one seemed to be suprise. I slowly got closer to the soldier who had lost an arm and stood before him.
"Thou hast lost an arm in service to thy lord." My left hand slowly grasped him by the clothes and pulled him up.
"Thou shall receive a reward. I shall give thee a new arm when we return to Stormveil, one even stronger than your previous one." The soldier stared at me for a short while and then bowed.
"Thanks for your generosity, lord Godrick!" I smiled slightly and then turned back to the rest of the men, addressing Edgar specifically.
"With this matter resolved, thou and thine men are allowed to pack up the things they need. After thou art done thee shall meet us in the courtyard of the castle." Edgar was silent for a while and then nodded.
"I presume I will serve at Stormveil, my lord." I grinned slightly, showing my yellow teeth.
"Thou art right! But do not fret, I will not punish thee for thine failure. I shall, however, be watchful of your future actions, Edgar." The warden of Castle Morne nodded, and he and his men took their leave. I waited for a few seconds, making sure they were gone and then turned to my men.
"Men, collect the dead bodies of those beasts. Don't forget a single one."
I wanted to see if I could use them for my plans.
Authors' Note: Welp, that's another chapter down. Now, to address the whole Leonine Misbegotten fight.
MC doesn't care how he wins, he just wants to win. Leonine is also an enemy that I put under the Crucible Knights in power, and the MC was able to defeat one previously, Of course, the fight would have lasted longer if the crossbowmen hadn't diverted its attention, but the MC would have been able to beat it.
7-IT LIVES!
7-IT LIVES!
-3 days later-
After I visited Castle Morne I was swimming in materials, most of which I didn't need. Sure, I replaced and strengthened my muscles once again, but that still left me with a few dozen dead bodies. I still wasn't sure what to do with those.
Another more pressing problem was the thorns. After the Exiled and soldiers had removed some of them from the cellar, they had brought them to me.
And then the fucking things began to grow. It was slow of course, but I noticed it after I had replaced some muscle tissue on my right arm.
Fire couldn't stop the thorns and swords could only hack it apart for a short time. Which meant I was potentially trapped in a grim fantasy version of the sleeping beauty.
And that meant I had to find someone who would take care of the problem as soon as possible.
D, Hunter of the Dead was the person who came to mind almost immediately. He was the man for the job, someone who had sworn to hunt those who live in death. He had everything I could have asked for.
He was also a Tarnished, which greatly complicated things.
D had never shown interest in becoming Elden Lord, but if I asked him for help, wouldn't he try to at least get my Great Rune?
I sighed and looked at the container full of the "death thorns". Not a very good name, I know, but I didn't have much time to come up with anything else.
The thorns grew another inch.
"SERVANTS, CALL THE MESSENGERS!"
"Search all of Limgavre if thou have to! I want to extend an offer to the hunter of the undead." The messengers and the soldiers that should protect them were silent at first but then one of them, a soldier with a slightly larger right arm than his left stepped forward. I recognized the man that I had grafted a new arm, one of a Misbegotten, almost immediately.
"It shall be done, my lord." I smiled and opened my arms.
"Good! Then fly, my soldiers! Fly and get me D, Hunter of the Dead!" The soldiers left my arena, their brass shields, swords, and spears at the ready.
"My lord, is it truly wise to let a Tarnished walk into your castle?" Edgar, who became something akin to a commander to my troops, said, his eyes full of worry.
"Thy worries aren't unfounded, Commander, but do thou know of the danger under this castle of mine?" The thorns were eating through the castle, slowly eradicating it. It would take them more than thousands of years, but they would destroy it. And I didn't have the tools to stop it.
"What is underneath the castle, my lord?" Edgar didn't know. Did anyone here in Stormveil know?
"An illness that continues to spread in these lands. Those who live in death." That seemed to ring in Edgars' head and his eyes widened.
"These things never die, unless they are killed by special incantations that were made to counter them. And you say that something like that lies under your castle, my lord?" I nodded and looked at Edgar, my arms pointing at him.
"Indeed, and that is why I need that Tarnished in my castle. To exterminate the thing that lies beneath." Edgar still seemed unsure.
"Still, isn't it dangerous to let a Tarnished, one that seems to be experienced too, into your castle?" I raised an eyebrow, a bit confused.
"Thou think I will let him in without any protection to myself and the others?" I chuckled slightly and then broke out into laughter.
"Nay, t'was the reason why I called thee, Edgar. Thou should prepare a strategy to deal with that Tarnished if things go awry. Position men with crossbows around the area, ready firebombs, I do not care how thou plan to do it, but I want thee to do something about it." Edgar seemed to understand, and his face relaxed slightly.
"Very well, it shall be done, my lord." He bowed, before leaving my arena.
I turned back to the container with the thorns in it and then carefully put it outside of my throneroom. I didn't want to wake up one day and have something like those thorns prick me.
Hopefully, the messengers and soldiers would be able to find D otherwise, I would have to look for another potential candidate.
I sat down on the stairs leading up to my throneroom and took a deep breath, savoring the fresh air.
And then a shadow fell over me.
"I was already asking myself when thou would arrive." My tone was as relaxed as I could manage to make it, but my hands held my weapons in an iron grip.
"Thou intent to let a Tarnished into your castle?" The Omen in front of me asked, his wooden staff cratering the ground slightly.
"Yes, that is my plan, Margit." The Omen in question stared down at my seated form and then pointed his staff at me.
"Why would I let a Tarnished enter these walls?" I sighed slightly and looked the Omen in the eyes.
"Under my castle lies something sinister, a curse that is connected to the ones that live in death. I think thou know what I mean, yes?" The Omens' grip on his staff tightened.
"Thou art a fool to think that a tarnished will help thee, Godrick the Golden." I looked at him and nodded.
"Aye, that's why I was talking to my commander, Edgar, a few minutes ago. Thou didn't hear that conversation?"
The cane nearly connected with my head, my axe barely deflecting it.
"Ah, so the Fell Omen can't lose an argument, hm?" I hoped this wouldn't bite me in the ass later.
Margit stared at me for a few seconds and then sighed.
"Very well, I will let this one tarnished pass, but as soon as he has left the castle, no more are welcomed here," I grunted acknowledgment and nodded slightly.
As if that was what the Omen had waited for, he began to turn into specks of golden light and disappear without any trace.
"Showoff," I murmured and then let out a deep, relieved sigh. Margit was scary, and I didn't even want to know what would happen if Morgott was here. I slowly stood up and looked around my arena, and my eyes locked onto the still-empty spike where the dragon would normally hang in the game.
Perhaps I should just be one myself.
My thoughts were interrupted when one of the servants arrived, his voice cutting through the silence.
"Lord Godrick, a group of Kaiden have arrived to bring a large beast to you!" My eyes wandered to the servant and I gave him a nod.
"Aye, I shall come soon. Let them through in the meantime." The servant nodded and ran off, most likely to spread my orders.
I left my arena and walked towards the courtyard of the castle, where a group of five Kaiden were waiting on their horses. Each of the black horses had a thick string attached to its saddle, and the strings led to the beast that they had dragged after them, a giant crab.
"Hm, very well done. Very well indeed. Thou has proven useful for the man who is paying thee." I said, my right arm knocking on the shell of the crab, still feeling the hardness that it possessed.
"We were paid for the job, we deliver. That's what it's all about." The leader said, the thick armor and strange helmet obscuring his face.
"Well spoken! I hopeeth thou will continue to supply me in the future?" I said, dragging the dead body of the crab closer. The Kaiden nodded once again.
"Those who pay me and my men well, have our loyalty." With those words the five Kaiden took off, their strong horses quickly running out of the castle.
I looked after them and then at the crab, smiling slightly. These guys did good work.
And I already had an idea of how to use the crab meat.
Fifteen minutes later I stood in my throne room, everything prepared for my next graft. I inspected the dead body one more time and went to work.
The crab's shell was hard, harder than some armor I'd seen in my time here, which meant had to slowly separate it from its' body, the curved swords I was using as pseudo scalpels going into the gaps that were between the upper and lower body.
However, the grafting procedure was even more difficult than removing the carapace. I was too big for the entire crab's plate to fit on me, which meant I had to spread the shell over my body.
I had to graft the carapace of the crab on my back, and the softer, but still quite hard, plates were grafted on my stomach area and were also used to reinforce my arms.
I attached the long, sharp legs to the flesh between the carapace and my back. They were wrapped around my body thus giving me some protection on the sides of my body.
I used the claws with great thought. While it would be great to possess a giant claw that could just rip my enemies apart without any problems I still didn't want to give up on one of my large hands. That's why I decided to graft the larger one on a tail.
Yes, the tail of the Leonine Misbegotten to be exact, though I did have to improve it a bit with a few tails of the other dead Misbegotten. I also had to improve my spine to to able to support the weight of the new tail. Otherwise, I might have snapped my spine. Which meant I now had a pseudo-scorpion tail, only without the poison, and that it was, in truth, the claw of a crab.
But the most difficult part of the grafting procedure was the crab's head. Huge specimens, such as the one I was grafting, could use their breath or spit to do damage to other creatures, both at close and medium range.
Of course, I couldn't position the head and mouth where a normal crab was, otherwise, I would have to bend over to be able to fire the attack.
This was where my Great Rune and Neck of Leonie Misbegotten came into play. I grafted the crab's large mouth on the Leonines' neck and grafted it onto my shoulder, right next to the arms I had on my back. They would have a bit less mobility as a result, but I would take that drawback in exchange for something that could be compared to a canon on my shoulder that didn't need releading.
My new tail was something I had to get used to, however. Walking with it was a major pain at the moment.
But I would get used to it. I had to.
My new tail was slightly trashed around when I read a book about the sorcerors of Raya Lucria. Their sorceries were remarkable, even I could understand that. From the small glintstone pebble up to gigantic spells like Comet Azur, almost all magical things seemed to stem from that place.
But spells weren't the only thing they were good at. Preceptors like Seluvis were able to turn people into puppets and use them to their own will. Or even small-time sorcerors that were worth a damn could build constructs like Marionettes.
And just when I had thought about the Marionettes, another flash of pain tore through my mind.
Marionettes made out of metal. Built by sorcerors, kept "alive" by the magic inside of them. I and my knights killed them, barely escaping from Liurnia.
I shook my head and cursed. I stood still for a while, my new tail helping me keep my balance. The strange moment of pain was longer this time, and I had to grip the table to not fall over.
A Glintstone inside of their bodies makes them work. They can become immensely dangerous if you don't finish them immediately. I lost one of my shorter arms to one that was using swords.
The pain stopped and my crushing grip on the table slowly loosened. But even if my head hurt, a smile began to grow on my face.
I had gotten an idea.
"My lord, my men have found a few of the glintstone scraps you had asked for, others could potentially be retrieved from the mines." You didn't bother looking at the Exile directly, instead inspecting the small, blue stone in your hand.
Glintstone scraps were, as their name implied, stones that had a bit of magical power in them. They broke easily and if you threw them at the ground small projectiles would be created in the air around you.
It was also something no real sorcerer would ever take, its' quality was horrendous.
Did I care? No, not really, especially because I wanted to try something for an experiment and I didn't have any higher quality stones available.
"Yes, thou and a few men shall retrieve scraps from the mines," I said, now looking at the Exile. He bowed, seeming a bit unsure, and took his leave.
My eyes were still transfixed on the little stone before me.
Perhaps it would work.
-30 minutes later-
The corpse of a Missbegotten lay in front of me and with my scalpels, I slowly cut open its' chest and stomach area, the foul stench of slowly rotting meat soon filling the entire room. My face wrinkled slightly, but I continued to open it until the entire ribcage was exposed.
I took a bone saw and slowly began to cut into the ribs, removing a few until one of my smaller hands could fit into the hole and slowly, carefully plugging out the heart. I inspected it closely and weighed the thing in my hand.
The Misbegotten had been killed by an arrow or crossbowbolt, judging from the small hole in it. I checked the ribs and indeed, they were damaged as if something had managed to get past them. Afterward, I laid the heart on my table, a bit further away from the corpse.
My many other scalpels went to work, slowly and surprisingly skillfully opening the heart to expose its inner workings.
Now, I would like to say that the next action was well thought out and was approved by the small amount of medical knowledge I possess, but I would be lying. I just stuffed the small scrap of glintstone into the heart, sewed it shut, and reattached it to the body with a few stitches.
Afterward, I looked at the corpse of the Misbegotten, inspecting if anything was changing.
And then one of its closed eyes opened, prompting me to jump back slightly.
My eyes widened when the creature stood up from the table and then looked at me. It took one step forward, the organs spilling from its body, landing on the floor with an uncomfortable slapping sound.
And then its heart exploded, the scraps of the glintstone flying in more than one direction. The corpse of the Misbegotten just stood still for a few seconds, until it collapsed, its blood splattering everywhere.
I looked down at the corpse and at the few pieces of glintstone scraps that were still left and came to a shocking revelation.
I could make zombies.
My mind was slowly but surely coming up with ideas, a wide grin stretching across my face.
I was ready for great things indeed.
And then the smell of the corpse assaulted my nose once again.
Alright, time to clean up beforehand.
-4 hours later-
My experiments with the Misbegotten continued, even into the night, and I slowly got closer to a point that I liked. I had enough knowledge about that Glinstone scraps to put them into the corpses of the Missbegotten, without their explosion. Of course, the corpses were still incomplete, most of them stumbling around for one minute or two before collapsing. But their organs weren't destroyed during this.
Which meant I could use the same corpse for a few experiments. My hands stopped working for a short while and then I looked at them.
What would they call it back home? Desecration of human corpses? Well, not human corpses in this case, but the point still stood. I was doing fucked up things here, things that would get me more years in prison than I could imagine. At home, I would be a criminal.
But I wasn't at home. And to get at least a chance of getting home, I had to do these fucked up things. I wouldn't stop now, I was already arm-deep in the bodies of those I killed or let get killed.
No point in breaking down now and crying about the deaths I had already caused. In a way, wouldn't stopping now make some deaths even more meaningless?
My arms hovered over the body again and my scalpels went directly into the brain matter of the Misbegotten.
I slowly, carefully, pushed one of the glintstone scraps into the brain. The eyes of the Missbegotten opened and his head began to turn left and right, but no other movements could be seen.
I waited for a few minutes but, surprisingly the eyes of the thing didn't close, instead, it was observing the room around it, remaining "alive" during the entire ordeal.
I went over to a previously empty book, where my research was written down, and began to add my newest discovery. My handwriting was pretty bad, but at least readable. I noted the brain as one of the areas where a glintstone scrap could be safely stored without ruining the body and of course, staying functional.
The book was going to be of great use later on, I was sure of it. It also meant that I didn't have to memorize everything I did when experimenting.
I lay down the quill, it was a pain to write with that, and continued with the experiment, slowly adding scraps to organs, such as the liver, heart, and even the kidney. All of them, except the one at the heart, only responded for a few seconds and I had to remove them again.
The Misbegotten, was now able to move his eyes, legs, and arms, though not in a coordinated manner.
"Hm, perhaps you need to learn how to walk? I really don't know." I murmured while writing the discoveries in the book. The zombie, if it could even be described as that, looked over my shoulder and tilted its head.
"You're also intelligent. Perhaps I should remove some of the brain…" That seemed to shock the thing and it began to shake its head over and over again. I raised an eyebrow.
"You are a sentient being, and seen as you are the first experiment that somewhat worked, I guess." I looked at the living corpse that I had created. Or was it an entirely new kind of species I had created here?
"Alright, you get to keep your brain." The Misbegotten tried to jump into the air, most likely because it was happy. It didn't quite manage it, falling to the floor with a loud thumb. I looked at it, one of my hands rubbing my chin.
"But what do I call you? You do need a name?" I stood there for a few more seconds until a large grin grew on my face.
"Oh yeah, you are going to be Milton."
Authors Note: Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Yes, MC is trying to build some kind of flesh golems, and the first thing he manages to create is a somewhat functional Misbegotten.
Also, I'm not quite sure how to feel about this chapter. It wasn't easy to write, and sometimes I felt like I had made too many time skips.
Last edited: Sep 13, 2023
8-The face beneath Stormveil
This is a bit of information for all those of you who read the story: I have another work trip I have to attend, and I'm quite sure I won't be able to upload anything during that time. I hope you understand and enjoy this chapter. I should be back on Friday or Saturday the 29/30th.
8-The face beneath Stormveil
-2 days later-
Milton was still trying to learn how to walk properly, and now I knew that the condition of his body hadn't played in his inability to walk.
After I had fixed his body, closed all of the cuts I had caused during my experiments, and even given him legs in a better condition than his previous ones, he still proved that he was unable to walk properly
That was why I instructed him to work on his walking while I tried to create others like him. Well, not quite like him, I didn't want an army of sentient Miltons running around. I wanted proper minions I could easily control. Canon fodder, so to speak.
Of course, I couldn't spend all of my time in the throne room, grafting away. I needed some time outside, which I mostly spent on checking all of the preparations Edgar had thought out.
I also spent some time with Grisela and Irina, who became friends.
"Ah, grandfather!" Grisela scuttled towards me with her many legs and I smiled slightly.
"How are you doing, young one?" She smiled back and showed me a knitted Coat of Arms.
My coat of arms.
"Miss Irina taught me how to do this. Even if she is blind, she is extremely knowledgeable!" Her face gained a questioning gaze as she looked at me.
"Grandfather, why did you graft that crab onto yourself?" She didn't sound disturbed, just confused.
"Well, you see little one. Your grandfather also needs to wear armor, but seeing as my body undergoes many alterations along the way, I can't order a costumed armor. That's why I grafted natural armor on myself." That was right, and the only material right now that would be worth making armor of was the chest piece and the helmet of the Crucible Knight. I had already asked the blacksmiths about it, but they were unable to melt it even with their hottest flames.
'These armors were made to withstand extreme temperatures, perhaps even Dragonfire.' They had said, which was the reason why I still hadn't used the rest of the armor.
"Ah, that makes sense. Here grandfather, take this." Griselda said, her hand offering me the coat of arms she had knitted.
"You are too kind, young one." I gingerly took the craft and looked at it once again. The golden lion in the red background and the golden tree in the green background. Both of them were beautiful, and even if I could see a few small mistakes I immediately knew that Grisela had given it her all.
"Um, Grandfather, may I ask something?" I turned around, one of my eyebrows raised.
"Why are you scared of the Tarnished?" I froze, like a deer caught in the headlights, and then looked at Grisela.
"Well, little one, the Tarnished is unable to die, or at least something close to it. They always come back, and many of them are spurred on by the ambition to become Elden Lord. And to achieve that goal, they have to reunite the Elden Ring, or at least part of it." She stared at me, and then her eyes widened.
"But grandfather, you have one of the pieces of the Elden Ring within you, is that why so many Tarnished used to come to the castle?" I stared at her, a bit dumbfounded. She truly didn't know?
"Indeed little one, that is the reason why so many Tarnished came to my castle before the Fell Omen arrived. I am a target to the Tarnished, as are you and the rest of this castle. Tarnished, many of them at least can get stronger. And we, we are the wood that makes their flame burn higher. We are the fuel to their growth, young one." I laid both of my hands on Griselas shoulders, remembering how good I felt when I finally was able to defeat the Grafted Scion in the game.
"And that is why you should be careful young one. Even Tarnished that you can defeat easily at first, will come back. Stronger, faster, more knowledgable." Or cheese you because you have no way to fit through the kitchen door.
"I-I understand grandfather. I swear that I will be cautious around Tarnished." A small came to my face and I patted her on the shoulder.
"Thank you, young one. That's all I want to hear."
Me too.
Once again a short bout of head pain hit me, but it was over much quicker than the previous ones. I looked at Grisela one more time and nodded at her.
"Well then young one. You can leave this old fossil to his thoughts. Be assured, however, that he is thankful for the gift you made him." The grafted scion smiled and then began to walk away, perhaps to once again talk with Irina.
My train of thought was cut off when an Exile arrived in the room, his voice nervous.
"My lord, the Tarnished has arrived." The blood froze in my veins and everything seemed to stand still.
D had arrived.
I shook myself from my shock and my hands tightened themselves around my axes.
"Very well, I will meet him at the gate. Ready thyself for battle, but hope he doesn't force thy lords' hands." The servant nodded and walked outside, most likely rejoining the other Exiles in their positions.
I on the other hand took a deep breath and walked to the main gate, where the Tarnished waited.
I arrived at the main gate and looked down at the man with the armor that represented two twins hugging one another. One of them gold, the other silver.
"You look even more monstrous than the All-Knowing claims. Thought that was hardly possible." The man was also smug, it seems.
"Thou art here to do thy job, are you not, Tarnished?" I growled the last word, and as if on cue the ballistae guarding the main gate clicked, announcing their readiness.
D didn't seem to be fazed one bit by it, however.
"If you kill me, I'll just come back and not help you," I growled once again but saw his point.
"Open the gate!" Gostoc, the gatekeeper did so, and soon enough D and I were standing in front of each other.
"For a coward like you to welcome me, it has to be quite the problem indeed, no?" D said, tilting his head at me. I rolled my eyes and beckoned him to follow me.
He did so, his sword slung over his shoulder, seemingly swaggering after me. But when I noticed that his head ever so slightly looked over to the many crossbows and balistas that littered my castle I couldn't repress the slight grin that grew on my face.
We both slowed down in the courtyard of the castle, where I showed him the container full of thorns that had previously been in my arena. His grip on his sword tightened and it suddenly stabbed forward, colored in golden light, and destroyed the container it was in.
Also, to my happiness the thorns inside.
D turned to me, his sword still bathed in golden energy, and instead of trying to fuck around with me like before he spoke in short sentences.
"Where's the rest? Where does it come from?" I opened my arms, chuckling slightly.
"It's all around us, good hunter. The entire castle is slowly being torn apart by them." D froze and I couldn't help but feel smug, even if it was my problem.
"Now, hunter of the undead, do you want to do your job?" D stared at me and then growled slightly, before nodding.
"Very well, lead me to the spots." My smile grew and I nodded.
"Follow me, good hunter." And he did, even if he didn't seem to like it.
-2 hours later-
D was tiring, I could see that. His magical energies, while vast weren't endless. He had burned away every single root of my castle and even healed those among my men whose bodies were covered by the thorns.
And now he was weaker.
"Where is the cause of this infection." He said, slightly panting.
"It's underneath this castle of mine. I haven't ventured down there, however." I answered and then pointed at the door that was in the courtyards' armory.
D grunted and then walked to the door, kicking it off its' handles. That took game mechanics out of the game, it seems.
"Wait a moment, good hunter." D flinched at the nickname I had given him and growled back.
"What?" I raised one of my arms and snapped with its fingers. Three scores of men came through the door and now stood behind me. D took a stance, his sword once again glowing.
"So you were ready to attack me from the beginning? Or were you waiting for me to grow weaker?" I raised an eyebrow and then opened my arms.
"Thou seem to misunderstand, good hunter. It is not my intention to betray you before you can dispose of the cause of the infection. This is more of an offer for help. Mine men won't be able to vanquish whatever is down there alone, but they can give thee openings." D was silent for a while and then pointed his sword at you.
"Then you are going to come with me too." I sighed internally but nodded.
"Of course! What lord lets his men go into battle alone?!" That seemed to not only surprise D but also my men.
Godrick, you son of a…
I looked at D and then pointed at the half-destroyed stairwell on our left.
"First we have to go down this way."
I landed on the muddy ground of the underground area of Stormveil and my face wrinkled in disgust and I began to feel dizzy. It fucking stank in here.
Not just in a way that seemed possible in normal life though.
It reeked of something vile, something I couldn't even explain when I got down there. Perhaps that was what death stank like here? If it did, I didn't want to smell it ever again.
My men were even more affected by the stench than I was. Some of them sank to their knees and began to vomit while others seemed to be barely standing.
D didn't even seem to notice the stench, moving forward, his sword in hand.
"This thing must have been infected for a long time." He said, looking at the thorns that were clustering the walls and leading us further into the fog.
And then a rat the size of a dog jumped at him, its' rotten flesh shining when the light of his sword fell upon it. It was quickly cleaved in half with one mere swing, but more rats began to pour from the direction the first had come from.
"Men, ready thy weapons!" I yelled and my foot crushed the first of the rodents beneath my weight, while my axe dragged along the ground, and then threw a Storm Blade at the other approaching ones.
It ripped through their bodies and only stopped after it had gone through at least a dozen. My right arm comes down, my muscles throwing away another wave of the rodents, splattering them against a nearby wall.
My men were firing their crossbows behind me, taking out more and more rats with each salve.
And D was a whirlwind of death, his golden blade separating heads, legs, and snouts from the vile rodents as if he were in a dance.
The crab mouth on my shoulder spat on three rats, completely crushing them with its pure force. My golden axe cut into another wave, and blood was flowing like it was water.
But the rats didn't seem to have an end. And then I noticed something. The dead ones, even the ones I had personally hacked apart were once again standing up, dragging their undead bodies to us.
I roared and my axe came down on the head of a rat, and the beast stopped, at least for now.
"Men, train thy shots and hits upon their heads! These vile creatures don't die easily!" My loud voice echoed around the battlefield and I could hear that skulls were being crushed under metal boots.
I resumed my battle, my tail stabbing and crushing anyone that got too close, the claws on the hands of the Crucible Knight ripping apart flesh and bone alike.
But even after we had found a possibility to deal with the rats, more were still coming. And my men were getting tired. Even Ds' dance of death was getting slower, the holy blade of his slowly flickering.
I had to end this as fast as possible.
"Men, retreat to the corner of the room!" They didn't question me, instead, they ran, firing the crossbows occasionally to hit a few rats. I let one of my back hands take the smaller axe I held and gripped my golden axe, with both hands, its head pointed to the ground.
"Foolish creatures!" My voice was loud, loud enough to still be heard across the battlefield where D was fighting. He saw me and seemed to understand that I was trying to do something.
He jumped into the air and used a broken pillar to get himself off the ground.
"I am the Lord of all that is Golden!" The rodents now set their sights on the only true enemy left.
Me.
A literal avalanche made out of undead rodents approached me, and internally I was just a few seconds away from shitting myself.
But instead, my heavy axe came down and my voice got even louder.
"I COMMAND THEE KNEEL!" Huge rocks suddenly jutted out of the ground, skewering through most of the bodies in just one go.
I didn't let up, however, and my axe came down again, and everything in a 40-foot radius around me was destroyed, its bones shattered and their brains turned into fine mush.
My arms pulled the axe out of the ground and the rocks jutting through the now hopefully completely dead rats disappeared.
"I hath to admit, I am quite tired now. I propose we all make a quick rest." I said, turning to face my men, all of whom were dumbly staring at the army I had just eradicated.
I smiled slightly. Even if Godrick was the runt of the litter, he was still a Demigod.
"Good hunter, will thee join us too?" I said, looking up at D who was still sitting on the pillar. He let out a grunt and then slid down.
"I shall join you, but only for a short rest." I nodded and then sat down, taking a deep breath.
"Ah, finally some peace and-" I was interrupted mid-sentence by a gigantic rat jumpin' on my back.
Not the kind of gigantic the others were though. This one was the size of a small bus, and just as heavy.
The brood mother perhaps?
I didn't give it much more thought, the shell of the crab protecting me from its bites. I took ahold of it and threw the beast against the wall, smashing rock with the strength of my throw and breaking more than a few bones.
D was the one to finish it off, however, his shining sword sank into its throat. I gave a small grunt and sat down again.
"As I was saying. Finally some peace." The rest of the soldiers took their seats next to me and began to relax slightly, the tiredness of the battle slowly disappearing.
I stood up from our fastly made camp as the first person and began to slowly walk over to one of the statues that had fallen here over the years.
The statues themselves weren't interesting to me, however. No, the cliff in front of me was.
I knew what would happen if I jumped down there. The others wouldn't.
"You held yourself acceptable, Godrick." The sudden voice next to me, caused me to turn my head towards D, who was standing there with his arms crossed, also looking down the little cliff.
"Something is going to attack us if we are going to go down there, isn't it?" He asked, his helmet turning to address me. I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Yes, it seems that it is that obvious. But we can also attack whatever is down there." D looked at me again, his head tilted slightly. I grinned down at him.
"We just have to get one or two ballistae down here." And then I saw Ds' eyes widen before he let out something akin to a snort.
"Ah, so the great lord of all that is golden has no honor then?" I wasn't sure if it was meant as a joke, but I responded nonetheless.
"Honor is something the strong can allow themselves. General Radahn was honorable, look where he is now." I turned to D and slowly got closer, I think there was something on my face because I could see him take a step backward.
"In the end, those who survive are the winners." I turned away from him and once again gazed into the pit.
"I think we'll take three ballistae," I said to myself and turned around to notify my men.
The first time I met a so-called "Ulcerated Tree Spirit" I nearly lost my mind. The thing was tanky, had a bullshit moveset, and was hard to kill.
Now?
Now it was being grilled by firebombs, shot at by exploding ballista bolts, and was attacked by D, his flaming sword cutting deeply into its "flesh".
And it still wasn't dead.
The beast roared and tried to breathe sickly yellow fire into the direction of my men. Instead of letting that happen, however, a wall of wind was created before them, created by yours truly. The flames were redirected, some even hitting the monster itself again.
When a ballista bolt hit the beast in the head I knew that this was my chance to step in. I jumped down the cliff, striding in closer to the beast. It still reached for me, and its gigantic form most likely had more physical might than me.
That only concerned its healthiest form though. Now, with many different wounds on its body, it could only struggle against me as I slowly worked my way towards it. When it tried to open its mouth and breathe its strange fire into my direction, it received a storm blade in its mouth, which ate through its gums, and its' cheek.
And then, after a few seconds of struggling, I was finally near enough to its throat to attack, both of my axes ready.
My first swing went clockwise, biting into the outer flesh of the beast, the second went counterclockwise, whittling the tougher skin down, the third was a blow from below that ripped off the natural armor entirely, the fourth blow came from above and bit into the now bare flesh. The fith and final blow was once again one from above, but this time my golden axe sank into the neck of the beast, decapitating it.
The giant beast stopped moving entirely and, much to my disappointment exploded into small grey particles. However, what didn't disappoint me was the small golden thing that fell into one of my arms.
A Golden Seed.
After this great discovery, I turned around to D and then pointed in the direction of the gigantic face at the end of the underground area.
"I think this is responsible for the infection, good hunter." D stared at it and then at you and then nodded.
"Yes, that seems to be the case." He slowly ascended the face until he was right above its forehead and plunged his holy sword into it. The face, as opposed to its game counterpart, actually roared and trashed until the holy energy had spread across it and then exploded into golden particles.
I looked at the floating particles that were slowly disappearing and smiled slightly.
One problem less to deal with.
Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed the chapter, even if it wasn't the one I wanted to end things at for the moment. Nonetheless, Godrick gets himself an easy win by letting others weaken the "boss" beforehand.
Also, next chapter he will most likely be dealing with "smaller problems", at least that's what I planned to let him do.
One other thing is that you can still ask questions and I will answer them, but most likely not as fast as I usually do. Hope you guys understand and have a great time while this story is "on break"
Last edited: Sep 14, 2023
9-Other Views
I am finally back! Good to be back too. This chapter is released a bit earlier than normal, cause I got a family party to attent to later this day. I'll still try to answer your questions though, so you don't have to worry about that. --
9-Other Views
-D, Hunter of the Undead-
He was panting, and he could feel how the last of the holy energy was sapped from his sword. In all of his years of fighting against the Ones that lived in Death, heck, even in all of his years as a Tarnished, he couldn't remember a day on which the entire holy energy left his sword.
The face had to be the reason for it. He didn't know why, but even if it was only a manifestation of something much larger, it had managed to render his trusty weapon unusable, at least for now.
Which brought him to the problem that he was going to face.
He turned around and looked at the looming figure of Godrick the Grafted, the weakest of the shardbearers. His helmet hopefully hid his tiredness well enough, and he slowly rose, trying to not use his sword as a support to do so.
The ancient wrinkled face of the youngest shard bearer slowly confronted into a smiling grimace, and the Demigod stalked closer. The golden thing he had caught just a moment ago disappeared in the deeper parts of his clothes.
"Ah, good hunter. Thou have finished thy task well enough." The golden axe, still covered with all sorts of grime and blood gleamed slightly.
"What do you want as a reward?"
The words of the Shardbearer were smug, gloating almost, and he took some time to respond.
"Your Great Rune, if you'll hand it over." Suddenly all of the ballistae and crossbows that had previously been firing at the gigantic beast turned to him, and he could hear their mechanisms being cocked backward.
His grip around his sword tightened and he slowly got into a fighting stance, facing Godrick himself. The emotions on the Shardbearers' face were undiscernible, and the axes were still raised.
The hunter stepped forward, ready to face yet another death, but the raised hand of Godrick stopped him.
"Thou don't have to fight us, dear hunter. Thou hath earned the right to exit mine castle without any conflict." The axes of the grafted giant were set down on the ground, and slowly, very slowly the men holding the crossbows relented, taking their aim off him.
He looked at the lord in front of him and then tilted his head.
"Not that I'm ungrateful, but didn't you say that honor was something only the truly strong are allowed to have?" He saw the ancient man in front of him raise an eyebrow.
"Oh, I would simply see this as keeping mine end of the bargain. Perhaps I will require thine assistence for problems such as this in the future. And thou seem to be more valuable alive than dead." The old lord looked at him and then motioned him to follow.
"Follow my lead Tarnished. Even if I hate to admit it, this lord still has something he wants to show thee." The old lord turned around and shuffled back to the upper castle grounds. D couldn't help but notice that the grafted lord pointed a few of his men to the wreckages as if they were instructed to search for something.
He couldn't stay still, however, and after a few seconds begrudgingly followed the Shardbearer.
He stared at the various small runes the Lord of Stormveil held in his hand, and then at his face.
"You intend to give me some of these runes?" It was unheard of. All runes you had belonged to you, except if you were trading them.
The old lord seemed to think otherwise and chuckled slightly.
"Yes indeed, these are for thine services, hunter of the Undead. This lord's brilliance is brighter than the sun, and thus I grant thee these." He looked at the offered runes a bit longer and then slowly took them, his body absorbing the fresh burst of energy.
"If you think this will stop me from telling the leader of the Roundtable hold, you're wrong. I might not like the prick, but I owe him." The grafted old man in front of him seemed to scowl for a short time, but the expression disappeared as fast as it had seemingly appeared.
"Of course, thy choices are thine own, Tarnished. However, I shall remind thou to not try to invade these walls. Today we might have been allies, but that might not be the case in the future." D stared at Godrick and clicked his tongue.
"I got better things to do than run after a Great Rune. There are more than enough of that kind of Tarnished anyway." He said, sheathing his sword and turning towards the exit of the room they were in.
"Good hunter, may I have thy ear for one last time." The voice of Godrick stopped him again, and he turned to face the grotesque lord. What he saw surprised him.
The Lord had taken out an empty sheet of paper and begun to draw on it, slowly jotting down a few details. D slowly got closer and peered onto the page.
"There's more?!" He couldn't help but raise his voice. He saw the trademark signs of those who lived in death. A Tibia Mariner and the skeletons of those that couldn't be put to rest. He looked at Godrick and his grip around his weapon tightened.
"How do you know of them?!" The grafted lord stared at his stance, almost as if he were pitying him, and then pointed at the drawings.
"My men hath found these. I giveth thou this information because I want thee to finish the pest that infests my lands." D was silent, but the grip on his sword didn't ease. Instead, his hand lashed out, gripping the sheet of paper that had been in Godricks' hand, and ripped it from its grasp.
He could hear Godrick chuckle slightly, but he was too immersed to memorize the location where the Tibia Mariner was located. If he found it, he would be able to get rid of another problem.
"Well, thou art welcome, good hunter," Godrick said, smiling slightly. D glared at him behind his helmet, but couldn't bring himself to insult the Shardbearer.
Even if he was a disgusting person, he was a useful disgusting person. This kind of information was rare, and D would take whatever he would get.
"I shall take my leave then." He said and walked to the main gate of the castle. Godrick was strangely enough still following him. When he exited through the gate and it closed behind him, he heard the ancient voice of the Shardbearer speak yet again.
"Beware of dangers good hunter. Not just here, but also in the Roundtable Hold." D whipped around, a question on his lips, but the giant spikes of the gates hit the ground with a thunderous sound and a cloud of dust was kicked up.
When it was gone, the ruler of Stormveil Castle was nowhere to be seen.
'How can he move so fast?' He thought, not knowing that in truth, Godrick had just hidden behind the nearest wall to "disappear".
"Doesn't matter now." He said and then walked away from Stormveil Castle, towards one of the safer places of Limgrave.
He sat down and concentrated, his very being dragging itself to another plane of existence. He closed his eyes, and he felt his essence move. Slow at first, but it was getting faster and faster.
When he opened his eyes, he was at the Roundtable Hold, the form of an old man, whose armor was forged to be seemingly adorned with eyes and ears.
Gideon Ofnir, the All-Knowing and the leader of the Roundtable stared at him, and his dry, but commanding voice addressed D.
"Well, have you found the Albinauric woman?"
A few minutes later.
"Hm, the old fool decided to make his move then, eh? We will have to act accordingly then." The old Tarnished said, his weird, hand-like staff in one hand. He turned towards Ensha, his most trusted minion, and gave the mute Tarnished a roll of paper.
"Give this to some of my "friends". We will benefit greatly from it." D wasn't sure what to make of this, but he remained silent, deciding that it wasn't a problem worth fighting over. Gideon turned to face him and gave him a nod.
"Thanks to your endeavors, the Roundtable managed to acquire an important piece of information. You now may go back to the duties you have taken upon you." He nodded slightly and his grip around his sword tightened once again.
He had to hunt those who lived in Death after all. He left Gideons' strange room and passed by Rogier, a strange sorcerer who always seemed to "hang out" on the Roundtable.
"Ah, D. It's good to see you today. I've heard you managed to acquire information about one of the Shardbearers. Incredible, simply incredible." The large head on the sorcerer's head tilted slightly, and the man continued to speak.
"Before I forget it, you said you managed to reach the bottoms of Stormveil, have you found anything worth mentioning, my friend?" His eyes narrowed beneath his helmet, and he gazed at the sorcerer.
'Beware of the dangers good hunter. Not just here, but the Roundtable as well.'
"No, I haven't discovered anything suspicious underneath Stormveil. I didn't reside in that stinking place for long, to be frank." He said and made sure to keep track of the sorcerer's face.
The hat bopped upwards as if it were happy and Rogier clapped him on the back, laughing slightly.
"Well said, well said indeed. I wouldn't stay there another minute too, if I had to." The sorcerer's hat turned to the right and then he nodded at D.
"Well then D, we'll see each other later then." He said, and walked away, perhaps to teleport himself out of the Roundtable too.
After Rogier was gone, D left the Roundtable Hold too, his essence once again leaving it.
He couldn't help but feel a slight tinge of dread when he once again remembered the words of the grafted abomination.
'Dangers in the Roundtable.'
He stared at the mangled corpse of the troll in front of him, frowning behind his helmet.
His goal was to travel here to find any clues about the information Godrick had given him, but the troll's corpse was hard to not notice.
The giant creature was ripped open as if claws had managed to bite into its thick hide and rip apart even its' bones. The troll's head was half gone, the left side chewed off, revealing the skull beneath. There troll's remaining eye however was white, as if blinded by a bright light. D knew what that meant.
"A dragon." The words slipped out of his mouth as he kneeled to inspect the corpse further.
"This wasn't Agheels' doing." He murmured and looked at the landscape. No, dragons like Agheel would burn down the surrounding buildings and part of the forest. This place, while scorched and burned, still resembled a meadow.
A smaller dragon then.
Perhaps one of the little dragons that lived in Caelid. All of them were young and sickly compared to some of their bigger cousins, but still extremely fearful predators.
He sighed slightly and then looked at the sky, searching for any clues. If the small dragon was unfortunate, he might as well end up as a meal for his bigger relative, Agheel.
D shook his head once again and focused on the problem at hand. Finding the Tibia Mariner.
-???-
He still had to get used to his new arm, but he had to admit, that he was growing fond of it. It was much stronger than his old one, as fucked up as that might sound.
He had served under Lord Godrick as long as he could remember, but not once had his lord praised him, even after they had managed to secure Stormveil Castle all those years ago.
They had thought they would fight against the Redmanes and their general, but instead, their lord had gone into hiding, grafting limbs on himself and the family that remained to grow stronger. After he had sufficiently strengthened himself, their lord reappeared and commanded them to their first real battle after the failed siege of the capital.
And as if Marika herself hated her youngest direct descendant, the first enemy they faced was none other than Malenia.
He still remembered the showdown between the two Demigods, even if he was nothing but a mere boy back then.
Axes had clashed against sword and steel and the "fight" was over in a few seconds, their lord lying on the ground, six of the newly grafted hands and arms cut off as if they were butter. But the worst thing wasn't the loss of their lord.
It was his pleading.
He still could remember the cries of pain their lord had given, all the while begging Malenia to spare him. He even knelt before her and muddied his shining armor in mud. And all that to spare his life.
Malenia had agreed, and left as soon as she had arrived, as if her goal hadn't even been Godricks' Great Rune, but something more important.
After the defeat at her hands, their lord retreated once again, this time embracing grafting until he couldn't be called a man anymore. And they, the once proud knights and soldiers of the last remaining member of the Golden Lineage?
They fell into despair, unable to do anything but patrol Limgrave over and over again, thanks to their lords' paranoia.
But all of that had changed in the last few weeks.
Their lord had begun to speak again and take action. No longer were they held at random outposts in Limgrave, but they were being called to Stormveil as if their lord was readying himself.
He was one of the first to notice the changes in their lord. It was just after the fight with the Misbegotten monster.
' I shall give thee a new arm, stronger than thine last.'
Their lord was caring for them. The new arm of a Misbegotten now sat on his shoulder, a proud trophy of his deeds. And the changes just continued to occur.
Gone were the same, boring patrols that burned themselves into your mind. Instead, they were sent out to hunt and kill to create something new.
They weren't stuck in a time bubble anymore.
He felt more alive than he had in centuries, and even if he had to follow a living nightmare, he would do so.
"Sir Alaric, lord Godrick wants to see you!" The yell of a foot soldier brought him back to reality.
'Sir Alaric, the title of a knight that lord Godrick has bestowed upon me' He had gotten the title shortly after they had returned to Stormveil, and their lord had marked him as one of his most trusted men.
'Thou shall be known as one of my knights, all of whom are loyal to me and serve me well.' I smile grew on his face and he nodded.
"I will arrive as fast as I can!" He said, beginning to jog in the direction of his lords' throne room.
He stared at the old face of his lord and bowed before he was called to stand.
"Arise, one of my fine knights. Thy lord has a mission for thee." A smile grew on his face and one of his hands played on the pommel of his sword.
"What should your servant do, lord Godrick." The lord now looked down at him and smiled slightly.
"Take a few dozen of men and go to the Mistwood. Thou shall bring me the bones of the Demihumans that live there. After thou art done, travel to the forest in the Weeping Peninsula and do the same. These beasts might prove useful. They shall become one of the resources I strengthen my army with." He perked up slightly at his lords' words.
"My lord, do you intend to give us a few grafts, like this arm you gifted me." He saw Godrick nod and smile.
"Indeed, my loyal knight. Thou hath served me well, and some of the bodies shall be used to strengthen you and the other soldiers under mine command. However, I also require a few bodies to experiment on, they are therefore very important." The lord was silent for a few seconds and then looked back at him, a strange emotion on his face.
"Do thou think you can master this challenge, Alaric?" His heart fluttered higher, the sheer aspect of being able to do something nearly killing him.
"Of course, my lord. Your order is my deed!" He now could see his lord smile.
"Thou may go, my loyal knight."
- Godrick-
As soon as the crazy knight left the room I let out a sigh of relief. Everything was going well so far, Milton had begun to truly take his first steps, and I had begun to strengthen his general body frame, giving him more muscles, and better eyes, and implanting more glintstone scraps into his body to keep him running.
My eyes wandered to the few things I had managed to secure after the fight with the Seed-Beast. One Stonesword Key and a Golden Seed. Unfortunately, I hadn't yet figured out a use for the Golden Seed. Perhaps I should send a few men to look for the third church of Marika? I wasn't sure yet.
After the fight with the Tree Spirit, I sent my men to search through the castle once again, in hopes they might find something new, but unfortunately, they hadn't found either the Godskin Prayerbook or the Seal for it. What they did find, however, were the schematics for the spell "Rancorcall".
Rancorcall was… interesting to say the least. It would give me the ability to summon a bunch of flaming skulls that would chase after my target, but unfortunately, I had been unable to get a closer look at the spell.
Milton's noises got louder once again, and the zombified Misbegotten jumped out of the hole he was in, jumping up and down in front of me. I stopped the mad jumping with my hand, holding him in place with it.
"You seem to be happy that you can move properly now, aren't you?" I got an enthusiastic nod in response and smiled slightly, petting his head.
"Well, why don't you go out and test out your body then?" The small smile grew into a grin.
"And bring your creator more material to work with?"
Authors' Note: I'M BACK! Hello y'all, and sorry for the long wait for this chapter. I tried to put most of the things into the perspective of some characters and not completely assassinate them (well, D's the only one I could assassinate as a character in this chapter).
Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed the chapter, and please don't forget to write a comment and tell me your ideas. As I have already said more than once, I'll at least read through them.
Also, as a last note, in the next chapter, there might be a few more interludes, just not as long as this one.
10-Carrying Noobs and new plans
10-Carrying Noobs and new plans
I stared at the bodies in front of me, the largest one catching my eye. A grin started to grow on my face and I turned to face Alaric and his men.
"Thou hath done well! To bring thy lord the body of a Demi-Human Queen is something very few warriors can boast! I shall reward all of thee with the best grafting material that the bodies of her chieftains can offer!" The soldiers, especially Alaric, seemed to perk up at my words and bowed.
"Yes, my lord. We shall come when you call us!" Alaric said, his grafted arm pounding against his heart. He and his men left the throne room, leaving me and a bunch of corpses alone.
My men had moved fast, precise, and without any mercy. Throats were slit, eyes gouged out by crossbow bolts and skulls had been crushed by the war pikes.
The corpses were fresh too, the best quality I could wish for. There weren't many things in Limgrave that could scare me anymore, and also only a few things that could give me proper grafting resources, but my men were completely unaugmented.
Why shouldn't I strengthen my men to increase their strength? I only had to be careful who to augment first, to make sure the power wouldn't go to their heads. One of my hands picked up the body of a Demi-Human and I looked at it.
Its muscles weren't on par with the ones of a knight's, but they were at the same time much more… compressed and smaller, which would allow me to add more to the bodies of my soldiers without changing to looks too much.
I walked over to the body of a chieftain, a much larger Demi-Human that would normally lead a tribe, and looked at him. His hands still clutched his daggers and the snout was pulled up into a grimace of pain. Nonetheless, his body didn't seem too damaged. The only thing missing was the right side of his skull, most likely stabbed through with a spear or something.
I dropped the body and walked over to the real deal, the price of the whole mission I had sent my men on.
The Demi-Human Queen.
I cackled slightly and caressed her crowned head, a sense of absolute glee flooding through me. You wanna know why?
Demi-Human queens were able to use magic.
Yeah, they even had staff for it, gifted to them as a sign of peace. And the best of it all?
The damned thing didn't need high INT in the game!
I picked up the queen's body and smiled slightly.
"You and I, well, mostly me, are going to do great things," I said, still high on the sheer aspect of now having a way to utilize magic before even having to go to Raya Lucaria.
I closed the door of the throne room and laid the body on the table, took out my scalpels, and got to work, cutting into the fresh meat of the queen.
-Milton-
The dagger the creator had gifted him was sharp. He realized that fact after it had managed to cut through the throat of the boars roaming the forest. He knew that the creator wouldn't be happy with the body of a boar, but he just wanted to test out his weapon.
He was now in a strange, misty forest. The creator had called it "Mistwood Forest" he believed, and it lived up to its name. It was sticky in here, and he didn't like the giant bugs that kept bugging him. But his creator told him to get him materials, and that's what he did.
Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to find anything of real value yet. Most of the animals were small, and not very useful.
His eyes wandered around the forest, the thick mist making it difficult for him to see. But after a few seconds, he was finally able to make out a large, furred figure on the ground.
He bounded closer, taking out his second dagger, and looked at the creature before him.
A smile grew on his face.
It was a giant bear! Something like this would surely help his creator a little bit.
He smiled and positioned both of his daggers in front of the eyes of the bear.
His weapons stabbed forward and an angry roar could be heard in the entire Mistwood Forest.
The newest addition to my body had been grafted right beneath the hand of my right arm. The staff had been implanted into my flesh and the hand holding it was used to cover most of its metal.
It wasn't the best idea for a graft I had come up with, but it gave me the ability to surprise and blast my enemies if I had to. As for the firepower I was packing, this baby could burn through the trunk of a large tree without any problems. It was a quite large glintstone projectile that shot out of the staff, which meant it did well even against enemies that had high physical resilience.
I smiled slightly and then looked at the rest of the bodies that lay in my throne room. I should probably use these to help my soldiers. I picked up the first body, one of the normal Demi-Humans, and called for my servants.
The needle passed through flesh without problem, but I could feel the arm of the soldier I was currently working on shaking slightly.
"Thou should relax, the pain is over soon enough." The soldier obeyed, or at least tried to, and his shaking lessened. A few more strokes of the needle later and I looked at the newly sewed-shut arm of the soldier, inspecting it closely.
The skin was stretched a bit, but the power of my Great Rune was seemingly mending the flesh of those I grafted personally, so it would heal soon enough.
"Do thou feel stronger soldier?" I asked, already knowing the answer. The soldier in front of me clenched his fist and nodded slightly. I chuckled slightly, once again slipping into the persona of Godrick, the lord of Stormveil.
"Very well, ready thyself for even more pain. T'was only the beginning of the procedure. I will have to graft muscles on the rest of thy body too, after all." I could swear I saw the soldier flinch slightly, but he nodded nonetheless, offering me his other arm.
"Don't fret, I shall make this quick," I said, sinking the needle into his flesh yet again.
-A few hours later-
I never had grafted as many things as I had today. All of the muscle fibers, sometimes different limbs, found their place on the bodies of most of my soldiers.
It was hard to admit, but my hands hurt from the whole stitching and grafting I had to do, but I knew that my work had paid off.
I grinned slightly and gave my last patient, a banished knight, a pat on the back to signal the end of his session. He grunted slightly and stood up from the operating table, before giving me a slight nod, picking up his armor on the way out.
"My lord, are you happy with the results?" I looked downward and saw Edgar standing there, also a few more muscles packed onto his frame.
"Indeed, that I am Edgar. If the Tarnished grow stronger, why shouldn't we?" He nodded slightly, touching one of his sewed-shut arms.
"You are right of course, my lord. But why were some soldiers gifted new limbs?"
"To give them greater combat potential. Thou can't deny that the clawed hands of the Demi-Humans aren't useful. And we shall take every opportunity to get stronger we get." That reminded me of a few more things I wanted to "add" to my person.
Now that I had magical properties through the flesh of the Demi-Human Queen, I could learn sorcery, and I already knew where a great teacher for it rested. That, along with the fact that I had yet another few ideas on how to make sure nobody would be able to take me down easily. I smiled slightly, and then looked down at Edgar again, who hadn't yet moved from his place beside me.
"Do thou require anything else, Edgar?" He had to, otherwise, he would have already gone off to his other duties. And indeed, the ex-commander of Castle Morne nodded.
"Indeed my lord, I have a request for you." He knelt and looked up at the ground.
"Please my lord, give my daughter new eyes." I stilled, caught off guard by the question, and then nearly slapped myself.
'Of course, a father would ask for help for his daughter.' I turned towards the other man, almost wanting to say yes, but then a soft whispering seemed to pass through my head.
Why not let him work for it?
The headache appeared again, but a picture flashed before my eyes. A young noble, who started a rebellion against me, his fort used as a rally point against me. His alliance with the Demi-Humans to stop me, and his eventual downfall because he would be unable to stop his men from rebelling.
'Why not let Edgar prove himself, huh?' I turned toward the man and addressed him
"Thy daughter will be granted eyes by me, if thou manage to acquire something for me, Edgar." His body stilled and he looked up at me, hope in his eyes.
"What do you desire, my lord?" I smiled slightly and I put a hand on his shoulder.
"Thou know Kenneth Haight, correct? That little upstart that dares to call himself a noble! I want him imprisoned, and I want thee to be the man that does it." Edgar froze for a few seconds, but then slowly nodded.
"Very well my lord, I shall do so. I won't disappoint you." He turned to walk away, most likely to gather men for the mission, but I stopped him before he could reach the door.
"And commander, search the entire castle. I want to have every valuable piece in my grasp." Edgar didn't say anything, but nodded nonetheless, and left the room.
Perhaps it was cowardly to attack another lord without any warning? I didn't understand his reaction, but one thing I did understand was the fact that Haight couldn't just be left alone. The guy could be dangerous, even if he didn't directly take part in Godricks' downfall in the game. And I wanted to eliminate any threats to my safety.
'Shouldn't I send a squad of soldiers to find Varre then?' That thought was quickly thrown out of the window, however. Varre might be a douchebag of a Tarnished, but he was still an immensely strong powerful douchebag.
I sighed slightly and rested my hands on the bloodied table that I had used as an operation table. My body was tired, but I couldn't allow myself to fall asleep now. D had most likely contacted Gideon already, and knowing the man he was already planning something. I had to make my move and fasten up my plans by a lot, which meant I had to send my men out to do some of the smaller dirty work.
I shook my head slightly and then readied myself for another travel outside of the safe castle. I wanted to secure as many things as possible, and as fast as possible, just waiting in the castle wouldn't bring them to me.
I turned to the last "patients" that still were in the room and raised my voice.
"Men, we are going out to hunt!" The only response I got was loud voices, the newly augmented soldiers already looking forward to testing their mettle in battle.
-One hour later-
Me, in the form the Mimic Veil gave me, and my men stopped in front of the first Evergaol we were going to visit. The Stormhill was deserted, and the loud howling of the wind could be heard all around us.
"My lord, are you sure we can handle a Crucible Knight?" One of the soldiers asked, his hands shaking slightly. I raised an eyebrow and then laughed slightly.
"Indeed, that we can. And do not fret, thy lord is going to be the main fighter here. Thy mission is a different one." I turned around, addressing all of the soldiers in the group.
"Thou shall, at best, be a distraction for the knight. I shall take care of him!" I got nods all around and nodded to myself before getting off the saddle of the horse I was currently riding. As I approached the circle, a thought went through my head.
'Hopefully, they will be able to use those strange flamethrowers we took with us.'
I got closer to the huge stone circle and looked at the glowing imprint in the middle. If I used it, I wouldn't be able to return it. I had to win this fight. My jaw tightened and my hand slowly touched the glowing stone in the middle.
Suddenly a strange, almost alien presence invaded my mind. It was unlike any other I had felt before. It was ripping on my shoulder, dragging me away.
The feeling was too much and I fell to my knees. After that, everything went black.
I awoke in the middle of the stone platform, but at the same time, I knew that it wasn't the stone platform I had touched. I looked around, noticing the walls of smoke that were all around me, and nodded.
I was inside the Evergaol.
And I had a problem. My men weren't there, at least not the dozen I had brought with me.
"My lord, what has happened to the others?" The lone soldier next to me asked. He wasn't even the best soldier I had in the group. I clicked my tongue and experimentally shot one of my crossbow bolts and the wands of smoke.
The bolt bounced off and got stuck in the earth in front of the wall.
"It seems we are trapped here, and it seems like there is a limited number of people that can enter this prison." The soldier flinched, showing a surge of emotion that slowly seemed to return to all of my men.
"What? Then how do we get out of here, my lord?!" I opened my mouth to answer but was cut off when a ghostly blue silhouette began to manifest on the other side of the platform.
"There is thy answer, my soldier," I said, pointing at the now fully formed Crucible Knight that was storming towards us.
It attacked immediately, its sword stabbing forward to hit me in the stomach. I blocked the hit with my golden axe and my tail wrapped itself around his other arm, stopping him from using his shield.
"I assume that thou are also crazy?" The only answer I got was an angry roar and the high-pitched sound of one of the Crucible Knights' incantations. I loosened the grip around his arm, just in time to avoid the spectral wings that sprouted out of his back.
He dived towards me and I responded by firing a spell from the glintstone staff implanted into my body, and a shot from the crab head on my shoulder. The knight was hit midflight, the sheer force behind the attacks sending him reeling. He couldn't control his flight anymore and crashed into the earth unceremoniously. I was upon him in seconds my left hand seizing arm in an iron grip, while the arms of his fallen brother began to mercilessly try to penetrate his armor.
The hard material gave screeches of protest but I could slowly feel it giving away. The Crucible Knight still had a few surprises for me, however. He roared, and lifted my multi-ton body into the air, pushing me off him. He stood up, and his sword managed to cut into my abdomen. Unfortunately for him, the second claw of the crab was waiting for him when I pressed him against my stomach area. All of the might that was stored in the giant weapon squeezed, trying to peel my foe out of his armor.
His armor held, but his bones didn't.
I heard the loud crack of his arm breaking and used the opportunity to throw him into the air.
He was sent flying as if an adult had just tossed a little child into the air to catch it with their arms.
Instead of being embraced by warm, loving hands, however, his body was gored through by the spiritual form of horns that manifested on my shoulder.
His blood flowed and he groaned slightly, using his remaining strength to dig into my flesh with his fingers.
"You know, it took me one hell of a time to learn that incantation." My words didn't reach the knight however, he had gone still.
I willed the horns to disappear and then turned around to look the soldier in the eyes, switching back to a more formal speech.
"Well, didst thou think of helping thine lord at all, hm?" The soldier scrambled backward, apologizing again and again, until I silenced him with the raise of my hand.
"T'is of no matter now. What matters is that thou shall not make this mistake in the future ever again, am I understood?" I got a few fast nods as a confirmation and smiled slightly.
"Very well, let's get out of here then." The soldier looked around us, seeing no exit.
"My lord, there exists no door to leave this place. How shall we leave?" I laughed slightly and picked up the dead, but still physically manifested, body of the Crucible Knight.
"Thou will have to wait only for a few seconds soldier, then you will see." The soldier opened his mouth once again, as if to ask me yet another question, but was cut off when the entire platform began to shake.
My feet dug into the ground, giving me plenty of support to remain standing this time. I felt the strange presence once again, but I resisted the brutal ripping of my soul, and instead slowly let the presence guide me to the other side, my eyes closed to concentrate to the fullest.
When I opened my eyes I was once again standing in the middle of the now unsealed Evergaol. Next to me lay the unconscious body of the soldier and the corpse of the Crucible Knight. I turned to the other soldiers, all of whom seemed to be surprised by my sudden reappearance. Before any of them could begin asking any questions, however, I lifted both the corpse and the soldier, holding them to them.
"Make sure he delivers this corpse to my thronroom. The rest of us shall continue on our journey." Some of them almost seemed like they wanted to start questioning me, but I held up my hands.
"Thou shall all get your answers in due time, but we should get moving. At night Limgrave can be pretty difficult to deal with." Even if some still looked a bit disappointed at the lack of answers all of them nodded and got on their horses, following me to my next destination.
The Evergaol of Bloodhound Darriwil.
Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm not that happy with it, but it was mostly used to set up things and make sure the story stays on track. The next things Godrick's going to tackle are the last problems he has in Limgrave anyway. After that, he has to think of a way how to get to Liurnia, and not get murked by the schemes of Gideon.
Last edited: Sep 26, 2023
11-Of Knights, Blood, and Strangers
11-Of Knights, Blood, and Strangers
One thing I realized when traveling these lands was the fact that it took time. Sure, we were moving at a steady pace, but the region, Limgrave as a whole, felt much larger than in-game. Distances that would have taken my Tarnished minutes to ride across took us hours, even though we had taken the fastest horses.
It was late in the night when we arrived at a bridge that would lead us towards our goal. I even saw a wandering caravan in the distance, two trolls dragging a heavy carriage behind them.
But strangely enough, no Nights' Cavarly showed up when we crossed the bridge as if we weren't there.
'Perhaps they only hunt Tarnished?' I thought, looking at the bridge with a raised eyebrow.
The two trolls that were dragging the carriage were mostly unresponsive, stomping forward without a goal. The ancient bodies of the Wandering Nobles shambled after them, torches held in their hands. No soldiers were guarding them now however, I had called nearly every soldier to the castle, unless they were protecting important points.
"Men, follow thy lord, our goal isn't far away." I gave my horse a light spur and the men followed my lead once again.
We passed old ruins, some of them from the time before the Shattering while others had fallen from the sky. I passed the ones Sellen resided in on purpose, not wanting to meet her just yet.
She wouldn't move from her position, at least it was highly unlikely. Very few, if any knew of her position there. But Darriwil? Blaidd was after him, and I didn't want to cross weapons the Half-Wolf yet, if ever.
That was the reason why my men and I ascended the hill where Darriwils Evergoal was located first, and to my relief, the seal was still intact.
I jumped off my horse and took off the Mimic Veil, revealing my true, grafted form. I turned to face my men, a contemplating look on my face.
"Who of thee is strong enough to carry one of the flamethrowers?"
-Edgar-
He looked at the men who were accompanying him and nodded slightly. All of them were battle-hardened and experienced and augmented by Lord Godrick himself.
Still, the notion of sending them to a fortified position like Fort Haight gave him a bad feeling. Sure, the Fort was tiny compared to Stormveil Castle and Castle Morne, but it still had been built to defend against much larger numbers than he currently had.
He looked at the map in front of him, which displayed the Mistwood forest and Kenneth's home, and pointed at the only entrance point to get to the Fort.
"It seems we will have to rely on an attack during the next night, the darkness should be able to mask our presence well enough." His current second in command, a burly Exiled shook his head.
"That is impossible, my lord. Fort Haight is already fortified, at least the scouts say so." Edgar felt slight annoyance at the man's words.
"Why would Kenneth already fortify his Fort? Did he know we were coming?" His question once again received a shake of the head from the large Exile.
"No, but it seems Fort Haight seems to be fighting against a few Demi-Humans. Alaric and his group seem to only have concentrated on the Demi-Humans in the forest, not the ones residing in front of Fort Haight." Edgar let out a groan, and slammed his open palm on the makeshift table in front of him, slightly splittering the wood.
"Damn it all! That means we can't even properly attack them, otherwise, the Demi-Humans might attack us too!" His hand left the table and he started pacing around it, his mind trying to come up with a plan. After a few seconds, he stopped and turned towards the large Exile.
"We will have to start a frontal assault then. Ready the men for battle, we will attack at nightfall." The large Exile nodded, and left the tent, most likely stomping towards the rest of the men.
Edgar on the other hand seized his halberd and looked at the trusty weapon.
"May you carry me through another battle, old friend." He said to it, the shining surface of his trusted weapon shining in the moonlight.
There was a soldier strong enough to carry one of the flamethrowers and load it on his own. He was the burliest of my current men and also the one who was carrying a large broadsword on his back. In short, he was akin to the tutorial boss, "Soldier of Godrick".
The man grunted as he hefted the giant thing, which was made out of metal and formed like a dragon's head. He nonetheless gave me a nod and followed me to the stone circle.
As we arrived in the center of it, I once again laid my hand on the seal and activated it, sending my soul to another plane of existence once again. I was ready this time, and my footing was steady.
When we arrived on the other side, we were once again greeted by walls of strange smoke and a strange blue hue that signaled the arrival of the prisoner.
"Ready thyself," I said to the man behind me, and I could hear his hand slowly cocking back the mechanism for the device.
Just in time, because Bloodhound Knight Darriwil, once a champion of Ranni the Lunar Princess, appeared, his gait like that of an animal. His armor was slightly rusted, but his curved greatsword and large, handheld claw were shining in the light he emitted, showing just how much he must have cared for his weapons, even while he was here.
"Thou art Darriwil, once a servant of Lady Ranni, aren't thou? Why don't thee join me, Godrick the Golden? I can offer thee mu-" My sentence was cut off when I narrowly avoided a swing that had been aimed at my head.
I growled slightly and attacked, both of my axes slamming into the ground with enough force to crash a bus.
But the knight dodged, his body disappearing for just a few seconds, dodging my initial attack. In the next second, he dashed forward, and his claws found their way into my lower leg, spilling the first blood of the fight.
I groaned slightly, but the arms of the Crucible Knight on my chest stabbed forward, both of the claws on it ready to stab directly into the knight's brain. Instead, he dodged once again, turning invisible for just a second, and renewed his assault.
His greatsword bit into my large arms, but was unable to cut through them properly, my durability proving to be too much. His claw found its way into one of the arms on my back, however, and he dragged his arm backward, ripping it off.
I roared and shook the knight off, before firing a projectile of magic at him. He dodged once again, his speed superior to even that, and dashed forward.
Only to be stopped by a gust of flames that now burned in front of him. The burly soldier from beforehand had used the moment and unleashed an attack.
Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to land a proper hit on the Bloodhound Knight, and Darriwil was upon him in a blink. The curved greatsword bit into the man's shoulder and cleaved him in two. Darriwil seemed to not even notice the soldiers' separated body parts falling on the ground, instead, he dashed for me once again.
During the next assault, I could do nothing but cross my arms over my body and tighten my muscles, protecting my most vital areas. Darriwil's slashes were fast, faster than anything else I had seen and felt before, but compared to the Crucible Knight his attacks were like rubber pellets hitting me. Painful, but something I could endure.
After what felt like minutes Darriwil stopped his attacks, and jumped backward, taking a deep breath as he did so. I lowered my now aching arms and grinned at him, but noted how he had managed to cut off two other of my back arms.
"What, are thee tired already?" The knight got into position once again and charged at me. Conjured wind blades flew from my axes and I saw how the knight dodged them like he was in a dance. My golden axe impacted the ground before he could reach me, and the ground jutted upwards, sharp spikes erupting from the earth.
Darriwil backflipped, but I could finally see a wound on his body. One of the spikes had entered his left arm in which he held his claw. It was a shallow hit, not even enough to make the arm useless, but it was something.
The Bloodhound Knight charged at me yet again, and the mouth of the crab on my shoulder shot a projectile at him. Just a moment later the two remaining arms on my shoulder fired crossbowbolts at him. He dodged once again, leaning out of the way of the projectile the crab head had shot at him, and dashing through the two bolts my arms had loosened. He couldn't however dodge the magical projectile that had left the staff under my hand just a few seconds after I had fired the crossbow bolts.
His dodging abilities were great, but he still had windows that I could use. Darriwil's body was sent flying backward, but even after being hit by something that would have burned through a few tree trunks without problem he caught himself, his claw digging in the ground.
He dodged the attacks of my axes and the third magical pellet I shot at him, but had to jump in the air to do so. I saw my chance and readied myself.
The Bloodhound Knight descended from the air, his greatsword aiming directly at my head. He dodged the crossbowbolts I loosened, but they were never meant to hit him.
My tail snapped forward, and the claw of the crab tightened its' grip around Darriwil's body, slowly breaking his bones. I didn't want to rely on my tail alone, however, and brought the still struggling knight into arms' reach.
"Thou hath fought bravely, warrior." I dropped my axes and my large hands found purchase around his neck.
I squeezed, hearing his neck snap in various places, and I could feel the struggle leave his body. My tail grip around him loosened and I collapsed to the ground, panting slightly.
"Fuck." I said and took a look at my body. The damage was the worst I had taken yet, and although my Great Rune was slowly stitching my cuts back together, I knew that I had to rest for a short while.
My arms, especially those on the back, were fucked, many cuts marring the flesh. My natural armor was cracked in places, something that my Great Rune was working on. But the worst part was the loss of some support flesh on my right leg. It still was functional, but I would be unable to walk properly for a while.
My eyes wandered to Darriwil's dead body, and I smiled slightly.
Why shouldn't I graft what I came here for now?
I slowly dragged myself closer and took one of the daggers from my abdomen to cut off one of Darriwel's legs, along with some of his muscle fibers. The squelching sound of the dagger slowly entering and cutting apart flesh was the only thing I heard for a while. When it came off, however, I began to "clothe" my leg in his muscle fibers, spreading it across it evenly. His leg on the other hand was embedded next to the other, though I had to cut off some of his toes to properly stand again.
When I was done my leg still was missing some of the support it once had, but I already had an idea how I would get it back. I lifted Darriwil's body, along with the two separate parts of the dead soldier, and let my spirit be taken back to my men.
When my eyes opened again, I didn't see my men however. Instead, I saw eleven corpses lying on the ground, and two men standing in front of them.
Both of them turned to me, and I froze.
One of them wore a slightly damaged, but still functional armor. He had a halberd in hand, and his look was hard and ready.
The second one seemed like a generic barbarian, armed with a battleaxe and a leather shield, with no real armor to speak of.
Normally I shouldn't have been afraid of these men, after all, I had faced things like a Crucible Knight and a Tree Spirit. And yet, something in my chest, and my mind screamed that they were dangerous.
I looked at the two men who were standing in front of me, and even if they seemed to be a bit surprised by my sudden appearance, they readied themselves, their faces grim and ready.
When the first one attacked with speed and strength no normal man should have and the second one roared out loud, a red aura appearing around him, I knew why I felt fear.
These two were Tarnished.
-Edgar-
His halberd split the mouth of a Demi-Human that had jumped at him, cutting off the blood-curdling scream the creature had let out. He dashed forward, his halberd cutting apart armor and flesh alike, not bothering to whether the things he killed were the Demi-Humans or Kenneth's men.
"Death to the traitors!" He roared, and a gust of wind appeared around his halberd, cutting through the rows of his enemies.
A mad pumpkinhead ran towards him, a large flail in its hand. It never reached him, however. His large second in command buried his Greataxe in the beast's upper leg, making it lose its footing, while three other soldiers stabbed it in the throat. It still managed to backhand one of the soldiers into a nearby wall, snapping his neck with a gruesome sound, but when the swords punctured its throat its struggles lessened.
He roared once again, his halberd hacking off the arm of another soldier. The man in question didn't seem to notice his lack of arm however, and continued to attack as if he were in a strange trance. Edgar stabbed forward, the tip of his halberd breaking into the skull of the soldier and ending his life once and for all.
His men were also slowly advancing, but not without injuries and deaths. He saw one of the larger soldiers be swarmed by a few Demi-Humans, their daggers managing to bring him down to his knees. One of Kenneth's soldiers pierced another man's stomach and threw him off the cliff they were fighting on.
Yet another man was completely gored through by a ballista bolt, that one of the soldiers positioned on the walls of the Fort was manning. Edgar hacked off the heads of his last enemies and ran for the entrance of the Fort, a small gate that could be closed from the inside. And indeed, the gate was slowly closing, the spikes coming ever closer to the earth.
A dozen feet away from the gate he knew he wouldn't reach it in time. He readied his halberd and threw it with all his might, the spike on the head of it embedding itself into the mechanism of the gate. His second in command, who had just managed to hack apart a few men, seemed to notice this and roared, advancing toward and running through the gate. Other men soon followed suit.
He arrived just a few moments later, ripping his halberd from the mechanism and letting the gate fall close. He looked around and saw the body of a dead Demi-Human Queen. A slight amount of panic began to rise in his heart but was soon soothed by what he saw when he took his eyes off the carcass.
His men were already advancing upward, having killed the soldiers that were guarding the entrance to the Fort. He saw the soldier that was manning the ballista being kicked off his position, sending him plummeting to the ground for a few dozen feet. His shoulders relaxed, and he let out a sigh, sure of their victory.
And then the body of his second-in-command landed on the ground next to him, his armor completely ripped apart. The large body of the Exile now lay right next to the body of a dead Demi-Human Queen, both of them possessing large gashes on their body.
'It was one person that did this?' He thought, the grip around his halberd tightening. He sprinted upwards, ascending the stairs of the Fort within a few seconds.
He heard his men's screams of pain and agony, and when he arrived at the top of the Fort he saw that the ground was covered in blood and at least half of his men were dead.
The knight in the middle of the blood-soaked ground turned around to face him, and a grin grew on his face.
"Ah, better blood for the mother!" Not a second later the knight was in front of him, his sword clashing with his halberd.
'He's fast!' Edgar stabbed forward, forcing the knight backward. The orange and green colors of Godrick had been ripped off and were replaced by bloodied rags instead.
"Where is your lord? Has Kenneth Haight lost his mind!" Edgar screamed, his muscles tightened and readied. The knight just gave off a bout of crazy laughter and shook his head.
"NO NO NO! HE WOULDN'T EMBRACE THE MOTHER!" The knight charged forward, his sword suddenly covered in blood. Edgar barely managed to react, his halberd spinning again and again to batter the sword away. He managed to hit his enemy, but the hit seemed to barely faze him.
"MORE! MORE BLOOD FOR THE MOTHER!" The knight was in a frenzy now, his strikes gaining in strength and his maniacal laughter increasing. Edgar felt his knees weaken with every bone-shaking blow.
"MEN, FIRE!" His two words might have seemed nonsensical, but it seemed the few remaining of his men seemed to understand because, after a few seconds, the knight was suddenly being shot at by the crossbows. One of the bolts even managed to get through the eye-slit of the knight. He went to the ground, still laughing like he was hearing the funniest joke of his life.
"MORE! GIVE THE MOTHER MORE! NO STUPID GAMES!" The knight charged at Edgar once again, but the crossbow bolts were making things more difficult for him, he couldn't attack properly anymore. That's why he changed his tactic, charging at the remaining soldiers instead.
The first soldier that got into his range was cut in half, all the while the bloodied knight still was laughing like a maniac. The second soldier lost his arm, barely managing to jump backward to save his life.
The knight didn't seem to appreciate it, going for a stab with his sword. But in doing so he let his guard down, giving Edgar the ability to drive his halberd into the knight's back. He still wasn't dead yet, even with blood streaming out of his visor.
"HA HA HA! BLOOD FOR MOTHER, MORE BLOOD!" He twisted his arms backward, breaking both of them, but still took ahold of Edgars' throat, trying to strangle him.
Edgar roared, and ran forward, his halberd held in front of him. The knight's grip didn't loosen, however, and Edgar could feel how breathing was getting harder. He arrived at one of the edges of the Fort Wall and let go of his halberd, pushing it forward with his last strength.
The knight's hands slipped off him, unable to hold him any longer, and he could hear the knight's scream as he plummeted to the ground, shattering his body into tiny pieces.
Edgar collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. The last ten of his men gathered around him, and one of them helped him stand.
"Search the entire Fort, we have to find Kenneth Haight." Edgar tried to yell, but his voice failed him, cracking slightly.
"Lord Edgar… we have found him already." One of the soldiers said and pointed at a strange cross. Edgar followed his finger and froze.
There, with all his intestines spilling out, hung Kenneth Haight, a Lord of Limgrave.
Authors' Note: Dun Dun Dunn! Kenneth's dead and Godrick meets two Tarnished. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and once again feedback and comments are welcomed.
Also yes, Darriwil is stronger here than he is in the game. I think from a pure lore standpoint he also should be, seen as he seemed to have served directly under Ranni.
Last edited: Sep 26, 2023
12-Meeting a Sorceress
12-Meeting a Sorceress
-???-
His axe found purchase in the abomination's leg but only managed to cut a few inches into the grafted mass of flesh. He cursed slightly and backed away, letting his better-armored companion block the blow with his magically enhanced shield. Even so, the blow of the golden axe sent the vagabond flying, and the grafted monster was upon him soon.
And he had to admit, even if he wasn't one to be easily scared, the 20-foot-tall monster charging towards him did give him the spooks. He dodged the first strike but was caught by a crossbow bolt that had been fired from one of the hands on the back of the monster.
'Shit, this isn't what the information told us! We were supposed to regroup at Stormveil Castle!' He dodged yet another swing and jumped backward a few times to gain distance from the grafted lord. His companion had also finally returned, his shield slightly dented.
"Thought you had fallen off a cliff or something." He joked slightly, and his companion gave a slight grunt, before raising his shield.
"He hits hard, I'd rather not block any of his hits again." He nodded, readying his axe once again.
"Alright, let's end it then!" He charged at the Demigod and ducked in his next swing, before his axe once again swung at his leg. It bit into the flesh again, leaving a mark that was a bit deeper, but not good enough.
"VERMIN!" Godrick the Grafted had dropped the golden axe and swiped at him, and even when he blocked the blow with his shield he could feel how his arm was broken as a result of the blow. He was thrown away like a sack of potatoes and crashed against a nearby tree, his back-breaking through it. He panted slightly, feeling his injuries ache with pain.
"Fuck!" He took out one of his amber flasks and downed it in one go, feeling his injuries heal. He stood up once again and sprinted to the fight where he saw that his companion was currently being forced backward, blades of wind clashing against his shield.
He increased his speed and jumped into the air, axe held in both hands and let out a roar.
The Grafted lord turned around much faster than he had fought, and he felt the smaller one of the axes pass through his ribcage, splitting him apart.
"What the fu-" He was cut off as the golden axe came down on his head, smashing his skull.
My axe quickly was retracted from the smashed skull and I turned toward the other, armored Tarnished.
"Come on then! Face me!" Instead, the man turned around and ran, his armor not even slowing him down.
I couldn't let him escape!
I dashed forward, my long arm wrapping itself around his left leg, lifting him into the air, and smashing him against the ground. Over and over again. I didn't stop when I heard his bones break, I didn't stop when his armor crumbled, I only stopped when I was sure he was dead.
Heavy breaths left my mouth and sweat was running from my face, and I didn't understand why at first. The fight wasn't hard per se, it was one of the easier ones I had gone through.
Was it my fear of the potential danger Tarnished could pose? Most likely.
I stood up once again, and lifted the two dead bodies of the Tarnished, looking at them. The one that belonged to the barbarian was in better shape for grafting, and most of his muscles were still intact. The body of the knight was destroyed, however, and I doubted anything from him could be used as grafting material.
My head turned back towards the bodies of my men, and I let out a sigh. I didn't know when they would reappear, I only knew that they would do so. And if I left their bodies at the Evergoal would they reappear there or at Stormveil Castle?
My hand began to search the men for their flasks, but I found none. Guess that was a bit too easy, huh?
I sighed slightly and began to collect their bodies, before carrying all of them toward some of the old ruins. I deposited the bodies there and scratched a few words in a stone close to them.
'Return to Stormveil Castle.'
It wasn't much it was probably pretty subpar, but I couldn't think of anything better at the time. I dragged the dead bodies of the barbarian and Darriwil after me until I reached the ruins Sellen resided in. At first, I had thought that I would go to the Weeping Peninsula first, to kill the Ancient Hero of Zamor, but seeing as Tarnished were roaming Limgrave right now… no, I wasn't interested in that.
Before I entered the ruins I sat down and began to skin the barbarian's corpse with one of my daggers. He possessed no "special" attributes, but his muscle fibers should still be of high quality. The dagger sunk into flesh and I pulled off the skin I wouldn't use. The barbarian's bones weren't bad quality, but they weren't worth grafting.
'Were these younger Tarnished? They were stronger than any normal knight, but they weren't at a level where I would trust them to even defeat the old Godrick.' The dagger continued to skin the body and my other hand began to pull the muscle fibers out. When I was done with skinning the entire body I cut off the last of the muscle fibers and went to work.
My Great Rune slowly began to add the fibers to my being, though much slower than it would without sewing them to myself. After the entire ordeal was done I stood up, testing the weight on my leg, and set the Mimic Veil on my head. After my body had taken on my human form, my eyes rested on the body of Darriwil for just a few seconds, contemplating whether or not I should graft his other leg too.
I shook my head, however, seeing no point in wasting potential material that could be used for experiments. Besides, I should soon be able to use his speed for myself, the only reason why I had gone into his prison at all.
The ruins Sellen lived in were just a few feet away from me, and I began to walk towards them, crawling over the broken-down walls of the rest of the ruins in the process. I tried to find the entrance as soon as possible, but instead of being as lucky as I hoped to be, I stepped on the leaf of a living plant.
"Miranda Sprouts", that's what the little version of moving, carnivorous plants were called in the game. They wouldn't attack you with their mouths but spray pollen into your direction that could give you various afflictions depending on the region you were in. They could also headbutt you, but normally they wouldn't be a big problem.
But I wasn't in my grafted form right now, so the headbutt of the plant that connected with my knee did hurt.
"OH MOTHER-" I ripped the Mimic Veil from my head and my now grafted hand squashed the plant beneath its weight. Unfortunately, my thundering voice seemed to have woken more of the plants, as they were slowly advancing towards me. I groaned slightly and shot wind blades at the plants, cutting most of them in two.
Only to be hit by strange beams of light that seemingly descended from the sky. I crossed my arms over my head, shielding myself as well as I could, and weathered the storm. After the attack had ended I jumped over the broken part of a building and saw the gigantic plant responsible for it.
Unlike her little relatives, the Blighted Bloom Miranda flower was gigantic, easily standing at teen feet height. That didn't stop me from crushing her center like a cheap plastic bottle however and soon enough the flower fell to the ground, dead.
"Never thought I would be hit by fucking flowers of all things," I murmured to myself but turned around to look around the corner the tall flower had been guarding.
'If I remember right…' And indeed, there was a stairway leading downward, towards Sellen's hideout. I already wanted to enter, until I realized my mistake.
My ass was too large for the staircase beneath, perhaps even the room down there. And while I could easily just slip on the Mimic Veil, I didn't know if I could fight the Mad Pumpkinhead that was guarding Sellen properly. I was much larger than he was, and the guy was also quite large for the room.
I sighed and rubbed my eyes, thinking about what I should do next. And after I few seconds I had come up with a plan, even if it was pretty simple.
"Yeah, that should work." My axes began to dig into the staircase, removing them so I could properly kneel before the door that seemed to be sealed by golden mist. I touched the mist and I felt it disappate. Right behind it, I saw the figure of a Mad Pumpkinhead standing at the other end of the room. He was entirely still when I looked at him through the doorway as if he was a bit dumbfounded.
"Hello there." That got a reaction out of him and the mad warrior ran at me, his flail ready to crush me. Unfortunately for him, I was much stronger than he was, grabbing him with one of my main arms and slowly pulling him closer to the exit. My other hand reached through the doorway and began to slowly peel open the pumpkinhead possessed, revealing an ugly-as-sin face beneath. I didn't let his ugly mug distract me however and let my left hand hover over his now exposed face, the staff implanted under it already shining with magical energy.
The first pellet hit the brute in the forehead, sending his head flying backward and against the ground, cratering it with the force. The second projectile got embedded into his eye socket and reached his brain in a matter of seconds. The Pumpkinhead struggled for a few more seconds until his body went slack. I made sure to stab him in the throat though, just to be sure.
My arms pushed him back into the room once again and I put on the Mimic Veil, once again transforming into my human body.
I walked into the now unguarded room and saw the heavy-looking door on the other side of it. In a few strides I stood in front of it and instead of opening it immediately knocked against it.
"….Hello?" The female voice on the other side seemed to be a bit dumbfounded by my lack of barging in and I used the opportunity to clear my throat and start talking.
"Ah, thou must the Sellen, the sorceress from Raya Lucaria! I must say that it is an honor to meet thee indeed! I have tried to find a master of thou capabilities for a long time and it seems that I have finally been successful!" For a short while I heard nothing behind the closed door, but thank god she answered shortly after.
"Continue talking, what is it that you want from me?" I smiled slightly. Sellen was a great teacher, and an amazingly skilled sorceress, she knew all of those things. It made her a bit arrogant, however.
"I wish to have thy aid in learning specific ways of magic and of course also to become Elden Lord." Silence filled the room after your words, but it was broken by Sellen's loud laughter.
"Ha ha ha ha, you are a funny one. Are you perhaps Tarnished? Only they have that ambition anymore." I raised an eyebrow, unsure if that answer was true, but then spoke once again.
"Nay, t'is not true. Otherwise, I, GODRICK THE GOLDEN, wouldn't be standing in front of your door." Silence once again filled the room, until the door was lifted by none other than Sellen herself, the eyes of her strange crown gazing into my eyes.
"No, you are way too handsome for that." She said, wanting to let the door fall shut again. Instead of letting that happen, however, I slipped through at the last moment, now standing face-to-face with the sorceress.
"Now, getting a bit too close, are we?" She said, though not without a light chuckle. I cleared my throat slightly and spoke.
"If thou think that I am not Godrick the Grafted, why don't I show you then?" She tilted her head slightly and then looked at the ceiling as if she wanted to say "What's with this guy" and looked at me once again.
"Very well then, I shall see if you have proof for your claim. What is the evidence you bring forth?" I stepped back into the room the Pumpkinhead had guarded and lay on my stomach, prompting the sorceress to tilt her head.
"That's a weird way of showing evi-" Before she could finish her sentence I pulled the Mimic Veil off my head, revealing my true form.
"BY HAIMA'S CANNON!" Sellen seemed to take my true appearance poorly and fell backward, landing on one of the many crystals strew inside her little "lab". She yelped and jumped upward, moving forward slightly, and into one of my hands.
I caught her "body" and settled her on the floor again, with both of her bare feet. Even if she was some kind of illusion, she very much felt real.
Sellen seemed to have realized just how ridiculous her outburst must have looked and cleared her throat.
"Ahem, I'm sorry for this little outburst, lord Godrick, but you see, I didn't think I would be graced by your visit." I nodded slightly, smiling all the while.
"Ah yes, thou must have never dreamed of seeing such a beautiful face such as mine, am I right?" That could be true, perhaps Godrick was a looker in his youth.
"Oh yes, I would have never imagined my lord," Sellen said, chuckling slightly, and silence once again filled the room.
"So, what can I do for you, my lord?" Sellen asked, her crown looking at me. My smile grew.
"It is good that thou ask, great sorceress. But I have already told thee my goals, haven't I?" The sorceress was silent once again, her crown still gazing into my face.
"So, you have gained interest in my sorceries? May I ask you what you could give me in exchange for my knowledge and help? Because while I do take runes, my services aren't cheap." She seemed proud as if she thought I had no other option than to fall to my knees.
"Well, I can free thine real body." And just like that, all of the smugness drained from her body and she seized me by the clothes around my shoulder, trying to shake me back and forth. Trying being the keyword, but I was way too heavy for that.
"HOW DO YOU KNOW?!" I slowly pried the normally calm sorceress off me and set her down again.
"That does not matter. What does is whether or not thou will help me. Aren't thee interested in all of the things your sorceries could do in my hand? With you as the headmistress of Raya Lucaria?" That seemed to calm her down and Sellen seemed to think about the offer.
"Very well then, I shall accompany you to your castle and teach you magic, on two conditions." I raised an eyebrow but didn't speak up, allowing her to continue.
"I will become the headmistress of Raya Lucaria and you shall help me regain my body." I smiled slightly and nodded, still unsure if I would really hold up the deal, but nonetheless extended my hand towards her.
"A deal shall be struck then." Sellen gazed at my six-fingered hand for a while and took it with her smaller, much more delicate one, shaking it.
"Indeed, that it is." I couldn't stop the grin from breaking out on my face and put on the Mimic Veil once again, before walking to the exit.
"Well, accompany me to Stormveil Castle then!"
The travel back to Stormveil Castle took us quite a while. We arrived at my castle when the third day after I had left the castle started. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary.
"It seems that you have begun to restore Stormveil Castle," Sellen said, gazing at the fixed holes in the walls. I just nodded, spurring my horse on further.
"Indeed, that I did. This is only the beginning, however. Soon, very soon, I will try to reach Liurnia." I said, but my attention was soon caught by one of my soldiers running towards me.
"My lord, Commander Edgar has returned from Fort Haight and is ready to give you information on the entire mission! He seems to have important news for you and is waiting in your throne room!" I gave the soldier a nod and waved him away, before getting off my horse and taking off the Mimic Veil. My eyes caught sight of Sellen still sitting and I pointed at her.
"I shall speak with thee soon enough, sorceress. Make thyself a home in the library in the courtyard." She didn't seem to like that I was giving her orders, but she had to follow them for now and nodded slightly before a few of my men flanked her sides to show her her new library.
I on the other hand began to walk to my throne room, where Edgar was seemingly waiting for me. When I entered the room I could already see the commander, leaning against a wall, with his arm held in a pseudo brace.
"Did Kenneth Haight put up such a great amount of resistance?" Edgar shook his head and chuckled slightly.
"No, lord Haight was already dead when we arrived at the Fort. His soldiers had betrayed him and hanged him on a cross. The leader of the rebellion, a knight originating from your ranks, was mad with bloodlust. He was always chanting and screaming for someone. The Formless Mother, he called her." I felt dread run down my spine.
'Fuck!" Edgar wasn't finished yet, however, and slowly took out two medallions, throwing them to me, and pointed at the crushed body on the table.
"That's all my men could find, along with a book that I have laid on your throne." And indeed, a small book lay on the throne. I picked it up and browsed through it, discovering recipes that all involved blood.
'Fucking shit.'
"But that wasn't the reason why I am the way I am now." Edgar's voice brought me back to reality one last time, and I knelt down to his level, shaking his good shoulder slightly.
"Then what was it? Tell me!" Edgar obeyed, his wounded arm clued to his side.
"Tarnished, a whole group of them. They were young, but the sheer notion of them bonding together is terrifying. And my lord…" The cold feeling began to take hold of me, and a dark foreboding entered my head.
"… more are coming, and all of them seem to be heading to Stormveil."
Authors' Note: Damn, finishing two chapters with a cliffhanger, I'm an ass. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter and write a few comments about it.
Last edited: Sep 27, 2023
13-Preparations (Part 1)
13-Preparations (Part 1)
After he had told me about the Tarnished I had sent Edgar away a few minutes ago, which allowed me to let my emotions loose. And they weren't happy.
My hand crushed one of the limbs lying around my room, but not in anger.
"FUCK! SHIT!" I cursed and threw away the destroyed limb. What should I do now? Why the fuck did something like this have to happen to me?!
I took a deep breath, trying to calm down, and it helped, at least somewhat. I just had to get my shit together and think of a plan.
My eyes wandered to the destroyed body of the knight who had taken control of Kenneth's castle. Even though most of his bones were crushed, I just needed a little more strength, and perhaps he could give me that.
"Servants!" Two commoners looked into my throne room, shaking slightly.
"Call the Kaiden hunting parties. They shall be my scouts and report to my soldiers everything they see from the Tarnished!" The commoners nodded and ran away, their weak feet carrying them away. I once again turned towards the table with the knight on it and took out a few scalpels, ready to get to work.
First I had to open the armor and remove it from his body, showing me his destroyed and burst open skin that lay beneath. It didn't seem to have been a painful death, but the immensely large grin on the knight's face remained.
I began to cut off his muscle fibers and added them to my arms and legs to strengthen them once again. His hands on the other hand joined those on my back, and I replaced the ones I had lost in my fight against Darriwil. My eyes fell upon the body of the Crucible Knight I had killed beforehand, and I dragged the body closer to myself.
I started with his leg, cutting it off and using it to further support the rest of my body. Before I could continue, however, I heard a familiar sound in a hole beneath my throne room.
"Milton?" The sounds got more pleased and I opened the little hatch he normally was in. The undead Misbegotten dragged himself forward, one of his arms missing and one leg twisted in the opposite direction.
"What happened to you? Did you cross Tarnished too?" Milton shook his head and then waved me over to his hole. I got closer and when I was just a few feet away from the hole he pointed down, as if he wanted to show me something. I looked down, a bit confused as to why Milton made such a big deal out of it.
And before my eyes lay a fucking Runebear.
"Wha-?" My eyes trailed the body of the bus-sized creature, its' enormous claws surely enough to crush a normal man without problem.
"How did you do this?" Milton smiled slightly and pointed at the head of the bear. I looked closer and saw that the eyes of the bear had been stabbed through. Whatever weapon had done this had most likely reached the brain and killed him.
Still, the idea that Milton had been able to kill a Runebear was strange, though not unwelcome at all. I turned to him, a small smile on my face.
"Well done, my creation. You shall receive new limbs and stronger muscles immediately." Milton jumped up and down, happy about the aspect of being granted functioning limbs again.
I looked at the body of the bear, my smile growing. The amount of muscles and defensive capabilities I would be able to gain from him should be massive. The increase of strength would be great, but seen as a group of Tarnished were in Limgrave, wouldn't it be better to also strengthen my men? They would be the ones who did the bulk of the fighting after all.
My thought process was stopped when Milton lightly tugged on one of my legs, making me once again look at him. He held his stump in the air, wiggling slightly with it.
"Ah, of course, young one. You shall gain a new arm." I led Milton to the operating table and began looking for the proper materials to repair him.
I sewed on the last patch of new skin Milton had received from me and looked at my work. I had slightly altered his face, given him fangs from the Demi-humans, and packed him with a lot of compressed Demi-Human muscles. One of his legs had been replaced by the leg of a Chieftain, which should enable him to move faster and longer. Along with a little "gift" that he had received for killing the Runebear.
"How do thy new fur and claws suit thee?" I asked, looking at my little minion. I had grafted some of the Runebears' fur onto him to give him better protection, though for the "claws," I had to use his teeth instead. The real claws of the bear were just too big. Still, those things were deadly.
Milton just nodded and jumped around a bit. Quite fast too, if I had to admit it, though still lacking behind compared to a speedster like Darriwil. I looked at the nearly untouched body of the Runebear and nodded. Still enough to strengthen me and give me yet another bout of natural armor.
"Milton, would you please fetch me the sorceress Sellen that resides in the library? If anyone tries to stop you, just show them this." I gave him the small, knitted coat of arms Grisela had made for me and pointed out of the throne room. Milton stared at the thing for a few moments, his brain most likely trying to understand my order properly, and then nodded, scurrying off.
I on the other hand began to drag a few bodies to my table, preparing something for a plan that had shot into my head while I was working on Milton.
"A few Misbegotten muscles, along with the compressed fibers of the Demi-Humans, and of course you two guys," I murmured to myself, looking at the bodies of the Crucible Knight and Darriwil.
Yes, that could work.
Sellen appeared a few minutes later, just as when I had readied everything for the operation.
"What is this?" She said, and I was quite sure that I heard disgust in her voice.
The fucking irony.
"This is my newest experiment. The creation of yet another minion for mine army." I pointed at Milton, who stood beside her.
"This thing is a good example, do thou not agree?" Sellen looked at Milton, peering at him with her Glintstone crown, and jumped backward.
"That's why the thing felt unnatural, it was dead from the get-go!" I shook my head slightly.
"Not directly. Milton still lives, he just isn't a Misbegotten anymore." Sellen stared at me, and I could imagine that her eyes were narrowed. There was a short moment where I thought she would just refuse to help me, but I was quite sure that she wanted to expand her knowledge.
"How did you create him?" I smiled slightly at her question. Knowledge was power after all.
"Ah, let me instruct thee in my current knowledge of this matter. Indeed, I took this idea from the marionettes that are wandering in the swamps of Liurnia." To demonstrate it, I took a scalpel and cut open Miltons' arm, showing Sellen one of the Glintstone scraps that I had embedded into it. While Sellen seemed to ponder my take on the practice, I sewed the "wound" shut, not wanting Milton to leak blood anywhere.
"The Glintstone you are using is crap. No real sorcerer would even glance at it." I smiled once again.
"Aye, thou art right. But that's why I have called thee to help me with mine endeavor." My hands pointed at the bodies around the table and they remained the ones' of Darriwil and the Crucible Knight.
"Won't these two make a great champion?!" Sellen was silent for a while, gazing at the two dead bodies.
"Very well, I shall assist you with my magical knowledge." The words left her mouth and a manic grin grew on my face.
"Well then, let's begin!"
-Edgar-
He stood in front of the main gate, yelling orders at the soldiers.
"The ballistae must be always trained on the entrance, understood? We can't even allow any Tarnished to show themselves!" He would have to make sure Irina would be given more guards, just to be sure.
"Commander Edgar, is lord Godrick currently grafting?" Alaric, one of the younger officers, asked him. He just nodded, staring at the men manning the three ballistae.
"Indeed, he told me to prepare all men for the worst. All of the men from the wine cellar now are stationed here and all doors to the cellar are locked and guarded.
"Is that why we have so many explosive barrels here?" Alaric asked, looking at the barrels that a group of soldiers were currently carrying to a safer place.
"Yes, we took them and some other barrels of wine from the cellar to give any Tarnished that arrive a bad welcome." He pointed at the Lion Guardian, which was normally stationed a bit further up the castle grounds, and showed Alaric the five men who were carrying firebombs.
"The lion is a good eye-catcher. Any enemies will immediately focus on him and hopefully not realize that they have stepped into a trap." Alaric nodded, and his Misbegotten arm clenched around the giant spear he was holding.
"Very well, I shall ride out with a few men and try to get as much manpower as I can to this position." Alaric swung himself on the saddle of a strong black horse, his lance still nearly touching the ground.
"I wish you the best of luck, Commander Edgar." He said before he and a group of riders left the castle. Edgar looked after them and sighed slightly. Hopefully, they would be successful.
"Men! I want you to concentrate on your current tasks! Be ready at all times!" He pointed at a group he hadn't yet assigned a task for.
"You, search the entire castle. Not a single opening should exist!" The men got moving, their eyes and movements clear and precise.
Just like before they started to lose their minds.
His footsteps led him back to the courtyard, where he was left staring at the old trees that stood within. He moved his arm slightly, flinching as he did so. He should most likely seek out a medic to at least accelerate the healing.
"Father? Why are so many men currently moving around the castle?" The voice of his dear daughter brought him out of his musings and he turned to face her, smiling even though she couldn't see it.
"We are preparing ourselves, daughter, for a potential siege. The scouts I have sent out still haven't returned, however, so we don't know the numbers of the Tarnished." As soon as the last word had left his mouth Grisla, Godricks' granddaughter flinched.
"Tarnished?! And there is an entire group coming to get us?" Her twisted body twitched from stress and apparent fear. Edgar tried to calm her down.
"Don't worry, we haven't spotted the entire group yet, and they have to enter the castle at first to be a true danger to us anyway. I am sure lord Godrick is already planning something." He said, nearly praying that it was the truth. He couldn't let his restlessness show however and then pointed at one of the towers that was located near Godricks' throne room.
"You two can seek shelter there and check if the men on duty are already preparing their crossbows." The two young women nodded and both of them took off, Grisela leading Irina with her hand.
He smiled slightly, and silently prayed his scouts would be able to find anything of use.
-D-
He impaled the skeleton in the ribcage, shattering every single bone with his attack. After it tried to reform, he stepped on its' skull, shattering it.
"Even after killing the Mariner the presence of them remains in Limgrave." He murmured, checking if that was the last one.
"Normally they would also die if the Mariner is killed but these seem to have their thought process." He sheathed his blade and began to walk away from the body of water, relieved that the infection in this once peaceful village had been ripped out.
"Hey, there partner." What he didn't expect was a voice to call out to him. He turned around and saw a man standing in front of him, clothed in a strange suit of leather armor, less suited for protection, but more for mobility. His weapons of choice, a few crossbows and throwing knives, also seemed a bit odd.
"You're D, right?" The man took off his strange headwear, something akin to the helmets normal footsoldiers would wear, and looked at him.
"That I am. What do you want from me, stranger?" Ds' hand hovered over his sword, ready to draw it at a moment's notice, but the strange man just lifted his hands, making a placating gesture.
"Calm your horse partner, I'm not here to fight. Gideon sent me a message about the movement of a Shard Bearer, and well I still owe him a favor. Along with the fact that as a Tarnished the chances of losing my life ain't that high." He took out a strange piece of herba and chewed on it, making a satisfied grunt as he did so.
"Name's Auden by the way. Are you up for a chat?" D slowly dropped his stance and relaxed, nodding as he did so.
"Follow along then, partner," Auden said, still chewing on the herb. He walked ahead of D, leading the hunter of the Undead into the Mistwood forest.
"How did you find me?" He asked, a bit surprised how the other Tarnished was able to locate him without having any prior knowledge of his whereabouts. Auden looked over his shoulder, eyeing D for a short while, and then smiled.
"I'm something of a tracker. Not the best, but I sure as Rot can find a guy dressed in fancy armor." D felt a slight amount of annoyance at the comment but didn't answer the man, letting the rest of their walk continue in silence. After a few more minutes, when they arrived in a more remote part of the forest, the other Tarnished stopped.
"Here we are," Auden said, and soon enough D indeed saw campfires in the forest.
"What?" He said, confused as to why there were so many.
"Are all of those Tarnished?" Tarnished did NOT mesh together well. A small group of five, six, or seven people? That was still acceptable. But there were way too many campfires here for it to just be under ten people.
"Indeed, that's what they are. Though, I gotta say, most of them are very very new to this whole thing." Auden said, slightly cracking his neck, before walking into the center of the camp. One of the other Tarnished, an immensely muscled woman stood up from her seat in front of the fire and nodded at both of them. D knew her.
"Nephelli, are you here on your father's orders?" The axe-wielding warrior just nodded and sat down again.
"Indeed, father has sent me to assist his old friend." D looked at Auden who shrugged his shoulders.
"And you want me to be part of the plan too, am I right?" The question was rhetorical, D already knew the answer. Auden and Nephelli nodded, and the older man finally spat out the herb he had been chewing the entire time.
"Yep, hit the nail on the head, partner. We got three Tarnished here that are worth a damn, with you I'd be four. And believe me, I would appreciate the help. Three Tarnished can't lead forty-eight others without problems." D froze slightly, the number shocking him.
"Forty-eight, that's the largest number of Tarnished ever gathered." Auden just shook his head, and once again reached for a strange herb.
"Nope, back in my earlier days we used to make a lot of team-ups. The problem is that back then we also didn't know that Tarnished grows stronger faster without having to share the Runes. So yeah, with time our meetings got rarer and rarer, along with the fact that we started to stab each other in the back over and over again." He chewed on the herb, seemingly relishing in the taste, and then stared at him.
"Now, you ready to help us? Then all of us can split into four groups, with each of us having a dozen men each, how does that sound?" Auden offered him a hand, and he stared at it. His look strayed upward, to a bunch of corpses that were hung on one of the trees, their bodies filled with bolts.
Godrick's men.
He looked down on Audens' hand again, his mind in a tumult.
'Is it worth it? Sure, Godrick is a Shard Bearer, but if Gideon can bring such manpower to bear, why didn't he do it beforehand? Did he just refuse to do anything?' He looked up from the offered hand, into the questioning face of Auden, and then shook his head.
"Sorry, but I heard rumors about a Deathbird nearby, and if that thing's real… I will have to exterminate it." Auden looked at him for a few moments and then sighed, clicking his teeth.
"Well, can't pressure someone into joining this group, especially if that someone is you. Would have loved to have your sword at my side, though." He turned to Nephelli, and shrugged his shoulders, before departing to another campfire, approaching the five Tarnished that were sitting there.
"Even if you can't help us here D, I wish you good luck with your hunt," Nephelli said, giving him a slight nod he returned.
"I shall take that to heart." He said and took his leave, his footsteps once again leading him away from the camp. Just when he exited a few bushes, he could hear a twig crack. He reacted on instinct, and grabbed the thing inside the bush, pulling out a man clothed in dark colors, but ones that were still adorned with the coat of arms of Godrick.
A scout.
The man closed his eyes, most likely accepting his death. D raised his hand, a small miracle should be enough for this.
'Honor is something for the weak, only strong people can afford it.' The words of the Shardbearer echoed through his mind and his grip loosened, dropping the scout to the ground.
"Go, and tell what you have seen." The man did so, scurrying off at a higher speed than D would have thought possible.
'This repays the debt.' He thought and then continued his way out of the forest, his mind still in a confused state.
Why did Gideon call forth the Tarnished now?
Author's note: Alright, that's it for this chapter, hope you're looking forward to the next one already.
Once again, comments and feedback are always welcomed. Until the next chapter then.
14-Preparations (Part 2)
14-Preparations (Part 2)
-3 days later-
I looked at the stitched-together body in front of me and nodded, satisfied with my work. The rest of the body was still cut open, however, revealing the different muscle fibers and bones inside.
"How are the connections of the glinstones and my magic looking?" Sellen asked, a blue hue streaming from her hands. I took a look at one of the glintstones, the real deal I had gotten from Sellen, not the cheap scraps, and smiled.
"The connections seem to be working fine indeed. The subject's brain was also injected with a few scraps to keep it docile and obedient." My hands worked in tandem, sewing the open skull shut, and my Great Rune connected the thick plates of the skull back together.
"My lord, another group of Kaiden has arrived in the courtyard." One of my Exiled yelled into the throne room, nearly making me miss time a movement of my needle.
"Good, tell them that they shall take position behind the ballistae that are targeting the place after the main gate. If anyone gets too close, they shall surprise them!" I turned my head just in time to see the Exile nod, and continued with my work, slowly closing all of the open areas in the body of my newest creation.
He was built primarily from the bodies of the Crucible Knight and Darriwil but was also strengthened by the muscle fibers of a few Demi-Humans and Misbegotten. I also had attached two new arms to his body, both of which had been covered in the fur of the Runebear to give them proper durability. If this experiment went well, it would be able to handle four weapons without too much problem.
"Why didn't you use the metal of the other Crucible Knight's armor to protect this thing's arms?" Sellen asked once again, and I turned to her to give her a deadpan stare.
"Do thou think I want to run around without proper head protection any longer? This matter has long since been overdue." And indeed, the armor was currently being melted into a proper helm for myself, along with protection for my neck and throat.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Anyway, you think this will work?" Sellen asked as I sewed shut the last open area of the body.
"We won't know until we find out," I answered, staring at the body for a few seconds, waiting for anything to happen.
Its fingers twitched at first, not very noticeable but still there. Then the thing's chest began to compress and expand itself, signaling it's breathing. And then it stood up, its armored mass creating a loud clank when it impacted the ground of my throne room. Of course the ground itself didn't get damaged, it was strong enough to even carry my weight.
The creature looked around, its still empty hands closing and opening over and over again, until its "eyes" caught me. It came closer and craned its neck to look me in the eyes. Then it fell to the ground, bowing before me.
"Thou may rise, my newest creature," I said, and it did, standing up straight once again.
"Hm, thou deserve a name, at least I think so…" I pondered for a while and then nodded slightly.
"Thy name shall be… Tarkus."
The Greatsword of the Crucible Knight, his shield, and Darriwil Curved Greatsword slashed through the air as I sent Tarkus on his first test run.
"He's good. Immensely fast too." Sellen, who was next to me, remarked. I just nodded, looking at the strange fighting style he practiced for a bit longer.
"I shall equip him with a large spear, to give him more range." I decided and gave one of the Exiled who was currently patrolling the area the order to try and find such a spear.
"Now that our creation is finished, what will you do now? Graft another batch of that Runebear muscle onto yourself?" Sellen asked, pointing at my noticeably bulkier body. The fibers that hadn't gone into my experiments had gone into my body, and the difference in physical strength I had now was staggering. Its claws and paws were also used, though in a different way.
A part of the paws was cut off and I inserted the long claws inside of my "toes", or at least the many little masses of flesh that resembled them in my case. It hurt like a bitch, but my balance was greatly increased.
The claws, along with the muscle groups that could slightly move them, I set on the outer side of my forearms. The muscle groups would allow me to raise them, making them into spikes that I could use to attack. Combine that with the massive amount of weight behind even my arm strikes, and the normally sharp claws turned into buzzsaws.
I had to admit, now that I thought about it, I might have been inspired by Batman to make these.
"-odrick?" My thoughts were interrupted when Sellen called my name, and I realized that I must have zoned out. I cleared my throat, feeling slightly embarrassed.
"Sorry, but the answer to the question is no. This lord has already used up all of the Runebear meat that he possessed." Sellen looked at me for a short while and then sighed.
"Well, now that this whole thing is done, do you need me in any other matter?" I did play with the thought of letting her teach me sorcery immediately but ribboned the idea after a short bout of thinking. We had been at this for days, and she did seem to get tired much faster than I did.
"No, thou may go now and rest." Sellen nodded and took her leave, leaving me alone in front of my throne room. Well, along with the still-training form of Tarkus, who seemed to love cutting things apart.
"Milton." At my voice, my first creation appeared his look questioning.
"I think it is time I give you wings." At that, he smiled.
-2 days later-
-Grisela-
She looked at the many soldiers and mercenaries that were in the courtyard of the castle, all of whom were readying themselves for a big attack that would soon happen. Her hands clenched around her swords. She was one of the last living members of the Golden Lineage.
And she could do nothing to help.
The soldiers had just ushered her and Irina inside the tower and told them to "guard" it along with a few soldiers manning a few large crossbows. She would be safe here, much safer than anyone else in the castle, much safer than its lord.
Her grandfather.
"Excuse me, Irina, I will have to leave for a few minutes." She said, and even though her new friend seemed to be scared, she nonetheless nodded.
"Good luck, Grisela." She was already at the door when the words reached her and she ran down the stairs, out of the tower, and into the direction of her grandfather's throne room.
She heard the sound of weapons clashing together before she could even reach the gateway to it.
Sweat broke out in her and she accelerated her speed, her two swords held tightly in her hands. She went through the gateway and instead of seeing her grandfather in a battle to the death, he seemed to be in a sparring session.
His four enemies were Sir Alaric, a newly knighted officer, Commander Edgar, Irina's father, and two creatures she didn't recognize. Both of them seemed strong, however. The smaller one was floating in the air, a pair of grafted wings on its back, firing arrows at her grandfather, all of which were dodged with a speed that completely spat on the weight of his body. He even seemed to sometimes disappear. The second figure matched Grandfather's blows alongside Commander Edgar, though it was easy to see that it had monstrous strength.
It handled its' four weapons with an extreme amount of skill, stabbing blocking, and countering at the same time sometimes.
And while Commander Edgar and Alaric seemed to lack the sheer amount of strength the creature had, they made it up by working together. Both of them seemed like a whirlwind, slashing and stabbing with halberd and spear, attacking with small daggers when they thought they found an opening.
And yet, even with all four of them working together they still seemed unable to completely outmatch her grandfather.
He responded to the mighty blows of the four-armed creature with his own, even heavier blows, that forced his three melee aggressors backward. Windstorms grew around him, throwing some of the smaller arrows away from him entirely and the arrows that did land on his flesh didn't have to strength to puncture deep into his flesh.
He also wasn't able to land any real blows on his opponents either, both of the parties seeming to be at a standstill. Her grandfather seemed to ready himself for some kind of attack because she could see a small amount of golden energy gathering around his back, but his eyes fell on her before he could use it.
"Ah, granddaughter. What leads you to this place?" The other combatants turned around too, all three of them gave her small bows. She took a deep breath and spoke her mind.
"Grandfather, I want to participate in the fight." And then, just after she uttered those words, she saw the face of her grandfather go through various emotions.
First, it was pain, as if he had just been hit in the head by something, second, it was anger, as if the sheer idea of having her on the battlefield made him seethe. And the last emotion was a cold calmness that took over.
"No, you shall not be part of this battle." He hadn't screamed the words, instead, he had said them with a quiet voice. They still were audible even to her position.
"Grandfather, I can prove myself!" His fist impacted with the ground, creating spiderwebs all around his body.
"I said NO. And thou, young one, shall not disobey thy lord!" His voice had once again taken on a regal tone, a complete contrast to what voice he normally would speak with her. Right now he wasn't her grandfather. He wasn't Godrick the Golden, the old frail man who would always play with her and her sisters, the man who would be worried about his son.
He was Godrick the Grafted, lord of Stormveil.
She felt tears gathering in her eyes and turned around to not let him see them.
"I understand, my lord." She answered, hoping her voice wouldn't crack as she did so.
She left her grandfather alone and returned to the tower, crying quietly.
The pains in my head subsided, and I could finally control my voice again.
'Fuck, what was that?'
MY GRANDDAUGHTER SHALL NOT GO INTO BATTLE!
The angry scream(?) rang in my head and I fell to my knees. Tarkus, Milton, and Edgar took notice of this, and all three of them gathered around me.
"My lord? Are you alright?" Edgar asked, but his voice didn't make things better. It made it worse, now it was echoing in my head too.
"Leave me, i-I shall make a pla- you shall control the rest of the men and ready them for the assault that will surely follow." Edgars' face was worried, but he nonetheless inclined his head and motioned Alaric to follow him. The young knight almost seemed like he wanted to protest, but decided against it in the end, following his commander.
Tarkus and Milton left too, following the two soldiers, and leaving me and my aching head alone.
"What the fuck is this?" I growled out and shook my head, but the pain still lingered on.
'Is that… Godrick in there?' I hoped it wasn't, but those strange thoughts, heck even actions. Didn't it make sense?
"It is a rare sight that I see thee not doing anything, Godrick the Golden." The old, powerful voice brought me back to reality and I stared up at Margit the Fell Omen, who was regarding me with a measuring look.
"What do you want, foul Omen?"
-Margit-
"What do you want, foul Omen?" He ignored the small outburst of the youngest Shardbearer and instead observed his body which had become even more grotesque.
"Have thou crossed thy limit completely, Godrick?" He asked and looked the youngest Shardbearer in the eyes. Godrick just stared back.
"Indeed, I did. And it was for my survival!" Margit didn't respond, however, instead, he stared at the sky.
"Thy castle has been in a tumult ever since thou have heard about the group of Tarnished coming here." The youngest flinched slightly but seemed to steel himself.
"Yeah, up to fifty Tarnished will come here, but my men will give them hell." Margit raised an eyebrow.
"And thou think I will leave my post?" Godrick looked at him and started to chuckle slightly.
"Well, it would be good if you actually would be able to change your position to be more of a team player." His eyes narrowed, and he spoke to Godrick.
"And pray tell me, how and why should I cooperate?" The grafted lord stared at him, before he stood up to his current full height, casting a slight shadow over him.
"Oh, I don't know, throw your magical daggers at them, yeet them off the cliff when you find openings! Heck, for all I care just fucking protect the men that are shooting at them!" Godrick got a bit closer, glaring down at him, the normally dull golden eyes seemingly shining.
"And why you should help me?! I don't fucking know! But I guess because your lazy ass has stayed here for more than a few hundred years, a few days or hours won't make much of a difference, or will they?! Or are you scared, perhaps feeling a bit unsure?" He felt anger rising in himself, and his staff impacted the ground, cratering it.
"Watch thy tongue, boy! I have seen and fought against much worse odds than what are going to be facing! Pay respect to your betters! Or shall I teach you?" He didn't know why he felt so angry, but somehow the youngest of them had managed to anger him.
And Godrick seemed to have waited for it, as he spread his arms, his eyes narrowed.
"Bring it on, teach me all you fucking like!" His staff was raised and his grip around it tightened.
"Very well then." Both of them charged each other, battle cries on their lips, and they collided in the middle of the little arena.
He dodged the blow of the gigantic golden axe, but couldn't avoid the punch that had been thrown by the other hand, sending him flying backward. He landed on the ground, skidding backward, and once again called his hammer to his aid. It materialized in a golden aura and he jumped into the air, bringing it down on the other Shardbearer.
The hammer was blocked, and soon after the arm holding it had been grabbed by the arms of a Crucible Knight, both of them holding him in place. He received yet another heavy punch to the head, sending a bit of blood flying. Even if this wasn't his real body, he still felt some kind of pain from it.
A dagger made of light lashed out, stabbing the other Demigod in the stomach, only for him to roar and throw him away. Both of them were now circling each other, their weapons at the ready and their muscles tensed.
Until Godrick decided to end it.
"This is foolish." He said and lowered his axes, ending the fight. His eyes widened and he had to use his staff as an aid to not fall over.
"What?" Godrick turned around and looked at him.
"Yeah, it's stupid. I'm sorry I started the fight." With those words, the youngest shardbearer left the arena that moments ago had been a battlefield. He looked down at his body, noticing the various places where Godrick had hit him.
Not once had the younger Shardbearer used his axe to attack, as if he never wanted to seriously wound this illusion in the first place.
'Hm, kind of poetic. Me, a collected kind being goaded into a fight by a young brat.' He chuckled slightly and shook his head. Margit was only one of his illusions, far weaker than he was, but even then he was not to be trifled with.
Yet Godrick had managed to defeat Margit without too much trouble. Sure, he had struggled, but instead of it being a battle to the death, it almost felt like a spar. One among fellow warriors. It almost reminded him of the times he went to train with their father, during the war against the giants.
He chuckled once again.
"Well, seems like Margit has to aid the youngest at least in this case." He said to himself and disappeared in a flash of light particles.
-A few hours later-
-???-
He stared at Stormveil Castle, sitting on the highest tower the old fortress possessed. His eyes tracked the grafted lord, just as as he walked out of his throne room once again, something small, but brightly shining, in one of his hands.
What caught his attention however was the new armor the grafted monster sported around his leg, and he sighed slightly.
"That's taking care of the traitor then. Mistress surely will be happy that he's dealt with." He gritted his teeth slightly. But still, for Darriwil to end up like this? He would have deserved a proper, honorable death at the very least. His eyes still followed the ancient-looking man beneath him, and he saw the lord stop in the middle of the arena in front of his throne room.
"COME OUT! I KNOW THOU ART THERE!" His blood ran cold, even if he knew that he had nothing to fear. How was he found out? The mistress had made sure his presence had been masked perfectly. He almost wanted to jump down and face the Shardbearer, his hand already reaching for the sword on his back.
But he was stopped when a completely different voice answered.
"Thou already have my aid, Godrick the Golden, why do you call me now?" Margit the Fell Omen appeared in front of the Lord of Stormveil, having to look up slightly to peer him in the eyes.
"Nay, this isn't about the assault. I have a question for you, about this peculiar… item." Godrick showed Margit the small golden thing in his hand, and the Omen seemed to be surprised.
"Hm, it is rare some a seed that hasn't been taken by the Tarnished yet. I presume thee want to know how it can be used?" Godrick nodded, and Margit sighed.
"I have made use of these seeds to strengthen my magical powers. However, thou should be careful, they seem to latch themselves into your body if you aren't already cursed. A tree will sprout out of thy flesh, similar to how the guardians of the Erdtree have one on their backs." He could see that Godrick shuddered slightly at the words, and he had to agree with the lord. The idea of having a tree slowly grow out of you was… disturbing to say the least.
"Very well, then I must be thoughtful of what I do with this seed in the future," Godrick said, letting the small golden thing disappear into his clothes. The Omen nodded slightly and looked at Godrick for a short while.
"I presume thee are already ready for the assault?" Godrick nodded, though he could see a slight amount of unease on his face.
"Indeed I am. We don't know when it will happen, but when the moment comes, we will be ready!" The Omen nodded at Godricks' words and looked into the night sky, and he could have sworn those golden, piercing eyes staring at him for just a moment.
"Very well then, I shall return to my post then." Without much fanfare the Omen disappeared in a few specks of light, leaving the grafted lord alone. He descended the building, intent on getting at least a bit closer to Godrick to examine his body a bit more. If they ever would come to blows, he would like to know where his strikes would have to be aimed.
His descent was stopped by a few arrows, all of which punctured the roof tiles in front of him. He looked into the air, seeing a flying Misbegotten who was snarling at him, readying another arrow. For just a few moments he thought about drawing his sword and engaging in a fight.
But he decided against it, and instead jumped off the tower, activating a transportation spell his mistress had prepared.
His scouting mission was done.
Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed the chapter and are looking forward to more.
Also, the "Stat" page should be finished a bit later.
Last edited: Sep 30, 2023
Interlude: Auden
Canon Omake: Auden
-A few days ago-
-???-
The needle sank into flesh and the Runebear whined slightly as he sewed shut its wound. He patted its head, making small cooing sounds.
"Oh, don't worry partner, you'll be just dandy in a few hours. Believe me, I ain't the best medician, but I do damn fine with animals like you." The bear just grunted in agreement and its gigantic head rested on his lap.
"What did you get yourself into this time around? Tried to nab a piece of meat and got a bit too close to those golem archers?" The bear just grunted, answering his question.
"You know that those guys ain't a joke. They've been guarding the place for hundreds of years, and not without reason." The bear grunted again, and he sighed.
"Don't be so grumpy partner. You got away with something I wouldn't even call injuries. This isn't even a scratch in the grand scheme of things, you know. You got away scot-free if I'm gonna be honest." The bear didn't answer, instead waiting for him to finish.
"There, all done partner, you can go now." He said after the needle had left the flesh, satisfied with his work. The bear gave a thankful huff and then closed its eyes, trying to sleep.
"Oi, don't sleep on my lab, otherwise my leg might be crushed by your weight." He said and lifted the bear's head off his leg. The large animal gave a low grunt of protest but didn't resist in any other way, allowing its small friend to stand up.
He did so, sighing as he chewed on one of the herbs that he grew just a few feet away from his house.
Life was good.
And then promptly decided to show him the middle finger when he heard a familiar pair of footsteps approach. The minimal clacking of bones gave it away. He sighed and turned to address the new arrival.
"Ensha." The silent Tarnished just stopped in front of him, his arms crossed over his chest.
"You never were one for small talk, so what do you want?" He didn't like Ensha, the guy had left their group shortly after… her death.
"…"The other Tarnished wordlessly handed over a scroll with a familiar sign on it.
'What do you want from me, Gideon?' He nonetheless took it and read through its content before his eyes narrowed.
"Ah, so he wants to take care of a Shardbearer almost immediately? Why now? Has he finally grown tired of throwing one Tarnished after another against Stormveil's walls?" Ensha didn't answer, instead opting to just stare at him with that creepy helmet of his.
He could just refuse the offer.
Before he could open his mouth to deny the request, however, memories of better, more adventurous times flooded his brain. The words never left his lips, and for a few seconds, he just stood there, contemplating.
' It will only be a few weeks at most. And it's high time I leave Altus for a while. Besides, if I help him Gideon will owe me, and perhaps even stop annoying me about some Albinauric woman.' He looked at Ensha once again, before nodding slightly.
"Fine, tell Gideon he's got himself a proper commander for his little stunt. But Ensha," The masked man that had already started to walk away turned to him once again.
"We will be doing things my way. If we are forced to use other Tarnished as shields I'm fine with it, as long as they can be revived, you hear me?" Ensha stared at him for a few seconds, and then nodded, before stalking off.
'Prick's probably not even going to join the assault, he has to "guard" Gideon after all. As if that old fucker would need protection.'
He snorted slightly, remembering the last time Gideon had been without a protector. Not much had been left standing of the small Fort.
When Ensha had completely left his home he turned around and began to walk back to the house he had built. The sturdy wooden door was pushed open and the fireplace inside welcomed him. He walked straight past it, however, before arriving in his bedroom. He looked at the floorboards and then broke three of them open to reveal a small crevice in the earth. He kneeled and took out five black boxes.
He opened one of the larger boxes first, revealing a worn, but cared for, customized leather armor. He never had been the most protected of their old group, but he never had to be. His hands traced the suit of armor, trying to find any damages on it, and when he found none he began to clothe himself. First came the sturdy leather shoes that allowed him to walk much quieter and more balanced than he normally would be able to. Then came the trousers and chest piece, both of which had served him well as long as he could remember. And last, but not least came his helmet.
It certainly didn't look like much, but the amount of times it had protected him couldn't be counted. He slipped the helmet onto his head, before clothing himself in the rest of his armor, making sure everything was securely worn and fastened correctly. When he was done donning his armor however he went over to the remaining boxes and opened them with a click.
'There you are.'
He reached into the first box, taking out two long daggers, both of which had been painted black, their guards ready to catch strikes if they had to. These weapons had brought him through more fights than he could count, and they surely would continue to do so in the future. But even if he was quite still with the dagger, they weren't his preferred choice of weapon.
He opened the next few boxes, except for one, taking out his real weapons one after the other. His crossbows, all made specifically for different hurdles in mind now lay in front of him, and he smiled slightly, his fingers tracing along the cool surface of the polished weapons.
'I missed you.'
He gathered his weapons, clicking every single one of them into the place they belonged to, before walking over to the last box, which was also the biggest. He opened it, revealing an entire arsenal of different crossbow bolts. He began to load up on them like, in the old days, the pouches on his armor slowly but surely being refilled.
He also took a few of his explosives, poison, and sleep bolts with him, though he would have to use those sparingly. He turned around, ready to leave his house and travel to Limgrave, only to stop shortly before he had reached the door. His hands touched the empty spot he had always used for emergency bolts, those he would rarely use.
He had forgotten them once in his life, and it had cost him.
He turned around, walking back towards the stand on which the arrows lay, and took out one of his emergency arrows, hoping he would never have to use it.
' Now that I think about it, I probably should go better prepared than I am now, just in case.'
He walked over to the kitchen area, before descending into the basement that was connected to the kitchen in the form of a trapdoor. As soon as his feet touched the normally dark ground of the basement, he flicked on one of the lanterns on the walls, years of having lived here telling him where it was located. Soon enough a dim light lit the basement, and he turned on the others as well until he could see properly again.
He began to sort through the different shelves, his eyes and hands slowly finding everything he needed. A whistle that would allow him to call various animals if he had enough time to tame them. A few tinctures that would strengthen the animal's entire body to the point where even a little Springhare could take on a grown soldier.
He chuckled slightly at the idea, but shook his head and carefully put the potion that cost him a lot of time into his pouches. He checked over all of the items again and nodded slightly, before ascending the ladder to his kitchen area once again. He made sure to lock all entrances to his house before leaving through the front door and locking it as well.
The magical defenses around it should keep it safe from wild animals and other Tarnished shouldn't even have the motivation to come here, at least they hoped so. When he began to leave the clearing where his house was located he was stopped by the similiar grunt of the Runebear. He turned around, smiling slightly.
"Oh, don't worry boy. I'll be fine. And besides, it'll only be a few weeks at best." The bear whined a bit, but then licked its small friend, completely covering his body with its salvia. He flinched slightly and then glared at the bear.
"You know I like you boy, but that does NOT make this okay, understood?" The bear whined slightly which prompted him to roll his eyes.
"I just can't stay mad at you. C'mere!" And the bear did so, embracing his owner with a bone-crushing hug, which left him wheezing. When the bear let go he had to recover for a few seconds, but then stood up to finally leave.
"Well then boy, take care of my home for me. But also be careful, you hear me?" The bear grunted, nodding its head, and then laid down directly in front of the house, ready to guard it until its owner returned.
He arrived in Limgrave after quite some time of traveling, and he had to admit, he liked the place. By far not as golden as Altus had been, but far far far better than Caelid. The place had a certain charm about it.
Not soon after he had entered the Mistwood forest, he already could see the first few Tarnished that had made their camps. And they were complete disasters at it. The tents were positioned in a way that you could only see them, a beginner's mistake. He cleared his throat and came closer, approaching the first few Tarnished.
"Excuse me, partners, your tent ain't built up the right way." They stared at him and their apparent leader, a burly man, came closer to him, raising an eyebrow.
"Scram half-weight, we gotta things to do." He blinked at the insult.
'Not very creative.'
And promptly shoved his fist into the man's face, sending him flying. He didn't specialize in strength, but what he had was more than enough for these small fries. He walked over to the man lying on the ground and picked him up by the ear.
"Well, as you senior I would advise you to follow my orders, alright partner?" The larger man began to nod, and a smile grew on his face.
"Great! Now, let's make this thing into a proper camp!"
Other Tarnished had started to arrive, and slowly they were turning into a proper group. Two of the newcomers caught his eye in particular.
The first Tarnished was a muscled woman, armed with nothing but two axes and light protection for her body. She was also Gideon's adopted daughter, Nephelli. He still remembered how she used to play with his older crossbows.
She didn't seem to remember, however, instead just greeting him curtly. He felt a pang of sadness at it, but it was to be suspected. He had been living alone for quite some time after all.
The second Tarnished that had caught his eye had done so because of his apparent strength. He was built like a wall and seemed like he could pack a serious punch with that mace of his. His general presence was unnerving and the sack on his head certainly didn't help things.
But at least the guy seemed to be cautious enough to not attack them on the spot, especially when he saw him.
'Can this guy also tell how strong some people are?'
Or was that just his imagination?
He shook his head slightly, still keeping an eye on the younger Tarnished. Even if he did imagine it, he wasn't sure how to deal with it.
'Hopefully, he will follow orders.'
As soon as that thought had crossed his mind Nephelli walked over to him and handed him a rolled-up piece of paper.
"Father said that I should hand this to you. He presumes that you already know what has to be done." He stared at Gideon's plans and his eyes narrowed. They were just not crossing the line that he said he wouldn't cross.
'Gideon, you sly fox.'
He pocketed the plans and then called a few Tarnished to assist him.
He had a dragon to hunt.
Author's Note: So yeah, that's a part of Auden's story. Hope it added something to his character.
Last edited: Oct 2, 2023
15-The Assault of Stormveil Castle (Part 1)
15-The Assault of Stormveil Castle (Part 1)
-2 days later-
The worst thing about the assault wasn't the attack itself.
It was the uncertainty of when it was going to happen.
Every waking hour of the last two days I had thought that they would attack, but they simply didn't! Why didn't they just get over with it?
"Milton, please bring me my helmet from the blacksmith, he should have resized the thing properly now." Yeah, it was difficult to give proper size measurements for my head, which meant the blacksmith had messed up the helmet, making it a bit too big for my head. My loyal minion nodded slightly and opened his wings before he soared into the air, a smile on his face. He did love those wings.
Edgar entered my throne room, the tension of the last days evident even under his completed armor.
"My lord, the scouts have reported that they saw Tarnished on the horizon. They are coming." I froze for just a second but then grabbed both of my axes.
"Call all of the men to their battlestations! We shall be ready for their attack!" My frantic steps carried me out of my throne room and into the castle courtyard, where some men were checking the flamethrowers for any mistakes. Edgar was behind me, but when I stopped in the courtyard, he hurried forward, most likely to oversee the men at the main gate.
"Men, Tarnished are coming to invade this castle of ours. Ready thyself to fight to the death!" Their hands left the mechanisms of the flamethrowers, leaving only their original operators at them, and they took out their ranged weapons, readying themselves for what was about to happen.
Milton landed next to me, passing me my newly fitted helmet. I looked at it for a while, the pseudo crown on the helmet itself shining in the sun, and then sat it on my helmet, making sure it sat tight.
"Shoot them from the air, and make sure to hit as many of them as you can," I said, addressing my first minion, who just nodded and flew up to one of the higher towers of the castle, landing on it to have a spot from where he could freely target any Tarnished that could make it past the main gate.
I seriously hoped that there would be none, however.
And so I remained in the courtyard of the castle, my entire being tense like a spring, ready to act any second. My axes were in my hand, and I could feel that my men were also nervous, the grips around their weapons extremely tight.
And so we waited for the assault of the Tarnished to start.
-Alaric-
The sun had slowly begun to set, and the tension in his Misbegotten arm hadn't abided, instead, it had amplified.
'Why won't you attack, you fuckers?!'
They were doing this on purpose, he knew that. It was supposed to scare them, make them lose formation, or at least make them nervous. And they succeeded, at least in the last part. The men around him were shifting from foot to foot, even one of the burly Kaiden didn't stop to tap his sword on his shoulder, as if he was making sure that the familiar weight of his weapon was still present.
And then the sounds started.
They were small at first, as if many, small animals were running up the tunnel to the castle. But then others soon joined them, heavier and much louder.
The first wave broke through the gateway leading to the main gate, and he couldn't believe what he saw.
"Are those fucking Springhares?!" And indeed, the little, not even kneehigh animals hopped forward, directly into the first spike wall that they had erected to stall the Tarnished. His eyes widened.
' Oh no!'
"Unleash your bolts, those things are supposed to trigger our traps and make them useless!" The men reacted immediately, some of them loading their crossbows while others sent small wind blades into the direction of the Springhares, splitting the cute animals in half with a few blood splatters. He cringed slightly but shook his head. If they didn't do anything, all of the traps they had spent building would be rendered useless.
The Springhares didn't seem to stop, however, and instead simply kept throwing themselves against the spikes, not even thinking about their lives. Other animals, like boars and goats now joined them, ramming themselves against the sharpened woods and impaling themselves.
More animals arrived, even bears were among their mist, their muscles bodies slowly but surely pushing and breaking the spikes apart, even if their bellies were gored open and their intestines fell out. The animals simply didn't stop, throwing themselves into the spikes over and over again. His men wouldn't be able to stop all of them.
"What is this witchery!" One of the soldiers screamed, only to be suddenly hit by and stone that went through his armored skull like it was made out of paper. Alarics' eyes widened and he brought his spear up to block when a fist-sized rock shot at him. He was pushed back slightly but managed to keep himself steady, already screaming for his men to take action.
"Shields!" The soldiers obeyed, their great shields made out of the hardest wood Limgrave could offer creating a makeshift barrier. He recovered and surveyed the area, trying to find the person responsible for the death of one of his men.
And then he saw him, a gigantic man with a simple sack over his head, his heavily muscled body barely concealed by the animal furs he was wearing. But the thing that scared Alaric the most was the weapon on the shoulder of the Tarnished, a truly gigantic mace, whose spikes dripped with blood.
The man caught his gaze and tilted his head slightly. Then his arm suddenly shot forward, and Alaric noticed an entire salvo of sharp rocks being thrown in his direction.
"Brace yourself!" And his men did, the rock impacting with their shields, some managing to nearly stab through them in one go.
"Archers! Fire!" The archers higher up nodded, and trained their longbows on the Tarnished and fired. He just looked upwards and spread his arms, as if to challenge them.
Just before the arrow managed to hit him, however, the wave of animals changed their course, throwing themselves in front of him. Alaric saw how the arrows pierced through most of their bodies like a knife through butter, but their sheer numbers stopped all of them in the end.
' Shit!'
"Ready yourself for another volley!" The soldier did so, knocking back their arrows once again. The wild-looking Tarnished didn't seem to be interested, however, and simply remained behind the mountain of dead bodies. Alaric gritted his teeth.
' Damn it! Why is he alone?' It didn't make any sense, why attack the castle alone? Was he suicidal?
Suddenly Alaric heard angry roars coming from the tunnels, and the stomping of gigantic feet. His eyes widened.
"Trolls! Ready the ballistae!" The next to him flinched slightly, their position at the shield wall wavering slightly, a mistake the Tarnished seemed to notice. He jumped in the air until Alaric could see him again, and instead of firing small, hand-sized stones, he threw rocks at them that could have, judging from their size at least, belonged to a catapult.
The wooden great shields broke as if they were made out of straw, and eleven of his twenty shield users were crushed beneath the force of the throws. Alaric reacted, however, and his hand reached for one of the knives he was carrying around his belt.
His Misbegotten arm shot the knife forward, all of his strength behind it, but the Tarnished simply batted it aside with his gigantic mace.
The trolls had broken through now, the faces of the first three were already visible, and Alaric reacted.
"Ballistae, fire!" The war machines did so, unloading their ammunition on the giant creatures. The first one was hit directly in the eye, but still pushed forward, its gigantic strength carrying it to the wall of spikes the animals hadn't managed to push away. With its last strength, it threw the barriers aside, roaring as it did so.
'Why? Why is there a Tarnished that can control these beasts?' Alaric tried to spot the wild Tarnished but was unable to do so.
'Where is he?!'
"Fire!" One of the soldiers next to him called, throwing his spear into the air, Alaric followed the weapon's trajectory and saw the reason why the soldier had thrown it.
The Tarnished had never intended to attack their castle solely on foot.
They were using gigantic bats to carry them over the castle walls. He looked at their number and gritted his teeth. It must have at least been a dozen, all of them led by the wild Tarnished that now also had managed to hang onto a bat.
"Archers, concentrate your arrows on the Tarnished in the air, ballistae, deal with the trolls!" They followed his orders, and soon enough arrows were trying to hit the airborne Tarnished, while the ballista bolts dug into the bodies of the trolls.
They weren't enough to kill the gigantic beasts, however. Soon enough three of them stood before him and his men, their gigantic hands reaching for them.
He roared, stabbing his spear into the palm of one troll, making it roar out in anger as he did so. His other soldiers assisted him, their swords stabbing and slashing against the immensely tough skin.
Once again he heard the roars from the tunnel, and he began to sweat. More trolls were coming. His spear punctured into the eye of one of the trolls, managing to reach its brain and killing it. The other two renewed their efforts, however, and their open hands managed to swat away some of his soldiers, either breaking a few of their bones or killing them. By now he had also lost sight of the Tarnished that were in the air, and he silently prayed that the ballistae had managed to shoot them down.
Suddenly he felt how one of the trolls grabbed him in one of their crushing grips. He groaned slightly but knew that he wouldn't be able to escape the strength of a troll. He was going to die, at least he thought so.
He was proved wrong, however, when a golden dagger pierced the troll's hand, making it scream out in apparent pain. Its scream was cut off afterward, its head crushed by a gigantic hammer made of golden light.
The other troll that had attacked them also wasn't able to react, its giant soon turned into mush by a direct strike of a wooden staff.
"Hm, it seems thou need my aide." The voice of the Fell Omen said next to him. Before he could answer probably he saw the other wave of trolls he had heard beforehand break through the tunnel, roaring as they did so.
"Yeah, seems like it," Alaric said, unsure what else to say.
"The rest of the Tarnished will most likely come through after they have run out of trolls they can send at us," Margit said, already launched waves of shimmering knives at the trolls, making the giant beasts roar in protest and pain. Alaric turned to his remaining men, pointing at the upper regions of the castle.
"We must move up further, the Fell Omen will take care of this." When he didn't hear the other fighter deny his sentence he took up the lead of his soldiers, all of whom followed him.
"We must be ready for everything, maybe even the trolls if they manage to break through." His men just nodded, and when they had reached a position just behind the ballistae they stopped and once again took their positions.
He just hoped that the Tarnished hadn't managed to get too far into the castle.
-Milton-
He growled slightly as another one of his arrows failed to shoot down that annoying bat that was carrying the Tarnished clothed in furs. It moved more gracefully than the others as if the Tarnished had already done this kind of flying beforehand.
And Milton hated him for it.
His arrows had managed to at least wound the bats enough to force them to land, which either forced the Tarnished to engage in man-to-man combat with the many soldiers stationed around the castle or allowed them to run into the castle, where they tried to hide. Judging from the sounds of metal striking metal, however, they hadn't thought that soldiers were still inside the castle, in case anyone would attack from within.
Still, the Tarnished unnerved him. Their weapons weren't different from theirs, but they still somehow wielded them better and faster. Although the Tarnished were often dwarfed by the soldiers that flanked them.
The bats that weren't killed by his arrows also were a liability. Though thank god they weren't a huge problem either.
Because his creator was dealing with them.
Godrick the Golden roared his golden axe split one of the bats in two, and buried an unfortunate Tarnished that hadn't been able to get out of the way under his monstrous weight.
The tail of his creator snapped out, hitting three bats that were trying to dive at him from the air, and Milton could hear their fragile bones break. Lord Godrick would win, and the Hawks would hopefully take care of the rest of the bats.
He readied another arrow, but instead of firing it at the Tarnished that were engaging the soldiers in the courtyard, he was forced to dodge a magical projectile, which had been fired by a mage. He clicked his tongue and tried to attack the physically weak caster with his arrows.
But two other Tarnished intercepted them, their great shields withstanding his projectiles. He sighed slightly and took out a pair of daggers, diving at his newest three targets.
His daggers were blocked, but the Tarnished still was pushed back, grunting in surprise. But he recovered and stood his ground once again. Milton bared his sharp teeth and charged the Tarnished, aiming at the gaps between his armor.
-???-
Her breathing was erratic as she blocked yet another heavy sword strike from the soldier in front of her.
'Why are they so strong?!' It made no sense, weeks ago she would have been able to clear out a whole camp of these weaklings by herself.
And now they hit as hard as the soldiers that were guarding the Academy Gates in Liurnia!
Her thoughts were cut off when she was forced to evade a gigantic axe wielded by a burly man. The muscles on his arms were large, almost unnaturally so.
She didn't want to take a hit from them. The man raised his axe again, and she dived sideways.
Only to be kicked in the face the a soldier who was wielding a warpike.
She crashed against the wall, groaning slightly. She felt blood run from her nose, and screamed out loud, in a mixture of fear and anger.
"FUCK YOU FUCKERS!" Her Estoc shot forward, empowered by an Ash of War she had managed to acquire in her journey thus far. The soldiers noticed it, however, and one that was carrying a great shield took the blow for his comrades. The wood splintered slightly, but her attack hadn't been able to even draw blood.
She retreated with a jump, her eyes widening slightly. She knew that the fight had been weird.
'These guys are thinking as they fight!'
Everyone under the Tarnished knew that there were very few soldiers remaining who could truly think. Most of the time they were like puppets, controlling the places they were told to and nothing else. The Exiles, like the one with the huge axe, were different, but the soldier that had taken the blow on purpose was wearing Godricks' colors.
' This is bad, I have to bail. Perhaps rejoin the others until the reinforcements arrive.' She kicked the thing nearest to her at the soldiers, to halt their movements, and sprinted to the exit of the small room she was currently in.
She wasn't confident in many, but if there was one thing she could rely on, it was her speed. She turned her head to see if the soldiers were pursuing her and sighed as she didn't see them. Her mad dash ended, and turned into a light jog, while she tried to find a way out of the confusing castle. But still, her mind went back to the intelligent soldiers.
'Is that why they sealed off the easy way to enter the castle because they got more intelligent?" The leaders had told them about the easy way in, a wine cellar, that had been sealed beforehand. She still didn't know how they had gotten that info, after all, none of the three had been in the castle beforehand.
'Perhaps it's that guy, Gideon. He's supposed to be super smart.' Before she could dwell further on the matter, however, a crossbow bolt suddenly was stuck in her leg. Her head whipped around, and suddenly she saw the soldiers she had been fighting just a moment ago.
'How did the-?' Her thoughts were cut off when she felt a slight gush of wind behind her and had to duck beneath the axe of the large Exiled, who forced her to back up, which would lead her directly into the hands of the other soldiers.
She was trapped.
All of them were still for a split second, waiting for the other opposition to make a move. When none came from her, the soldier with the war pike attacked her.
His swing was blocked, and just as she wanted to stab him between his helmet holes she was stabbed in the shoulder by the man that was using the great shield and spear combo. The soldiers slowly got closer, and her personal space got smaller and smaller.
She took out a flask of crimson tears and downed it in one hasty gulp, restoring all of her injuries. But the soldiers all had used the short moment of defenselessness.
She felt how her stomach was gored through by the spear of the shield user, while one of the bones in her arm was completely shattered by the warpike. Her Estocs' final attack did manage to penetrate through the helmet of the sword user, but her main arm was hacked off the axe-wielder.
She collapsed to her knees, chuckling slightly as she did so, and raised her stump in a challenging gesture. It didn't matter anymore, so why don't go out better?
"Well, come on you fu-" Her sentence was cut off when the war pike found its way into her skull, breaking bones and sending brain matter flying.
She hated Stormveil Castle.
-Auden-
He heard the troll's cries from afar, and looked at the sky, noting how the sun was slowly setting.
'Seems like Magnus has managed to at least make the Omen come out.' He turned towards the rest of the Tarnished that were under his command and smiled slightly.
"Well lads, it's time for us to make our attack. Remember our plan." He gave the young Tarnished, Nephelli and nod and then pointed one of his crossbows into the tunnels.
"Go ahead, and give the defenders hell!" The Tarnished roared and slowly began to move. Even if he hadn't gotten as many new ones as he thought he would, fifteen newcomers were still better than nothing.
While the Tarnished followed Nephelli to slowly start their frontal assault on the castle he blew into a whistle, which let out a high-pitched sound humans were unable to hear. He stared at Stormveil Castle once again and sighed.
It reminded him of the times the five of them used to go out on their missions. Those were fun times. He looked at the sky, already knowing what would soon transpire.
'You owe me after this one, Gideon. I'm investing a lot of firepower into this mission.'
Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. And yes, the different POVs' were used to show the battle from both sides, if you know what I mean.
Anyway, as always, comments and feedback are encouraged and welcomed.
Last edited: Oct 2, 2023
16-The Assault of Stormveil Castle (Part 2)
16-The Assault of Stormveil Castle (Part 2)
My axe was blocked by one of the five Tarnished that were surrounding me. The muscled man was thrown back, his great shield unable to block all of my force. I used the moment to use my tail to stab at the Tarnished behind me, a samurai. He sidestepped, and his katana unleashed a few slashes at the tail. It wasn't hurt, but I still hated the fact that I had been unable to dispatch myself of these Tarnished.
The thin man to the side, who was also protected by a shield user, once again fired a few glintstone pebbles in my direction, all of which I dodged with the mobility of a Bloodhound Knight.
I also dashed forward, and instead of using my axe to attack I commanded the claws of the bear to stand straight, practically giving me blades on my arms, and slashed at the knight of the group, a man wearing a suit of chainmail and brandishing a pretty normal looking sword.
He did see my attack, he even tried to react to it, bringing his shield up to block, but it was already too late.
The claws of the Runebear, now mine, ripped his body apart, sending the various bloody chunks into the air.
His group didn't seem to be too distraught about the death of their apparent leader, however, and just continued attacking. My eyes narrowed.
'Perhaps…'
I took hold of a stone tile in the floor, ripped it out, and chucked it at the samurai. The Great Shield user stepped in front of the tile, tanking it, but I noticed how the Samurai had nonetheless dodged to the right as if he wasn't used to working with others. I grinned slightly.
'They aren't a real team.'
Laughter escaped my mouth as I summoned a small tornado around myself, and jumped into the air, sending windblades into the group as I did so. They weren't supposed to hit them however, they were supposed to goad them into attacking. When another Glintstone pebble that was shot by their magic user came at me, I let it hit my helmet, making a show of dropping out of the air and collapsing to my knees.
And in the span of a few seconds, I saw an array of emotions pass over the faces of the Tarnished.
At first, it was confusion, as if they were dumbfounded that I had been downed by something as simple as a magic spell. Then happiness about their apparent feat crossed their faces. To have brought a Shardbearer, even if it was the weakest, to his knees was something to boast. But the last emotion was by far the most interesting.
Greed.
That was also the most prominent emotion. And I could understand them, from my personal experience at least. Why would they refuse the mountain of runes in front of them, especially if he was currently on the floor? And why share them if you can claim the kill for yourself, perhaps even securing a Great Rune to call your own?
And so all of them charged at me, all signs of caution evaporated. They couldn't see it, but the grin beneath my helmet would have made the Cheshire Cat jealous.
As soon as the first Tarnished, the samurai, came into my reach I attacked, using the speed boost of Darriwil just in case.
The samurai's head was promptly shoved into my stomach area with the crab claw in it, and I could hear his screams of pain and the bones slowly turning into mush. The two shield users were stabbed by the claws that the arms of the Crucible Knight that I possessed.
I incinerated the magic user, who seemed to realize his mistake too late, with a huge blast of magic, leaving behind nothing but his lower half.
Another Tarnished charged at me, but his chest was destroyed by a magical blast before he could reach me. I smiled slightly, looking at the staff in my arm.
'I love this little guy.'
Another bat tried to attack me from the air, but the crab mouth on my shoulder took care of it, shooting the thing with such strength that it looked like you had shot a bird with a shotgun.
"My lord, the trolls have managed to get past the main gates!" The scream of one of my men reached me, and I turned around, my eyes widening slightly.
That shouldn't be possible. Margit was guarding the gate, and if he was careful, none of this Tarnished should be a threat to him.
I heard how the ballistae were reloaded, and another volley of gigantic bolts was loosened. The troll's roars were also answers. I looked all around me, seeing how some of my soldiers were still locked in the fight with the Tarnished, but most of them seemed to be winning.
'If the trolls manage to get to the courtyard, it'll be even more difficult to hold the position there.' I dashed forward, Bloodhound's Step helping my movement speed immensely.
Soon enough I stood just a few feet away from the gate, behind the soldiers that were normally guarding the way to my divine tower.
"My lord, why aren't you in the courtyard?" Edgar said, coming closer to me with a bloodied halberd in hand. I saw the body of a dead Tarnished and his bat nearby, which explained the blood on his halberd.
"I am here to assist all of thee to hold this position. Are there any other soldiers on the wall of the main gate?" Edgar shook his head, pointing at Alaric and a few men who were standing a bit farther away from us.
"No, Alaric has given up on the position on the main gate and retreated to here. Over half of his squad was killed by one Tarnished alone." I shuddered slightly. Why hadn't I seen that Tarnished then?
"What happened to Margit?" That was the question that bothered me the most. I had managed to beat him, but he was the second-strongest person in Stormveil, by a wide margin I'd say.
"We don't know. It seems like he was forced to engage in single combat with another Tarnished. One that was wearing a strange get-up and was wielding crossbows." I was a bit confused by Edgar's answer but decided to let the matter go. We had much more important things to worry about now.
Like the four trolls that were banging their huge fists against the gate, slowly but surely beginning to tear it down.
"Men, reload ballistae and ready yourself for my sign!" My orders were followed and soon enough I heard the already familiar clicking of the war machine being loaded. I slowly got closer to the gates, readying myself to face the trolls when they would break through.
The mighty gates collapsed underneath the blows of the trolls, but also perhaps partly to their age and the damage they had taken over the ages. They had held against Starscourge Radhan after all. It didn't matter what was the reason for their collapse, just the fact that they did.
The trolls slowly squeezed themselves inside, their glowing red eyes staring at me with murderous intent. Behind them, I could indeed see that Margit was currently engaged in a battle. Two, instead of one like Edgar told me, Tarnished were facing him, their weapons slowly whittling him down, strike by strike.
I knew one of the Tarnished, it was Nephelli Loux, an ally you could use to fight Godrick in the game.
My attention was diverted away from Margit however, as one of the trolls attacked me.
"Fire!" At my command, the bolts of the ballistae stuck in the faces and chests of the tall beings, and I took my chance to attack them all.
My axes bit into the durable troll flesh, easily cutting through it, ignoring even their heavy bones. My tail was embedded in the shoulder of the second troll, bringing it onto the ground where my clawed feet waited, and stomped on it. His skull was crushed like a watermelon, and my tail wrapped itself around the arm of the third troll, who had tried to attack me. The large hands grabbed hold of the fourth troll, throwing him backward to where Margit and the Tarnished were fighting. It crashed into Nephelli and buried her beneath its weight.
The other Tarnished dodged however, and when he saw me he immediately changed the direction of his aim, blasting a few crossbowbolts into my direction. I raised my axes, ready to block them just in case.
And I was forced backward by the force.
My eyes widened, and I dug my feet into the ground, surprised at what had just happened. I regarded the crossbow-wielding Tarnished again, and my eyes narrowed.
'I shouldn't underestimate this guy.'
The troll's body that I had thrown at them a few moments ago began to move and Nephelli threw it into the air, her face set into a frown. She didn't seem happy that I had thrown that troll on her.
My eyes suddenly saw movement in the tunnels, and they widened once again. A group of Tarnished, numbering at least in the twenties, was rushing out of the tunnels. I reacted immediately, my loud voice notifying my men.
"Reload ballistae, ready for my sign!" I threw a wind blade into the approaching mass of Tarnished and cursed slightly. Margit seemed to notice them too, and jumped backwards, to where I was standing. His jump was cut short however, as a large number of explosive bolts hit his face, forcing him to his feet.
"Sorry partner, can't let you do that." The crossbow-wielding Tarnished said, taking out a much more compact, but also sturdier built crossbow and pointing it at Margits' head. I reacted and shot a huge magical projectile in the direction of the Tarnished. He seemed to be surprised, but quickly took out yet another crossbow, shooting at spell. And when the strange arrow of his touched my ball of magic it exploded into a shimmer of little glintstone pebbles, which fought against the bigger projectile and then let it disappear.
Margit seemed to have recovered however and dashed forward, just a dozen or so feet from the gate away. Nephelli blocked him, however, her muscular body managing to somehow halt the much larger Omen in his tracks. He threw her off, but then was hit in the back by another slave of bolts, all of which had a strange aura around them.
Sleep bolts are perfect to make their target slower.
I took the first step from the gate, ready to intervene if I had to. Margit, even if he was only an illusion, still was the greatest ally I had at the time. I couldn't lose him now. I leaned forward, dashing at the now kneeling Margit with all of my physical might, ready to knock Nephelli and the other Tarnished out of the way and then make a run for it.
My speed broke the ground beneath me, and I saw the eyes of both Nephelli and the strange Tarnished widen. Margit, whose eyes were also on me seemed also shocked. Just a second later I had crossed the dozen of feet in a single charge, my hand reaching out for the Omen's cloak. I could already feel the scruff of the old thing under my fingers.
Only for them to be suddenly burned by flames.
My eyes widened, and in the split second I could, I looked up, seeing a dragon flying over our heads. The thing was ugly, but something was wrong with its' flames.
The dragon once again took a deep breath, ready to breathe fire at me again. I backed away, forced to leave Margit to his fate. The Tarnished before me also seemed shocked, even scared. I saw even Nephelli take a step back. But the strange, crossbow-wielding Tarnished didn't pay the dragon any heed, instead taking out the sturdy crossbow once again, and aiming it at Margit's head. He pulled the trigger, and the bolt that was inside was loosened.
It entered and exited Margit's skull, embedding itself into the stone tiles and cratering them. Before Margit's body began to fall to the ground and crumble to light I had already jumped backward, cradling my burnt hand, cursing out loud.
"Men, fire FIRE!" They did so, and the bolts of the ballistae flew at the young dragon in the air, bouncing off its stone skin.
'That's way too durable!' That couldn't be a normal small dragon, right?
I had reached the destroyed main gate, and in a fit of desperation, I threw the sliced-apart and dead bodies of the trolls into the gate, making a barrier of their bodies. My head whipped towards the ballistae and I screamed again.
"Reload, and fire!" They did, but the dragon didn't seem to be fazed.
"Intruders, watch out!" And then things got worse.
A large, heavily muscled Tarnished clothed in animal furs and a sack dropped from the heights of the castle wall, along with ten other Tarnished that were accompanying him. Alaric had noticed him first and alarmed Edgar and the rest of the soldiers.
I saw Tarkus, who also had been in the courtyard of the castle, storm down the stairs and attack the wild-looking Tarnished, the two of them getting into a contest of physical strength. The weapon of the Tarnished, a giant mace was already dripping with blood, which could mean that he had taken out some of the defenders on the walls.
Some of the men manning the ballistae weren't able to fire anymore because they were needed to take care of the group of Tarnished that was targeting them. The guardian lion roared and attacked two of them at the same time, forcing them away from the rest of their group, but that still meant that not all ballistae were manned. I grit my teeth.
"Fire!" The men did so, while I stormed at the group of Tarnished, ramming into them like the wall of flesh I was. I felt swords, spears, and axes pierce into my skin, but ignored it because I knew that I would be up for much more pain if we failed to take them out.
My burnt hand came forward, closing itself around the leg of a Tarnished and I began swinging her around like a wet towel, using her body as some kind of flail to keep the other Tarnished at bay while I tried to land blows with my axe. At the corner of my eyes, I saw how flames were slowly melting through the bodies of the trolls and I knew that I didn't have much time anymore. I called out to my men again, my voice echoing even through the sounds of the battles.
"Men, retreat to the castle courtyard, and take the ballistae with you at any costs!" They would slow them down, sure, but they also were our heavy hitters, and I couldn't give them up like this.
Edgar nodded and stabbed the Tarnished he had been fighting, before taking the lead of the group. Alaric was still helping Tarkus, who had been unable to overpower the monstrous Tarnished from before.
I roared and brought the now broken body of the female Tarnished down onto one of her comrades, crushing him with the force of the attack. I let go and stabbed my bear claws into the stomach of yet another Tarnished, all the while I kept the slowly melting troll flesh in my vision. My tail bit into the leg of one Tarnished, before the spit of the crab mouth blasted his head off. The Crucible Knight's arms, along with the arms on my abdomen kept the Tarnished at bay, at least somewhat.
I looked at the soldiers who were slowly retreating and nodded when I saw just how far they had gotten. My eyes now were on the fight between Tarkus, Alaric, and the masked Tarnished, and the Tarnished seemed to be winning, his gigantic mace stopping both fighters from making a move. Tarkus seemed to know that I was watching them, and turned around for just a moment to look at me.
When he saw my look, he knew what I wanted, and grabbed Alaric by his armor, bloodhound stepping away as he did. The masked Tarnished seemed to be surprised for a short moment, but soon recovered and ran at me, his mace ready to hit me.
I grabbed one of the other Tarnished around me and threw him in front of the blow. His body was ripped open, and he screamed in pain before dying. The fur-wearing Tarnished didn't stop swinging however, his muscled arms using the gigantic weapon tiredlessly. I dodged again and again, but even with such a great weapon, I knew that he was way faster than he had any right to be.
Just when I dodged another blow, The flames managed to destroy the legs, and the dragon charged in, followed by Nephelli, the crossbow-wielding Tarnished, and the rest of the other attackers.
The dragon roared, and charged at me, intending to ram me with its gigantic horn. I reacted on time, however, and soon enough it had a magical projectile thrown against its head. It was thrown back, and crashed against the wall, seeming slightly disorientated. The other Tarnished attacked, however, almost forty weapons at once aiming at my body.
My golden axe embedded itself into the grounds, and spikes of earth shot into the air, skewering at least some of the Tarnished while heavily wounding others. Except for the three that were the leaders, Nephelli, the crossbow wielder, and the fur-wearing man. All of them dodged at the right time, proving their superiority to the other Tarnished.
But they had dodged backward, allowing me to finally put some distance between myself and the Tarnished while I used the speed of the Bloodhound to get away.
I charged up the flight of stairs that led up to the courtyard and yelled at the soldiers who were waiting for the Tarnished.
"Ready the explosive barrels, we shall greet them with no honor, but spite!" The men nodded and immediately ran to get some of the explosive barrels that they had stored away in cases of emergencies. I looked around, seeing the dead bodies of soldiers and Tarnished alike, but all in all, I hadn't lost many men.
What I did noticed however were the wounds on Tarkus's body and the tiredness in the shoulders of every single one of my men. Milton was still alright, but one of his wings had been punctured by an arrow.
I turned around to see the men arrive with the barrels and my burnt hand tightened.
Time to play Donkey Kong with these fuckers!
Authors' Note:
Didn't think I update this story twice today, did you? I'm also baffled how fast I wrote these two things.
To get a few things out of the way:
1: No, this isn't a normal dragon, but it was originally the one that was Godricks' arm in the game. It just has been modified and strengthened.
2: Two of the three leaders are canon, and I guess you already know which one it is. They are essentially high-leveled, Altus Plateau/Capital level Tarnished, which means they are immensely strong compared to the other Tarnished here. Most of them are fodders, as far as actual bosses go, but even the weakest of them all is strong enough to normally take care of at least 10 of Godricks' soldiers (they are buffed now, so not anymore, but beforehand).
Hope that clears up a few things. If you want to know more, just let me know and write and comment.
Last edited: Oct 1, 2023
17-The Assault of Stormveil Castle (Final)
17-The Assault of Stormveil Castle (Final)
-???-
He was one of the first that ran up the long flight of stairs, his two axes held in hand and a grin on his face. Alongside him were others, those who would also get the best part of the runes that were just begging to be collected from those ducks sitting in the courtyard.
At first, he had been unsure if they were able to make it, but now they had a freaking dragon on their side, something that forced the entire defensive line that was holding the gate to retreat. Even the so-called "lord" of the castle had fled.
His grin widened and his speed accelerated. He could hardly wait to cut through the last line of defense and then rake the rewards, just like it was promised. The Tarnished next to him also seemed to think in the same vein, their eyes almost shining in anticipation. He took a look over his shoulder and noticed the other Tarnished that also followed him, their eyes no less greedy.
He turned the corner and already saw the gateway that would lead to the courtyard. But his feet slowed nonetheless down.
Standing in the gateway, with a large, red barrel over his head, stood the lord of Stormveil, Godrick the Grafted.
"What the fu-" He couldn't finish the sentence, because the giant humanoid had already launched the barrel, hitting him directly in the chest.
The barrel slammed into the chest of the first Tarnished, and the ensuing explosion managed to engulf the first row. I knew that it wouldn't kill them, but it sure as hell would hurt and give my men time to prepare the ballistae again.
I picked up the second barrel and threw it, the burns on my hand slowly getting better. The barrel once again managed to hit its mark, and now I could see how the rows of Tarnished were forced backward. The third barrel was picked up, but the Tarnished weren't dumb enough to just stand there and take hits, that's why hid behind the corner until a small group composed of a few shield users was created, all of which were supposed to guard the other Tarnished from the shots.
Well, I couldn't chuck the barrels at their faces anymore, but I could still throw them over the hastily made shield barrier. The group of Tarnished was strong, but an oiled war machine they were not. I saw a few Tarnished fly away from the center of the group and grinned.
"Archers, fire at my command!" I jumped backward, letting a few dozen of my men step forward. A few of them took out crossbows and bows, while the others kept their weapons ready to protect them if needed. And two burly Exiled soldiers stood at the side of it, watching over the barrels.
I moved up the stairs, letting the small battalion take over. My huge body wouldn't help them down there. I gazed into the sky, looking for any clues that the young dragon might be anywhere, but was unable to find anything. Where was the thing? Were they keeping it back on purpose? The three apparent leaders were also missing, which was a bad thing, heck, even worse than just bad.
"My lord, what shall we do now?" Edgar asked his hands still gripping his halberd tightly.
"All of thee shall take a deep breath and try to calm thy mind. The worst enemy on the battlefield is thy fear." I was speaking out of my ass, and I was nervous as well. The aspect of a fire-breathing dragon in the castle did not bode well with me.
"Milton, can you fly?" I asked my first-ever creation. He moved his wing a bit and then nodded.
"Good, I want to look for that damned dragon, I need to know where the thing is, otherwise it might get the drop on us." My first zombie nodded, and took off into the air, leaving me to watch my men fight the Tarnished.
Alaric stepped forward, his spear in his hands, and bowed slightly.
"My lord, I would like to assist the men down there, seen as your body would just use up too much space." I nodded slightly and looked at the young knight.
"Yes, thou have thy lord's blessing for this." I turned to Edgar and motioned him to come over.
"What is it, my lord? Do you want me to assist in the battle down there too?" I looked down, seeing that even more of my men had joined the fray, and shook my head.
"Nay, thy fighting style might get in their way in such narrow places. However, I must ask you to consult with sorceress Sellen about the dragon. I want to rid myself of that beast as fast as possible." Edgar nodded, and took off, his feet carrying him toward the library Sellen was residing in.
The sorceress had been ready to make various firebombs for my men but claimed that she would be unable to truly participate in the fight without her real body. But perhaps she had something that would allow me to deal with the dragon a bit faster. I still heard the sounds of the battle below me, and my axes were still gripped tightly within my hands. I didn't like this, being seemingly cornered by the Tarnished and their dragon, but I also couldn't do anything against it at the moment.
And so I had to remain in the courtyard, waiting for either the stalemate to break or something else to happen.
-Nephelli Loux-
She looked down from the back of the dragon and shuddered slightly. As much as she had dreamt of riding one of these beasts as a young girl, the potential fall to her death wasn't very enticing.
The dragon she and the other Tarnished were sitting on was small, much smaller than the giant one that resided at the lake that carried its name. But still, it was too strong to be ordinary.
"What kind of dragon is this?" She said, touching the muscled back of the beast she was sitting on. It felt unnatural, almost bloated. Auden turned to face her, and his face was filled with pride. One of his hands was petting the dragon, but he didn't break eye contact with her.
"This little snapper here was modified by my hands. He may not be as large as the rest of his kin at the moment, but believe me, his body has been strengthened by a few of my tinctures. He's far beyond what normal dragons are capable of, isn't that right?" The dragon grunted as if it had understood its apparent master. Auden chuckled slightly and patted its neck, which led the dragon to give off a sound akin to a purr.
"This is useless small talk. We need to get rid of the Shardbearer as soon as possible." The booming, rough voice of the third Tarnished on the dragon's back broke her out of her stupor, and she turned to him. The man was one of the few people who could claim to have much more muscle mass than her. He didn't seem to be a great thinker, but seen as he was wielding a gigantic mace that was nearly as large as he was, he didn't need to be.
"You shouldn't underestimate Magnus, Nephelli. He has been around much longer than you have, and has a lot of experience in this." Auden said as if he had read her thoughts. She flinched back slightly and nodded, before looking down at the castle once again.
"What is our plan anyway? Are we going to help the forces that are being pressured by the soldiers?" Auden once again turned to look at her and shook his head.
"Sorry to break it to you kiddo, but we sure as hell ain't gonna do that. We are looking for an entrance for both us and the dragon. And thanks to Magnus here," He nodded at the heavily muscled Tarnished "we can find a place that will allow us to land." He looked at Magnus, who just pointed into the north, directing them to a place they could land.
'Have we truly left the other Tarnished behind for them to serve as cannon fodder?' She asked herself, and her teeth gritted. She didn't like this. Before she could speak up again Magnus pointed at an Outlook Tower that was facing away from the cliff Stormveil was built on.
Auden just nodded and guided his pet toward the tower of the ancient castle, displaying a great amount of control over their mount. Nephelli could see the guards react, trying to grab horns that would alarm the rest of the castle. But before their hands could even reach their belts they had been impaled by multiple crossbow bolts, curtsey of Auden, who was twirling one of his many ranged weapons.
"Still saving the important stuff though." He said, and jumped onto the platform of the tower, his legs absorbing the fall without any problem. Magnus followed soon after, and his heavy body collided with the floor with a loud thump. She was the last and let herself fall off the dragon, landing on the stone of the castle without any problem.
"Alright, let's do this quickly and quietly," Auden said, only to suddenly move to the side with a quick dash. She was confused at first, but soon enough knew the reason why he had dashed away.
Embedded into the stone wall was a long arrow, right in the spot Auden had been previously.
"Well, that takes quite out of the window then," Auden said and motioned his dragon to come over.
"Alright boy, go to work." And the dragon did, spewing fire out of its' mouth. Nephelli and Magnus stood behind the dragon. Her hands tightened around her axes, and she readied herself for a battle.
Milton landed next to me and jumped up and down. I looked at him and a bad feeling spread in my chest.
"Where are they?" Milton just pointed towards the Liftside Chamber, and my eyes widened.
'Fuck'
Just when that thought went through my head a large plum of orange flames shot through the Liftside Chamber, scorching even some of the grass inside the courtyard. My body moved on its own, and my mouth opened wide.
"Men, ready thyself to fend off the intruders!" I was the first to sprint towards the chamber, making sure that a magical projectile was already gathering under my hand. A few dozen men, Kaiden, soldiers and Exiles alike, followed me, their weapons gripped tightly. Tarkus also followed closely behind, the wounds he had sustained from the prior fight not even slowing him down.
I was the first to arrive at the Liftside Chamber and was immediately forced to block an entire slave of explosive bolts that were shot my way. I grit my teeth and threw a few wind blades into the gateway the bolts had come from, stopping the next ones from reaching me. I threw a destroyed, half-melted, piece of rock and sent the magical projectile right after it. Judging from the pained, unhuman growl I heard I guessed that I had managed to hit the dragon.
The men behind me also tried their best, lining up their shots to hit their arrows properly, but the sun seemed to be against us, as it shone us directly into the eyes.
'It's not the sun. They have planned this.' I knew that this was much more likely, otherwise, they would have decided on another entrance to the castle.
Another salve of bolts hit, and now I couldn't react in time, four of them sinking into my right arm. I felt it grow tired and cursed.
It were sleep bolts.
Suddenly Nephelli and the animal-fur-wearing Tarnished dashed forward, their weapons aimed directly at my body.
Nephellis's blow was stopped when Tarkus intercepted it, and promptly headbutted the muscular woman against a wall. She stood up a few seconds later and proceeded to kick Tarkus on the elevator, but one of his four arms latched onto her, dragging her with him. They activated the pressure plate but had to continue fighting each other, otherwise, their enemy would use the opening they presented.
While Tarkus dealt with Nephelli, I had to fight against the wild Tarnished with the gigantic mace in his hands. He swung him with a surprising amount of skill, however, blocking and evading some of my attacks too.
He also fought dirty. I found that out when I felt a sharp, but small blade stab into my upper thigh, which immediately began to cramp.
'Poison' My arm swiped at the Tarnished and managed to send him flying. Thank god my men were still dealing with the other Tarnished. The dragon also seemed to be unable to breathe fire at the moment, perhaps because his master was standing in front of him.
I didn't know the exact reason, but I took the small breathing room I was presented with, continuing the fight against the wild Tarnished. He jumped backward and threw a bunch of sharp rocks at me, all of which dug into my flesh. I let out a pained groan, but the bear claws on the side of my arm managed to score a hit on the chest of the Tarnished, puncturing into his chest.
He was thrown backward, but his sturdy body had only been wounded slightly, and he dug his legs into the ground to regain his balance. He grunted slightly but used the balance he had gained to push his hand into the ground and pull it out, sending spiritual blades out from the ground, attacking everything around him. My eyes widened, and I used my new speed to dodge most of the attack. One of my legs was still hit, but the damage done to it was far less serious than it could have been.
The Tarnished attacked me again, and I answered his challenge by dropping my smaller axe and punching him in the stomach with all of my might. It was a bold move, sure, but it also wasn't one he seemed to have seen. This time my blow lifted him off his feet and he was sent flying against a wall, breaking through the sturdy structure as he impacted with it.
However, just a few moments later he was back on his feet, his mace ripping into my upper thigh. I roared and wanted to use my axe to land a clean hit on the Tarnished, but instead of even trying to dodge he simply gripped his weapon tighter and then moved his arms to the side slightly, a dull white glow emitting from him. All of that happened before my axe could strike him.
It connected with his body, and while the force behind it was strong enough to force him a few steps backward, my axe bounced off his body. My eyes widened and the Tarnished recovered faster than I did, his fist tightening and suddenly shooting a rock at me that belonged to a catapult.
I felt the gigantic rock hit my head, and stumbled backward, instinctively going into a defensive stance. The Tarnished didn't stop, however, and I felt other rocks shatter against my arms, flinching with each hit. I was forced backward each time one of them hit me.
'Fuck, I know this guy.' It was no wonder I hadn't recognized him at first, he was just a one-time event in the game, and one you could miss. But now I remembered him, and his weapon, the Great Stars.
Magnus, the Beast Claw threw himself at me, a war cry on his lips and his mace already descending onto my elbow.
I heard bones crack and felt my right arm go limp. The spikes of the mace had managed to tear through my natural armor and my arm. The weapon was now stuck in my arm, and Magnus took out another thin knife from his belt, sticking it into my upper arm. After he had done the deed, he tried to jump backward, wanting to retrieve his weapon later.
'Like I'll fucking let you!' My still functioning arm wrapped itself around the muscular Tarnished and I pushed him further toward my chest. The arms around my stomach opened up, revealing the crab claw beneath.
My one-armed hug didn't cease, even when Magnus began to struggle even harder, his fingers ripping some muscles from my still-functioning arm. Only when I heard the claw slowly snap into the skull of the already screaming Tarnished my death grip lessen slightly, thinking I had won.
I hadn't.
A gust of flame hit me in the back, burning off all arms on my back, and severely damaging the shell of the crab. I was knocked forward by the force of the fire, and landed on the ground, groaning slightly. Magnus had somehow slipped out of the opening in my stomach and tried to crawl to his partner, who was now sitting on his dragon and ordering the beast to shoot flames at me.
All of the men that accompanied me had been killed, nearly all of them by crossbow bolts. Magnus dragged himself further forward, but I couldn't let that happen. If he recovered I would have to deal with two strong Tarnished and the dragon.
I roared and summoned a Tornado around me, which redirected most of the raging inferno that the dragon was unleashing, giving me the chance to slowly walk forward. The fire still burned some parts of me, but the pain was bearable. Soon enough I was just a few feet away from Magnus and reached out, my destroyed hand slowly coming closer to his body.
It had to leave the safety of the summoned tornado, and as soon as it did I felt how the arm slowly began to burn away, the pain increasing to an immense point. But I didn't stop, grabbing the wounded Tarnished by the leg and slowly lifting him, using his body as an impromptu shield against the raging flames, a small part of me hoped that the other Tarnished would stop his attack.
Magnus's screams seemed to shake the room, and I could smell his flesh slowly burning to ashes.
And then the dragon stopped firing, giving me the opportunity I needed.
I jumped forward, closed my good remaining hand around the dragon's snout, and dragged the beast outside. The Tarnished on its back tried to do something against his, aiming his crossbow at me but was hit in the shoulder by an arrow.
I turned my head slightly and saw how Milton was flying outside of the Liftside chamber, giving the Tarnished no direct chance to fire at me.
"My lord, drag the beast out of the room!" My tired body registered the voice as Edgar's and I tugged at the dragon with all my might. The great beast resisted, and its muscles flexed.
I roared slightly, and the crab on my shoulder shot a huge projectile into the eyes of the dragon, exploding one of them. The beast roared and flinched away in pain. It had lost its concentration and I used that moment and pulled with all of the strength that remained in my body.
The dragon's body finally followed my strength and I dragged it into the courtyard, throwing it into the center of it with one last heave.
"Fire!" And my men had waited for it, throwing all sorts of nets on the dragon and its rider, before unleashing hell upon them.
Ballistae were fired, firebombs were thrown, and the flamethrowers unleashed their waves of deadly heat over and over again. I saw Edgar carry out a strange blue shining ballista bolt, and load it into the ballista that was standing on the dragon's right side.
He fired.
The bolt exploded on the dragon's hide, and I saw how a crystalline net fell off the beast's body. And then I saw it bleed for the first time. My body was tired, but my brain wasn't, and I raised my voice much higher than I thought possible.
"FIRE, EVERYONE KILL THE BEAST!" And fire they did. The soldiers had no mercy, unloading wave upon wave on the mighty beast until it finally stopped to try and burn through the fire-resistant chains.
"A special formula that was used when we fought against the golden order, it proved very helpful against the miracles that specialized on defense." I heard Sellen's voice next to me and looked down to see her standing next to me.
"Thanks, I owe thee my life." And I did. There was no way that I would have been able to beat the dragon on my own. Sellen just chuckled slightly, before nodding.
"You are welcome, I hope you will show yourself thankful in the future by helping me." I chuckled as well and moved over to stand beside Edgar.
"Report," I said, and he did.
"My lord, the men have been able to take care of all Tarnished in the castle. If any remained or hid away, they are currently being searched for by groups of your soldiers." I gave a simple nod at Edgar's words, before walking over to a staircase that led to my arena and looking at the sky.
'It's over, I fucking survived.'
A small smile began to grow on my face and I took a deep breath, happy the entire assault was finally over.
And then the nets holding the dragon exploded.
It all happened so fast. The Tarnished that had been riding the beast, the one that was wielding the many different crossbows, charged at me, cutting down any men that came his way. Edgar, who had already moved into a combat stance, was simply thrown aside and Milton who tried to once again shoot at the Tarnished soon found his wings filled with explosive arrows. The Tarnished never stopped, always heading in my direction.
My remaining arm blocked the first volley of bolts but was unable to move in time to do the same with the second, all of which hit me in the chest, severely burning my flesh. I let out a groan, but the Tarnished didn't stop. He rushed at me, taking out a pair of daggers in close quarters, and attacked. It seemed suicidal, he had just taken the entire assault of the entire castle head-on and still wanted to go into melee range with me.
And his hits connected.
He wasn't as fast or strong as the other Tarnished, but I was far from a perfect condition, and his daggers bit into my flesh.
"You're a real pain partner." His voice was short and clipped, angry, and it showed in his fighting style. Not one move was overextended, all of them had the same goal.
My death.
A slash made out of pure blood sprung from my axe, only managing to graze the Tarnished and throw his helmet off. His daggers stabbed into my body once again and I groaned. I was way too slow.
I dropped my golden axe, the weight simply becoming too much, and instead lunged forward, only to be kicked in the helmet, stumbling back.
"That was dumb." He said, cutting across my still functioning arm with his daggers. I groaned, but the arms of the Crucible Knight flashed out, catching the Tarnished in his shoulder. He nonetheless continued his assault, as if he didn't even feel the injury.
He took out a small crossbow and aimed at my knee, blasting it off with four consecutive explosive crossbow bolts that shot out of the weapon. My tail lashed out, catching the Tarnished in the stomach and throwing him into the tower that was closest to my throne room. I heard bones crack when he impacted with the wall but the Tarnished stood up once again, pulling out his crossbow again.
He unleashed another volley, this time again a few sleep bolts that were slowing me down and stopping me from thinking properly. I also felt one sharp sting hit my broken arm.
'Missed that one fucker. That arm is already useless anyway.' The weapon of Magnus was still stuck in it and when I realized it I took action, ripping it out. The Tarnished noticed it and reloaded his crossbow to aim at me again.
I threw the mace, and the Tarnished dodged, but I did see how the mace took out a chunk of his flesh.
I could win this if I played it smart. I took a step forward, or at least tried to, but fell to my knees.
"Sleep bolts are one hell of a thing partner. With the amount you took, you should be dead by now." He said, reloading his crossbow one more time. The pain in my broken arm still prevailed and I would have looked at it if I hadn't been forced to stare at the Tarnished.
"Normally I would ask if you had any last words, but fuck that shit." He said and leveled his crossbow at me immediately after he had reloaded it.
Then two golden twin swords penetrated his chest, lifting him into the air. My eyes widened and I began to chuckle.
'Oh yeah, she was told to stay in the tower that was farthest away from the main gate.' My chuckling turned into straight-out laughter as Grisela threw the Tarnished to the side, his neck cracking loudly when it impacted with a wall.
"Grandfather, are you alright?" I almost wanted to answer yes, but the stinging in my arm didn't stop. The itching was horrible. I turned my head toward my arm, finally being able to see what caused me this pain.
And I saw how my arm was bubbling with a disease, strange infections starting to grow on it.
My laughter subsided and horror took its place.
"OUT OF THE WAY! BRING ME THE DRAGON'S BODY!" The men, realizing the apparent seriousness of the situation ran to the body of the dragon, and began to drag it to me.
When they were done I roared at them to get away from me and fervently began grafting, using the daggers from the arms of my abdomen to do so.
'Come on, please! Fire's supposed to work against it!'
The pain and itching didn't stop for one second, and I could feel how the thing on my arm grew. During my fervent work I looked at the dead Tarnished, and I could see a small smile on his face.
He had had the last laugh.
Because the Scarlett Rot was blooming on my arm.
Authors' Note: Yeah, I'm an asshole, I'll admit that.
But I hope you enjoyed the chapter and are looking forward to more.
18-A Conversation
I am back! And I hope I don't have to take such a long break from writing again for the time being. Hopefully, you'll enjoy this chapter, even though I have rewritten it a few times already.
18-A Conversation
You know, Scarlet Rot had a hellish effect in the game. If you were infected you could, depending on your health pool, die in a few seconds. But that's all it had been, a fucking status effect in a game called Elden Ring.
Feeling your flesh swell, your cells being ripped apart and your very soul being attacked in real life? It wasn't just a game here. I felt my Great Rune try to ward off the worst effects of the rot, keeping it sealed away in one arm. But it wouldn't last long.
And indeed, I felt the rot spread further across my arm, and the pain increased once again. It felt as if thousands of miniature chainsaws were being dragged through my flesh at a slow, steady pace.
How did Malenia live with it her entire life?
Another bout of pain washed over me and I screamed, but I refused to let the dragon's corpse go, continuing the grafting process. I ripped off the head of the dragon, along with its long neck, and began to sew it onto my burnt back. It was a bad, impractical decision, but the strength in my still-functioning arm was too insufficient for anything else. The dragon head clicked into place and I felt the entire feedback shoot into the brain at once.
You fool, you will kill yourself for sure this way!
'WHAT ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?!'
The feedback was overwhelming, but so was the state of pain I was in, and I wanted the pain to end. I slowly began to wrestle for control of the still dragon head and began to move it, the experience something entirely new.
After a few hopeless seconds, in all of which the tumor on my arm steadily grew the dragon head refused to follow my orders. I felt a few tears began to run down my face.
'Fuck, to be killed by Rot, even though I haven't even touched Caelid! COME ON YOU FUCKER, MOVE!'
The dragon head didn't budge and the infection now had spread to my bear claws, slowly transforming the muscles into something else. It felt like the claws were digging into my flesh and new tears joined my old ones.
And then I remembered the Golden Seed that I had kept in my clothes the entire time.
'Fuck it, better grow a tree on my body than fucking die!'
My hands reached for the shining object and I swallowed it in one go, hoping that it would save me.
And then my Great Rune roared to life, sounding a bit like the loud motor of an old car. The dragon's head began to raise itself, and I extended my arm and readied myself for the pain.
The dragon's flames were released and I screamed once again before everything went black.
-Grisela-
She heard her grandfather scream. It was an ear-piercing scream, unnatural and full of pain. The mighty man who had been sparing with a few men just a few days ago was now screaming his lungs out, hot orange flames scorching his arm.
And then the flames stopped and she saw her grandfather collapse to the ground, his impact seemingly shaking the entire army. For a few moments, there was absolute silence, and then she rushed to her grandfather.
"Grandfather!" She was stopped by the four arms of a strong-looking knight, who held her close to his body.
"Let go of me! I command you!" She had to reach her grandfather and say sorry for the times she had been nothing but a little brat.
"Sorceress, is this safe?" Edgar, Irinas' father, asked the woman with the strange stone crown. The woman got closer and slowly, carefully laid her hand on her grandfather's shoulder. After a few seconds of absolute stillness, she nodded.
"The rot has been purged by the flames, but the sheer amount of poison in his body might kill him. We need to bring him into his throneroom to heal him properly." Edgar nodded at the woman's words, and immediately called an entire group of men to himself.
"Men, you shall follow Milton and Tarkus and help them carry the lord's body." He turned around, facing the rest of the soldiers, and pointed at them.
"You, close off the main gates in any way possible, use old barricades if you have to." He pointed at the third and last group of soldiers.
"And you will personally make sure that the weapons of the Tarnished are stored in our weaponry. Drag all of the bodies that can be used for grafting into the lord's throne room. When he regains his strength he will have to repair his body." All of the soldiers nodded, walking off to do their duties.
The commander faced her, and he took off his helmet, revealing the tired, but friendly face of Edgar.
"My lady, please assist the men who will try to repair the gate. They will need all of the help they can get." She nodded, still a bit numb from all the things that had happened, but began to walk towards the main gate.
'Please grandfather, please be alright.'
I woke up on a street, staring at the sky.
'Huh?'
I stood up and looked at my body. Yes, my body. The 6.1 frame with broad shoulders, but not so many muscles, the beard, and the bald head, it all belonged to me. I began to walk down the beautiful street, letting it lead me further into the city that was overshadowed by a gigantic golden tree.
"Is this Leyndell?" I murmured, staring at the masterpieces of architecture and magnificent views that lay before my eyes. It was beautiful, breathtakingly so. The golden leaves and rays seemed to bathe the entire city in gold, and I was in the middle of it, feeling out of place with my normal clothes.
"This is incredible," I said, and my hands traced the walls of the houses of Leyndell, feeling the many different stones that had been worked into something as simple as a normal wall.
I continued along, mesmerized by the sights the capital showed me, the gigantic corpse of the dragon somehow enhancing the sight. I arrived at the dragon's body and traced one of his gigantic stone scales, all of which were at least as big as my torso.
"And you were killed by Godwyn, huh?" The sheer thought that a thing that dwarfed a blue whale many times over had been killed by someone much smaller in size was mind-boggling, nearly impossible to believe. My hand lay on the immense scale of the beast, and I could have sworn I still felt warmth flooding through it.
' But why am I here?'
My hand let go of the scale and I began to back up, memories slowly flooding into my mind.
"The rot bolt," I murmured, realizing what that might mean.
'Shit' I sank to my knees, staring at the sky as I did so.
"Please, please make sure that the fire strategy worked. Please." I said silently, before standing up once again.
"Then what am I going to do here?"
I had walked through the giant capital for what felt like hours, looking at the familiar sights you got when you transversed through them in the game. There was one problem though.
"Where the heck is everyone?"
I hadn't seen a single person here, heck I hadn't even seen any animals here. Dogs were normally waiting around every corner to get you when you walked into the capital, along with groups of soldiers and knights. But now Leyndell seemed like a ghost town, and it unnerved me greatly.
I took another flight of stairs upward, towards the center of the capital, still trying to find anything or anyone I could talk to.
'Perhaps this is my mind? Might be the reason why I can't find anyone here.' The thought went through my head while I pushed open a large door, grunting in effort as I did. I was pretty weak compared to pretty much everyone in the Lands Between, and it showed.
With another grunt I managed to wrench the door open, panting heavily as I did. I looked at the road in front of me and saw another row of gigantic buildings, which were perhaps even larger and more luxurious than the other ones had been.
I slowly began to walk towards them, somehow even more fascinated by the style that had been used to build them. These seemed ridiculous, even by the standards of the rest of the buildings I had seen.
"Quite beautiful, our capital, eh?" A voice next to me suddenly said, and I could feel a gigantic shadow fall over me.
"Indeed, it is," I said, trying to keep the panic out of my voice. The gigantic, grotesque man next to me nodded, still staring at the Erdtree that could be seen behind the buildings.
"Aye, it is. But alas, the two of us will have to have words, don't we, young one?" The man's eyes turned away from the Erdtree and now regarded me, the dull golden pupils seizing me up.
"Well then, let's have words." Godrick the Grafted said, his face set into an emotion I couldn't quite decipher.
-Rogier-
He stared at the damaged walls of Stormveil, its' destroyed main gate, and the number of soldiers that remained after the assault. It would have been perhaps the best opportunity to attack.
But he couldn't.
The soldiers looked alert, ready to fight another wave of Tarnished if they had to. And he had partially been able to follow the fight with his own eyes. The soldiers were, for some unknown reason, much stronger than they were before. They hadn't been able to match the weakest of the Tarnished blow for blow, but their numbers forced the Tarnished back.
The Exiled were plucking the dead bodies of the animals off the defensive barricades and were carrying the unburnt parts of the trolls back into the castle, while others were repairing the gate.
Margit and Godrick, two pillars that seemingly held the castle afloat had been taken out, one killed the other grievously wounded. And yet Rogier didn't even dare to come too close, perhaps also because the soldiers weren't the only problems.
A huge, four-armed man was standing guard in the position Margit had previously, his varied weapons ready to stab, slash, or impale at any given time. And Rogier could tell that he was strong. Perhaps not as strong as Margit had been, but strong enough to halt his advance into the castle. His teeth gritted and his hands balled into fists.
'How am I supposed to get inside now? Will the face truly be out of reach this entire time?'
Another group of soldiers exited the tunnel, passing his disguised form. One of them seemed to notice something was wrong however and turned around, his spear pointed in the direction where Rogier was standing.
The spear stabbed into the air, but Rogier tilted his head to the side, not even making a sound while doing so. The soldier felt his spear hit the air and after a few moments lightly shrugged his shoulders before continuing along.
Rogier let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and slowly began to back away from Stormveil Castle. Gideon had asked him to see how the situation was, and Rogier doubted the older Tarnished would like his report.
But Stormveil Castle remained unbowed.
- Gideon Offnir, the All-Knowing-
His hand crumbled the book beneath his hand. Normally he would regret it, but now?
'That old fool has managed to survive.'
The failure stung, he had to admit, but he thought it was fitting. He shouldn't have relied on others to do his work.
"After all, what can a commander do when he is given nothing but imbeciles." He said to himself and sighed, thinking about the events that had transpired. The troops he had sent to Stormveil Castle, which he had thought would be enough failed. No, it was even worse than that. Every single one of them, even their three leaders, had been killed, at least from what he managed to gather.
The loss of Auden and Nephelli was much more painful than the deaths of the other Tarnished, however. You could always replace weaklings, but strong ones were hard to find.
He hoped the two of them would be alright and come back without any problems. Perhaps Henricus had found them already.
His hands crumbled another paper when he remembered the third Tarnished that had led the assault.
"Beast Claw Magnus" was, despite his ridiculous name, one of the strongest Tarnished Gideon had seen in a decade. He reminded him a bit of the young Vyke, especially because Magnus also seemed to have some sort of connection to animals. Well, except dragons, it seems. Auden had to tame it after all.
'But still, this Tarnished might prove more complicated than I thought. Hopefully, he will stay at Altus from now on.'
But even with the problem of a strong Tarnished being a wild card couldn't stop his mind from going back to the biggest problem he had to deal with in the past few weeks.
Godrick the Grafted.
The youngest Shardbearer had proven himself to be much more of a nuisance than he had thought, and he had to admit that he had wasted his first opportunity to get rid of him. He could have just sent better Tarnished to do the job but instead relied on the weakest. And now, after the catastrophic failure of his plan, the normal Tarnished wouldn't be as inclined to follow him as they were beforehand.
He looked at the papers he had drawn for the attack, his tactics had failed. And he began to chuckle slightly.
"Even if it was through sheer luck, Godrick the Grafted, I'm looking forward to our next round." And there would be a next round, even if it would take him a bit longer to organize it.
He could hardly wait.
I stared at Godrick and he stared back.
"And, what do thou propose we shall do now, young one?" He said, his voice strangely calm.
Too calm.
"Well, I'd say you don't murder me?" Godrick raised an eyebrow at my words and then smiled slightly.
"Heh, thou have a bad sense of humor. If I would kill you, it would also kill my body." It felt like a million tons had just been lifted off my shoulders by those words alone.
If he wouldn't kill me, this might become a good time to speak with him too.
"Well then, take a seat young one." The ancient man said, offering me a small box to sit on, while he opted to sit on a staircase. I sat down on the box, trying to look as calm as possible, but I think I still displayed some sort of emotion because Godrick chuckled.
"Thou art still scared? I have to admit, I do not like thee, young one, but I still have to recognize the things thou managed to do with my body." I calmed down once again and then cleared my throat to say something.
"And you are not going to try and take it back?" Godrick raised an eyebrow at that and then slowly nodded.
"Ah, I see what thy problem is. And yes, I have to admit that at first, I wanted my body back, but then you started to improve using my knowledge for thine gain, am I right? And as far as I know, thou aren't interested in keeping my body." I nodded, trying to follow his thought process.
"And seeing as thou can somehow predict and know things even I, Godrick the Golden, am unable to, thou shall be the one that makes me into the Elden Lord. Thy soul may be freed for all I care, but I deserve to be seated on the throne. I, the heir of the Golden Lineage." I refused the urge to roll my eyes at that. Godrick was many things, but he sure as hell wasn't as clever as he pretended to be now.
"To summarize, thou shall be allowed to use mine body longer, but I have rules that thee aren't allowed to break." I looked at him, motioning him to go on and then the old man got closer, his old, wrinkled face staring into mine.
"Thou shall not even think about bringing my granddaughter into danger. Or else I will rip thy guts out, even if it kills me too. Are we understood?" His hand grabbed my arm and slowly began to squeeze. I felt the pain almost immediately. It felt like my arm was being crushed by an elephant stepping on it.
"Fuck! YES, YES I UNDERSTAND!" Godrick's vice grip loosened and he let me go, returning to a state which I would call "happy".
"Splendid! I shall help thy endeavors from now on and give thee good advice for grafting even greater things!" He raised his arms into the air, a large grin on his face because of the sheer aspect of what I might create. He seemed to calm down quickly though and then lowered himself to my level, talking to me once again.
"I presume you know how we can avoid getting infected with rot once again?" I nodded slowly, feeling the phantom pains on my arm.
"Yeah, I do. But hopefully, we will be able to just burn things like it into the ground in the future." Godrick nodded, agreeing with me.
"Aye, thou should take care of that bitch as well, Malenia." I froze like a deer caught in the headlights.
"No." Godrick froze and then glared at me.
"What is the meaning of thy answer? Is it thine goal to insult me?!" His hand slammed into the street, cratering it. I shook my head, denying it.
"No no, it's just that Malenia is just too far away right now! Do you know where she is?" Godrick was still for a moment and then sighed.
"Nay, I don't. And I presume that it will take time to get there?" I nodded, and he sighed once again.
"But thou will get there?" I nodded again and a small smile grew on his wrinkled face.
"That shall suffice then!" He said and then grabbed me with both of his hands.
"Wait, what are you doing?!" I was panicking, his large hands were once again nearly crushing me with his strength, but he chuckled.
"I am sending thee back! But believe my words young one, the two of us shall have words more freely from now on!"
And then he fired me into the sky.
No, he didn't toss or lightly throw me. Fired is the correct word.
I felt the wind against my skin, and I felt my body changing once again. My skin was ripped open, revealing the patches of grafted skin beneath and I began to age rapidly until I could once again feel a white mop of hair on my head. My body expanded the entire time, the grafted limbs and tools I had grafted onto myself thus once again bursting out of my body.
Soon enough my skin had fallen off completely and I was once again Godrick the Grafted. My transformation ended with the bear claws sprouting from both of my arms and then I began to plummet toward the earth again.
'FUCK FUCK FUCK!'
I thought I had seen a lot of terrible and nasty things, but seeing the earth coming closer was on a new level. My body began to catch flames and after a few moments, I could only see the approaching tip of a large tower coming closer.
I crashed against the sharp spike, and when I thought my body would be impaled upon it I woke up, my body spasming.
I looked around, my arms holding the gigantic blanket I lay under with a death grip.
"Lord Godrick." I heard a familiar voice next to me and saw a smiling Edgar sitting on my side, alongside my creations, Alaric, Grisela, Irina, and Sellen.
"Edgar, remind me of something." My voice was weak as if I hadn't drunk in days.
"What is it, my lord?" My commander asked, his voice a bit worried.
"I still have to give thy daughter new eyes," I said, staring at the ceiling, happy to be alive.
Author's Note: Hope you liked the chapter and are looking forward to more. As always, comments and feedback are welcome.
19-New Views
19-New Views
"Hold still young one, I do not want to hurt you." Irina flinched away slightly, but one of my hands was holding her in place.
"My lord, are you sure you want to do this in your condition?" I heard Edgar's worried voice next to me, and I understood him. My body was, to put it lightly, completely fucked up.
One of my arms had been ripped open, broken in multiple places, infected by rot, and had to endure dragon fire. The rest of my body wasn't fairing that much better either. Some of the poison was still coursing through my body, and the dragon head that I had hastily grafted on my back was still there too. Something I would have to correct later on.
"Don't be scared, Edgar. My arm might not have the same strength it had previously, but it is a small procedure for my skills." And indeed, it was. My Great Rune, in combination with the Golden Seed, had begun to repair my body while I was out for four days. With Godrick's full knowledge about grafting at my disposal, this should be easy.
"Grandfather, are you sure you have the right eyes for her?" Grisela asked, her arms tightened around her body. I smiled slightly.
"Worry not young one. These eyes belonged to a Tarnished and will perhaps give young Irina a small strength boost even." I was thankful that Edgar and the other soldiers had seemingly carried all the flesh I could perhaps use to my throne room. I had a lot of ideas, along with small upgrades that would surely help me along the way.
I was still missing the hands on my back, but right now my two normal ones should do.
"Tarkus, would you please hold her down?" My latest creation did so, his four strong limbs holding Irina down so that she would be unable to move.
"Please, leave us alone," I said to both Edgar and Grisela, looking both of them in the eyes.
"But..," I cut Edgar off before he could speak any further, speaking without even trying to switch to Old English.
"I have to be concentrated, and if a worried father stands beside me, I doubt I will be. Milton, please lead them outside." My flying creation nodded took both Grisela and Edgar by their hands and began to nudge them towards the exit. The heavy door fell shut with a bang, leaving only me, Irina, and Tarkus alone.
"Lord Godrick, I think I'm scared." Irina had been silent until now, and her words didn't surprise me. I would be scared too, if I were in her shoes.
"Don't worry, young one. This old lord of yours doesn't have shaking hands." That didn't seem to calm her however and I sighed, before grabbing a bottle of strong liquor from a shelve.
"Open wide, young one." She did, if a bit hesitant, and then drank a bit of the strong alcohol, before immediately falling backward, unconscious. I raised an eyebrow, looked at the bottle, and took a small sip.
'Phew, that's strong stuff.'
I shook my head, set the bottle down, and made sure to check if I also had been affected by the alcohol as much as the young woman had. Fortunately, I hadn't, which meant I could start with the procedure.
"Do you have her secured, Tarkus?" My second creation just grunted and nodded, before going silent again. Could he even talk properly?
'Something I'll have to test later on.'
I stretched my hands slightly and then began to unwrap a few other things that were different from my normal grafting procedure. I took out various smaller scalpels and one of the sleep bolts that had been embedded into my arm.
My men had to remove all of the weapons and bolts in my body and had stored them here. Well, all except for the Rot-bolt, they burned it immediately. Rot was feared, and after my near death because of an infection, I could more than understand why.
The tip of the bolt lightly pricked into Irina's cheek and I saw how her facial muscles went limp. I looked at the bolt, my eyes widening.
'Damn, this stuff's strong.'
I carefully put the bolt away, before taking out the small scalpels, my large hands struggling to not break them.
"Alright, seems like I need more fitted hands for this job. Milton!" The winged "zombie" jumped in, his eyes watching me curiously.
"Please get me one of the hands that belong to a Tarnished." Before he could leave I stopped him once again, another idea having gone through my head.
"Bring also all staffs and bodies that belong to magic users, I will most likely need them." My first creation nodded and waddled off to fulfill his mission. I, on the other hand, turned to Tarkus, staring at his armor that still hadn't been fixed properly.
"While we wait I will fix you up a bit, you alright with that?" He just grunted and presented me with his first pair of arms that had been badly cut by some axe-like weapon.
'Nephelli.'
"How did you beat her anyway?" Tarkus seemed to be slightly offended by my answer but pointed at one of the windows in my throne room, and then made a gesture that looked like somebody was falling.
"You pushed her off a cliff or something?" Tarkus nodded, and I chuckled. Kind of ironic that the character he was based on died pretty similarly.
Ah gravity, you couldn't beat it.
After Milton had returned with a few bodies and hands for me, I had grafted the two hands onto my palms, giving me hands on my hands. I would remove them later on, but for the procedure, they would be much better than my large ones.
The newest addition to my body picked up the small scalpel and I got to work, while Tarkus still secured Irina's body and Milton held her eyes open.
The scalpel dug into the "flesh" right after her sclera and after just making a tiny cut to the right the other hand that was wearing a surgeon's glove grabbed it, before I lightly, and as carefully as I could, began to take out her eye. The eyeball left the socket rather easily and I saw Irina flinch underneath me, not even the strong alcohol and her sleep being able to numb all of the pain.
The eyeball in my hand was wet and not very pleasant to hold, but I nonetheless laid it down carefully and then reached for the decapitated head of the Tarnished I intended to use as a donor.
One interesting thing I found out about the Tarnished here: Their bodies didn't immediately evaporate into specks of light when they died. Instead, they remained there for a few days, and if no one used them they disappeared. Which was more than good enough for me.
The hand that had been previously holding Irina's eye now grabbed the one that was in the Tarnished's head, and I plucked it out, far less worried that I might hurt someone. I then let the eye hover over Irina's empty eyesocket, silently praying that my Great Rune would fix it.
I then inserted the eye into her eye socket and for a short time, it seemed like nothing would happen. But then I felt a slight amount of energy thrum inside me, and my Great Rune began to mend the eyeball of the Tarnished with Irina's skull. When the slight glowing subsided I looked at my work, smiling slightly. The eye was as good as new.
' Now I just have to do the same with the other one.'
-Irina-
She woke up with a large bandage around her eyes. She tried to sit up but her body failed her and she nearly fell over. Strong, familiar arms caught her.
"Father, has lord Godrick succeeded?" Her father's grip didn't loosen, but she could hear him hum slightly.
"Indeed daughter, lord Godrick has, lord Godrick has given you your eyesight back." She could hear the happiness in her father's voice. He seemed to be close to tears.
"Am I allowed to take the bandages off then?" She said, looking in the direction she thought her father to be.
"Yes, you will be able to take it off soon enough daughter. Lord Godrick is occupied right now, but he will certainly allow you to uncover your eyes soon." Her father's answer calmed her and she smiled slightly.
"I am looking forward to it." She said and she felt her father's hold tighten once again.
"I am too Irina, I am too." His voice cracked again, but his strong arms still protected her. The same strong arms that had always protected her, even after her mother's death.
A heavy door was pushed open, and a heavy figure walked in. Her father reacted, his body shifting slightly, most likely turning to address the other person in the room.
"My lord, has everything gone well?" She could hear the ancient being in front of them chuckle, its old voice joyful.
"Indeed it has! Now we have a few mages in our rows!" The old lord of Stormveil cackled slightly but then stopped.
"And you, young one? How are you feeling?" The question was directed at her, she knew it.
"I am feeling well my lord, though my eyes still hurt somewhat. But my lord?" The old man that was standing in front of her, made a slight grunt, signaling her to go on.
"Would you be so kind and let me take off the bandages you used? I, I want to to see again, my lord." For a short while the lord didn't answer, but then she felt a very large hand rest on the back of her head.
"Of course, young one. You shall see again." The old man sounded friendly, even more so than he had just a few moments ago.
"Edgar, would you mind leading your daughter to the wall of the main gate? I will wait there for you." Her father seemed to nod, judging from the slight movement she felt his body make, and then helped her up.
"Of course my lord, it shall be done." Her father began to guide her, their footsteps bringing them out of the room and, after a few minutes, up a staircase.
"Father, why does lord Godrick speak so… normal out of a sudden?" She asked, the question appearing in her head when they had ascended the stairs.
"It seems that he wants to get closer to his men, my dear daughter. Everyone has fought hard and given it his all, but we still lost a lot of soldiers to the Tarnished that invaded. Lord Godrick seems to see that and act accordingly. Thanks to this and his survival the morale is at a high." Irina nodded at her father's words. Grisela had been extremely distraught at her grandfather's injuries, but his recovery had managed to bring some of her former spirit and carefreeness back into her.
"Father, why did lord Godrick want you to bring me to the main gate?" She didn't quite understand why the old ruler of Stormveil had ordered her father to do so, and so she hoped he would be able to give her some answers.
"I think it is because he wants you to see more than just the grey walls of Stromveil." Her father's answer confused her at first, but then she understood.
"Father, have you asked lord Godrick to do this?" Her father didn't answer, but his silence was telling enough. The rest of their walk was over soon, and when her father stopped she felt the sun hit the bandages in front of her eyes.
"Ah, there you are. I thought you wouldn't get here for another two hours or something." The old lord's voice echoed to her, and she heard his footsteps come closer, the heavy body seemingly shaking the ground. Lord Godrick seemed to stop next to her, and one of his giant hands once again reached for the bandage around her eyes.
"Are you ready young one?"
Was she? She had been nearly blind for most of her life, and now she should be able to see. How would things even look like? Would she like the colors around her?
'I want to see father.'
She looked at the position she thought lord Godrick's head would be and then nodded, her nervousness remaining.
"Very well, ready yourself for a sight to behold." The hand tucked at her bandages, and they fell off.
Her eyes opened and before her lay a beauty she never could have imagined.
Her vantage point offered a panoramic view of the forest, allowing her to take in the entire scene. The golden leaves that sometimes fell from the trees that stood on the bright green meadows filled the world with color. The birds that flew in the sky were beautiful creatures, all of them being different somehow. And then there was the sun, which was slowly disappearing behind a nearby cliff. Its golden rays still hit her eyes and illuminated the area around her.
She looked to her father, the man who had raised her by himself since her mother died, and saw his face.
His face was strong and his general stature was intimidating, looming almost, but behind the dark brown beard and slightly too long hairs were the grey eyes of her father. She smiled, a tear running down her face.
"Father, I can see." Her father's eyes widened and he ran to her, embracing her with his strong arms. She felt hot tears hit her neck, and her father's voice was quiet but immensely happy.
"Yes, yes I know Irina, I know." His embrace didn't stop and he laughed slightly, his voice once again cracking.
"Lord Godrick, thank you." Her father's words shook her out of trance, reminding her of the fact that she should thank the old lord, before she could get out of her father's embrace the old lord laid a hand on her shoulder.
"This was the least I could do. Please, enjoy the view, you two." With those words, the normally loud lord of Stormveil Castle left both her and her father alone.
She looked at the setting sun and smiled.
"Father, I think I want to stay here a bit longer." Her father's loud laughter could be heard, and he let her sit down before he took a seat.
"As do I, dearest daughter." He said, his eyes still red from crying, but his lips formed into a large grin.
"Let's enjoy this sight, Irina." He said before he turned his look toward the setting sun once again. She followed suit, admiring the beautiful sight once more.
She smiled slightly, her new eyes staring into the skies.
'Thank you, lord Godrick.'
It wasn't my business to interfere in a father-daughter bonding session, and that's why I left Irina and Edgar alone after I had taken off her bandages. I smiled slightly.
'The girl deserved it.'
Even if I wasn't going out of my way to help people, I didn't have to be a complete monster either. Why not gift Irina a new pair of eyes? She and her father deserved a bit of peace and an actual happy ending.
I arrived at my throne room and saw the six soldiers I had given the body parts and the staffs of the Tarnished that could use magic. Not all of the body parts had been used, I had to amplify my magical power too after all, but most of them had gone into these soldiers.
'I should probably give Milton a staff too. He could just spam attacks from the air.'
That certainly wasn't a bad idea, but I would have to postpone it for a few minutes at least.
I arrived in front of the six soldiers and stared at them, before smiling slightly.
"I have chosen you because of your services in the battle of my castle. But do not misunderstand, every single one of your comrades fought bravely and valiantly as well. They shall receive a large feast when they return." The six soldiers seemed proud, one even going as far as puffing up his chest. I chuckled slightly.
"But unfortunately I will have to rely on you more than ever. My body has been greatly wounded and I will have to regain some of the strength I lost. The bodies of the animals, trolls, and Tarnished you have brought to me are a grand start, however, I also plan to gift all of you a part of the strength I will take out of these bodies, and that's why I gave you magical potential." The men were listening now, their faces serious again. I continued talking, hoping they would understand the next step in my plan.
"I want three of you to accompany Sir Alaric to the Outposts that lie the farthest from Stormveil and gather the men there to come to me. It is time a true army marches under me once again." The six soldiers smiled and I could see a hint of pride appear on their faces.
"The remaining three shall remain in the center of Limgrave but also begin to gather materials I desire. Kill wild animals, Demi-Humans, and the Wandering Nobles that were unable to enter Raya Lucaria." The Wandering Nobles were a point I had had on my list a bit longer, but now I was sure that I needed more staff to equip more of my men.
All six of them nodded and then walked off, their missions clear. I on the other hand entered my throne room, in which Sellen was waiting for me.
"Well then, seen as you are ready for more instructions and one of your soldiers managed to acquire a few Glintstone scraps, why won't we begin with my lessons about magic?" I smiled slightly and then motioned Milton and Tarkus to bring bodies to me. Soon enough he had returned, the body of a large bear and a Tarnished lying in front of me.
'This should become a bigger zombie, though still not too big.' I readied my scalpels, and they sunk into flesh.
"Don't you want to strengthen yourself first?" Sellen asked, and I turned to her, a slight smile on my face.
"Do not worry, I won't use all of these bodies for zombies. And besides, I still have the body of the dragon and a few ideas of what I'm going to do with it." Sellen tilted her head slightly and then pointed at my back.
"Is that why you removed its head from your back?" I nodded, remembering when I had removed the head from my body shortly after I had finished Irina's operation.
"Indeed. And thanks for reminding me. Tarkus, if you would please?" The large man grunted and then walked into the room where I stored the bodies, and came out with the head of the dragon. I turned towards Sellen and smiled.
"You don't mind that we multi-task during lessons, do you?"
Author's Note: Godrick's getting back into grafting and gets himself even more of the men in Limgrave.
Hope you are looking forward to next time and hope you enjoyed this chapter. As always, I appreciate any feedback and comments.
20-A New Heart
20-A New Heart
"How does this even work?!" The dumbfounded sorceress asked as she saw the head of the dragon spit fire at the block of metal. I raised an eyebrow.
"Well, the dragon takes a deep breath an-" I was immediately cut off when she glared at me.
"Without lungs?! This is only the head of the dragon! How is it breathing fire?" I stared at the head of the dragon I had mounted on the wall opposite the smithy, and then smiled, my arms making a circle motion.
"Magic." Sellen glared at me once again and I chuckled, sweatdropping slightly.
'If looks could kill I'd be dead more than a few times already.'
I turned toward the smith and then pointed at the corner where the rest of the armor that had belonged to the Crucible Knight, along with a few other metals lay.
"I hope you can make something fitting for your lord from this. As I said beforehand, I only require protection for my legs and arms at the moment." The smith nodded and bowed slightly before he began the chore of carrying the metals and armor over to his forge.
"Shouldn't you have at least used the dragon for something more… useful?" Sellen asked and I rolled my eyes.
"This is just a head, and I can take him with me if I have to. And besides, I already have plans for the dragon's main body." Sellen just shook her head slightly and sighed.
"Very well, I guess I can't order you to do something in your castle. I just hope you won't overdo it, Godrick." I snorted slightly and then nodded.
"Sure, I won't." I would have to start at the basics anyway, and most likely had to give Milton that staff I had been thinking about. My brain was already thinking about how I should take part in the dragon body for optimal usage, but then I stopped, overthinking the current situation.
Stormveil wasn't as well protected as it had been and there still was a chance that other Tarnished would arrive here. If I were the only one who had grafted something on himself I also would be the only one that could fight better than before. If I grafted a few more zombies to bolster my ranks back up where they used to be and perhaps gave my men another grafting session to once again grow stronger…
I arrived at my throne room and stared at the nearly finished corpse of what could only be described as a Werebear, at least judging from its humanoid body.
Also yes, Werebear, not Werewolf. The body had been grafted with the muscles of a bear, its head, its claws, pretty much everything refitted to fit on the human body.
Sure, he had gained a foot in height and probably weighed over 300 pounds more, but in my opinion I did a good job at retaining his humanoid form.
My hand traced over the body and considered my next move.
'I really should invest more time in strengthening my army and creating more minions. The dragon's corpse won't disappear so fast.'
And if my soldiers were harder to kill, I was harder to reach, so both of the points were a plus.
I looked into the air and whistled slightly, and Milton landed on the ground in front of me, the metal bow slung around his back glistening slightly in the light.
"Milton, call some of the soldiers here, it is time to graft," I said, smiling.
The soldier in front of me looked at his new teeth in wonder. His old ones had begun to decay and had given him a great deal of pain. So much pain that he had asked me to remove and replace them.
And here he was, his mouth full of sharp teeth that belonged to a bear. I had to graft a few jaw muscles to make them work though. And thank god we still had a lot of the strong alcohol, otherwise I would have been unable to perform some of the grafts.
Some of the soldiers had just gotten new muscle fibers, which made them bulkier and stronger, but the ones that permitted me to do so I grafted in other ways.
Claws were grafted between the knuckles of their fists, stronger bones were inserted into their bodies and weaker ones were taken out. The sharp teeth of predators such as bears were put into their mouths, and the vocal cords of the giant bats, which allowed them to "spit" out a little tornado, were put into the throats of my men.
I also strengthened my two first creations, Milton and Tarkus. Both of them were given the best muscle fibers the Tarnished could offer and Milton received one of the staff I had saved up.
After all of my men had been grafted to a certain degree I let them go and returned to my studies of the remaining bodies. Thanks to Sellen's help I had improved greatly as far as magical knowledge was concerned. I now was much better at conserving the energy in the bodies and thus needed fewer glinstone parts to create them.
I created a different number of creatures, though most of them were based on animals but had humanoid forms. My favorite was probably still the Werebear, but the other animals would also do good for surprising and scaring enemies away.
Unfortunately, these creations were by far not as strong as Milton and Tarkus, but that was to be expected. They were created to swarm the enemy and overwhelm them after all.
At the end of the grafting session, I was left with a few bodies that I would use as support for my newest idea and for the men who were currently on a few missions, the vocal cords of a bat, a few more bodies that belonged to the Tarnished that could use magic and the bodies of a few Tarnished warriors that managed to stand out.
Namely Magnus and the one whose name I didn't know, their bodies should offer a great deal of strength.
I smiled slightly and then dragged the last body I wanted to use for my gain into the room.
The body of the dragon.
'Perhaps I can graft its naturally tough skin as armor? The shell of the crab doesn't give me a lot of protection anymore, most of it's been burned off.'
I looked at the muscle structure of the young dragon, patting its headless corpse.
"Hm, perhaps I can also… hm." I still wasn't sure what to do. Perhaps use its claws and give me new legs? I certainly could use them for perhaps even better balance than the ones I had gotten from the Runebear.
'But then I would have wasted a good amount of flesh. And a dragon is something I won't be able to graft every day.' Well, except if I went after Agheel but that dragon wasn't my priority, at least not yet.
'But potentially having another dragon corpse nearby is good.'
Perhaps I could use him for something later.
But not right now, it was time to finally set my eyes on the bigger fish.
Liurnia
The swamps there were hellish, but the next Great Rune I could aquire was there, along with a hell lot of grafting material.
I shook my head and then once again looked at the dragon. I really should stop getting distracted and sidetracked.
My hands took the scalpels that were on their usual spot and I called for my first few creations, which entered the throne room soon after.
"You two, help me open up this body please."
Half an hour later I stood in front of the opened ribcage of the dragon, the first thing I had been looking for lying in front of me.
It's still beating heart.
I didn't know why it was still beating, but one thing I did know. The heart looked disgusting.
It somehow had sharp stones growing out of it, and with each pump, the sharp ends seemed to slightly stab into my direction, as if they wanted to attack me. It was also large, I barely managed to fit it into my large palm.
After I had extracted the heart, I went over to the next part of my plan. I laid down on the operating table and took a long, deep gulp from one of the old wine bottles. The alcohol began to take effect immediately and I gave the heart to Tarkus, who already had two scalpels ready.
"Do you two know what you have to do?" Both of them nodded and I sighed, before taking another gulp from the bottle.
"Well, get over it." And they did.
I felt the scalpels dig into my chest and even with the wine numbing the pain I still felt my muscles tighten. Milton reacted, stabbing me with the sleep bolt to numb my muscles once again. When the tip impacted my chest I felt my natural resistance fight back against the effect for a few seconds, but then it gave in. I breathed out, the pain lessening immensely.
While Milton had been occupied with keeping my pain as low as possible, Tarkus had continued to dig deeper into my body, trying to get to my real ribcage that was in the troll's torso. It took him a lot of time to get through the tough flesh and muscles, but when he saw my original ribcage he stopped shortly before penetrating it. He began to use the second scalpel to open my chest wider until there was enough place for the dragon heart to fit in.
I could have sworn I saw a bright golden light shine out of my chest.
'I-is that my Great Rune?'
Our Great Rune, but yes.
Tarkus began to slowly lower the heart into my chest and I felt something change. The Great Rune thrummed to life and I felt my body change a bit. Strings and blood vessels began to grow and envelope my new heart new magical energy flowed through my body. I slowly felt how my chest was knitting itself back together and the pain I had felt before lessened and then disappeared completely.
'Holy fuck.'
I sat up and took a deep breath. The air smelled, tasted, and felt different like all of my senses had become more refined. Everything had become clearer. My magical energy had increased immensely.
'Dragon hearts are truly awesome.'
I stood up, the alcohol having evaporated from my body, and walked towards the body of the dragon. I stopped in front of it and smiled.
Time to finish this.
Dragons were, who would have guessed, an absolute goldmine. Their muscles were powerful, even more so than the ones of trolls, and at the same time also were more durable as well. Their skin was also akin to armor but at the same time much lighter. Their wings somehow were able to carry their massive weight and still gracefully glide through the sky. The sharp claws on their feet were perfect for stomping or running through prey.
And I now possessed it all.
I had used the dragon's scales as a replacement for the crab armor I had possessed previously and the improvements were telling. Weapons that managed to damage the crab's shell beforehand were completely useless against the hard scales of even a young dragon. The beast's legs were hacked apart and then used to reconstruct both of my legs this time, giving me a much sturdier lower body. My arms were rebuilt with a few troll bones as the base and I parted with one of my hands to replace it with a modified foot of the dragon. I had to cut off the toes of the other foot to graft them together and make a proper hand out of it.
The separate muscle groups to clench and move my new "fingers" were a pain to graft, but it was worth it. My new hand was much stronger and deadly than my last one had been. I had used the rest of the dragon's corpse to strengthen my body. Its ribs were implanted into the torso of the troll, giving even more protection to my new heart and the dragon's tail replaced the one of the Misbegotten. To not break my spine I had to implant the spine of the dragon into my body and join them together. It was a weird feeling at first, but I grew used to it.
The last part of the dragon I claimed for myself was the wings.
To not rip out my shoulders I had to once again use the dragon's own as a support and then had to graft the wings onto it. It was a tiring process, but in the end, I knew that it had been worth it. I would have to learn how to fly soon enough.
The other things I had grafted onto myself were in comparison small, but they were also extremely useful. The flesh of the animals was used to give my body just a bit more power behind its blows and the vocal cords of a giant bat would allow me to scream at my enemy and disorientate them
The last thing I looked at were the bodies of the Tarnished that remained in my throne room.
First were the muscles of Magnus the Beast Claw. Even if I could only spread it across my body a bit, I felt the sheer quality behind it. It was akin to the muscles of the dragon, all of it stored in such a tiny body.
'Tarnished are monsters.'
And Magnus seemed to have been one. I also felt one of his skills transport over to me, the spell "Bestial Sling", which would allow me to throw rocks at my enemy at great speed.
But the other, nameless Tarnished that had used a crossbow offered more than the comparatively straightforward brute. His muscles weren't as strong as Magnus's but he had something that interested me far more than muscle power.
A proper ash of war.
It was pretty useless for me because it was associated with bows, but it would serve Milton well, especially if it would allow him to greatly the amount of speed at which he fired his arrows.
The other Tarnished, which were small fries compared to their three leaders, possessed a few ashes of war. Some of them possessed defense-based, and few even had acquired attack-based ones specifically for attacking. I took them all into my body and gave Tarkus the rest of their meat to strengthen his defense and attack power as well.
When my grafting had finished I looked down at myself and chuckled slightly.
"Damn, I went all out with the eldritch thing here, huh?" I was terrifying to look at, even more so than I had been before.
But I had become stronger, and that's what truly mattered.
My thoughts were cut off when Edgar entered the room, his eyes widened for just a moment when he saw me, but then he fell to his knees, and began to talk.
"My lord! A few Kaiden have returned with the body of another animal. They say it could be helpful to you." I nodded at his words and motioned him to stand up.
"Well, show me the animal then."
It was a giant Land Octopi.
A grin broke out on my face, and I took out a large bag of coins from my clothes and presented them to the Kaiden. It was much more than we had agreed on, but I had also gotten an idea.
"You have done me a great service. I only have one more mission for you today and this entire sack full of gold shall be yours." The leader stared at me but then nodded.
"Very well, what is it that you desire?" My grin grew larger.
"Well, I presume you know that the bridge that led to Liurnia has unfortunately collapsed. But if you and your men manage to repair it, I shall give you even more gold and riches." The reasons why I wanted the bridge prepared were two things.
Firstly, it would get a lot of Tarnished off my neck. Most of the Tarnished would take the easy way out and try their luck in Liurnia. And secondly, the more important thing for me right now was the fact that it would allow me to transport a huge part of my men into Liurnia in one go. The emergency exit on the back of Castle Stormveil was great and surely would be enough for me alone, but I wanted to take at least a few dozen men with me to fight the enemies I might encounter.
The Kaiden mercenary looked at the bag of gold for a few seconds, but then nodded and turned towards his men, speaking something in a much deeper language to them. They nodded at his words and then bowed slightly, before leaving.
"My men shall leave and get the rest of our tribe. We will begin with the work today." The Kaiden said, his sword slung over his soldier.
"I presume you don't have any material?" He asked after a few moments and I laughed slightly, before shaking my head.
"No, but I will send out a few men to get you the materials you need. I also shall make sure that you are given a troll that will help speed up the building process." I said, making sure to mentally make a note to do that. The Kaiden nodded once more and then said goodbye, leaving me and the Land Octopi alone.
'Man, and I had just finished grafting.'
I let my hand trace the strange body of the creature and sighed contently.
Alright, magical healing, here I come.
I decided to graft a part of the octopus on my back, just under my wings. Its tentacles were controllable and would be a great help if I ever needed to heal. Just after I had finished grafting the animal to my body, my granddaughter came in, fidgeting with her fingers.
"Grandfather, um… might I have a few words with you?" I turned to look at her, but then nodded, gesturing her to sit down.
"What is it that you want to talk about, young one?" Grisela didn't look into my eyes but started speaking.
"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for what has happened to you. And I am sorry for being a foul-mouthed brat. I should have known better than that. I shouldn't have pushed to be on the front lines." Her breathing got more erratic with every sentence she said. I raised an eyebrow and then took a seat next to her, my gigantic body dwarfing even her.
"Young one, it's me who has to apologize." My words seemed to surprise her, but before she could speak up I continued.
"You are right that you were impulsive in your actions, but it was my duty as a grandfather to support you." I was silent once again, Godrick speaking with me silently. After he had spoken I turned to Grisela and slowly began to wrap her into a hug.
"Even if I don't want you to be on the frontlines, I do understand that you are slowly maturing into a young woman, and don't want to be treated like a small child." My arms embraced her a bit tighter, the real Godrick taking my place for just a second.
"And that means I will have to start to trust you."
Author's Note: Alright, the next few chapters should be the preparation for Liurnia. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to more.
As always, feedback and comments are always welcome.
Last edited: Oct 27, 2023
Interlude: Like A House Of Cards
Interlude: Like A House Of Cards
-A few days after the attack on Stormveil-
-???-
He awoke with a startle, his eyes suddenly opening.
"What the fuck?" He still remembered clearly how he had been hit by an explosive barrel. By far not the best death he had experienced. He looked around and saw the camps of the other Tarnished.
'Ah, so I'm back in Mistwood forest.'
His hand went immediately for his axes, but instead of retrieving both of them, he only managed to find one slung around his hip.
"The hell?" Had someone taken his other axe? Normally all of his weapons reappeared with him, it always had been this way. Except, for now, it seemed. He stood up and saw most of the other Tarnished in the camp. He wasn't sure how to act. They had been allies, sure, but only for a short amount of time.
"You guys also lost something?" The group turned around, each of them wanting to brandish weapons that weren't at their side anymore. Their apparent leader, who seemed to be missing an entire sword, answered.
"Yeah, something isn't right. Part of our equipment is gone."
"As are our supplies." Another Tarnished, one who was wearing full body armor said, kicking over the empty baskets where their food had been stored.
"Fuck, bandits?" The other Tarnished nodded, agreeing with the idea.
"I understand the supplies disappearing, but our weapons? It makes no sense. We just came back." One of the Tarnished wearing samurai armor spoke up.
"It's not just the supplies and weapons, you fools." Their heads collectively whipped around to see two of their three leaders standing there. It had been the one with the crossbows, some of which were missing, that had spoken. Auden was his name, he believed.
"What do you mean, you fucker? Isn't it your fault we died in the first place?!" One of the other Tarnished spoke up, his hand clenched around his mace. He looked at Auden, his eyes narrowing too.
'Yeah, other guy's right. Why weren't they there when we fought?'
Auden simply crossed his arms, as if he wasn't even afraid of the dozen of Tarnished glaring at him. Nephelli, who didn't seem to have lost any of her weapons, simply laid both of her hands on her axes, showing that she was ready for conflict.
"If you don't want to listen to me partner, that's fine too. You'll find out about it soon enough." Auden took out one of his strange herbs and began chewing on it, his chewing being the only sound that remained in the silent camp.
"Tell us." He said, the grip around the axe handle tightening. Auden turned to him, continuing to chew for a few more seconds but then answered.
"Godrick grafted our bodies before they disappeared. Grafting is something that intervenes with our strength." His eyes widened and the other Tarnished seemed to understand where Auden was going.
"Do you fucking mean to tell me…" One of the largest Tarnished in the camp, who was armed with a mean-looking sickle stalked toward Auden and seized him by his collar.
"THAT WE JUST GOT FUCKING WEAKER?!" Auden was silent at first but then took the hand that grabbed his collar and threw the much larger Tarnished on the ground, exerting seemingly no effort while doing so.
"That's right partner, got it on the first try." He spat out the herb he had just been chewing and turned to face the rest of the angry group.
"Well, are others also gonna attack me?" While Auden challenged them his knuckles turned white around the handle of his axe. Not only were all of the runes he had so painstakingly gathered fucking gone, but his strength had also diminished. If he could he would have sliced open their leaders on the spot.
But that was the problem, he couldn't. Even if both of them had also lost some strength, Auden seemed to be as strong as ever. He gritted his teeth and then pointed his axe at them.
"If you fucking think I'm going to participate in something like this again, you're fucking wrong. We were promised tons of runes, and the chance to wield a Great Rune. What did we get? A fuckton of nothing, heck, worse than nothing." He glared at the two leaders and pocketed his axe, but his accusing finger pointed at the one with the crossbows.
"What did you even fucking accomplish, huh?" The other Tarnished was silent but then sighed.
"I infected Godrick with the Rot."
You could have heard a pin drop in the camp as the Tarnished all around the camp digested the information. And then all hell broke loose.
"You did fucking what?!" Another burly Tarnished stepped forward, a mace in his hand, and bared his teeth.
"Do you have any fucking idea what you did?! Limgrave could turn into a second CAELID! Not only that, Rot can kill us for good, you fucker!" He looked at the angry faces all around the camp, and knew that a fight would break out if this continued. He pointed at their leaders once again, spitting at the feet before he spoke.
"I'm leaving, there's no reason for me to remain in this place, except that there are some fuckers who take away my runes and endanger my life with Rot!" He heard other Tarnished agree with a few yells, but didn't react in any other way. He crossed his arms, staring at Auden and Nephelli.
"Anything against me leaving, hm?" He waited for a short moment and wanted to leave until Nephelli stepped forward, her muscular arms crossed over her chest.
"All of you are nothing but weaklings and cowards." The Tarnished who had been silent thus far suddenly broke out in yelling, the tension in the camp increasing. He just let out a short laugh and slowly began to distance himself.
"I ain't a fucking coward for leaving here lady. We just found out that one of our leaders used the rot as a tactic and that we actively grow weaker when we die to the grafted monster in Stormveil. What I'm doing here isn't cowardice, it's fucking survival." Once again most of the Tarnished agreed with him and their glares met their two leaders.
"Well, I hope you won't do something you regret here, partners. 'Cause I sure as rot won't give up without a fight." Auden said, drawing back the leading mechanism of his crossbows. He just smiled at the older Tarnished and turned around, not wanting to still be here if a fight broke out.
"Well, I won't face you, that's for sure. The deal we had has run out, and believe me, I sure as shit won't help Tarnished like you again." He walked past the crowd of Tarnished, seeing that not one of them had moved from their initial spot.
'Do these guys want to die so badly? The death with the barrel was more than enough for me in a while.'
He left the camp behind, not even wanting to know what would play out there.
-Auden-
He looked around himself, sighing slightly as the Tarnished were still standing all around him. He shouldn't have acted like he did at Stormveil, he knew so much. But the Shardbearer had managed to kick loose old, painful memories. He heard the metal clinking of two metal axes next to him and looked right to see Nephelli standing next to him, her axes shining in the sun, ready to face down all the other Tarnished. He smiled slightly.
'She really has got some of your earlier spunk, Gideon.'
The Tarnished were tense now, most of their hands laying on their weapons. Some of them had even drawn their weapons already.
"Do you guys really wanna do this? After all, she still has all of her weapons and strength. And me on her side." He cocked one of his crossbows aiming it at the group with a confidence he truly didn't feel right now. The encounter with Godrick had weakened him, reversed years of progress, and taken away some of his equipment.
But still, it had to do.
"You wanna test me like your little friend over there did?" He pointed at the fallen, most likely still unconscious Tarnished. The other Tarnished glared at him but refused to make their move still cautious about how they should proceed.
And then one of them attacked, unleashing a Glintstone spell in his direction. He leaned to the side without a problem and a second later three bolts were stuck in the Tarnished's eye, throat, and chest. However, the first one had sparked a flame and others began to attack, lunging at him and Nephelli. He parried the clumsy swing of a Rapier-wielder and stabbed her in the stomach and neck multiple times with his dagger.
"Fucker!" He felt a hit slightly graze the side of his chest, barely dodging the thrust of an angry spear wielder. He dodged the various follow-ups, before aiming at the Tarnished and shooting him directly into one of his eyes. The Tarnished screamed, and tried to stab him once again, but was decapitated by one of Nephelli's axes, the sharp weapon slicing through his flesh like a scythe through weed. Before he could thank her, he was forced to dodge an overhead axe swing from another Tarnished, kicking his attacker in the face as he did so.
Both he and Nephelli were back to back now, surrounded by the other Tarnished. He could see the flexed muscles on the young woman's arms, but at the same time saw her smile from the corner of his eyes.
"Are your movements getting sloppier because of your age?" The younger Tarnished joked and he chuckled slightly. Even when the other Tarnished we surrounding them she still had the time to joke.
"Listen here kiddo, I'm in top form as far as Tarnished go, so you better keep that cocky attitude of yours in check. I've been fighting longer than you've been alive." He heard Nephelli chuckle slightly at his remark.
"Well, if you say so. Just tell me when you need a walking stick." He snorted, and already wanted to return a remark, but was interrupted by the angry voice of one of the Tarnished.
"Don't fucking ignore us!" A magical projectile was shot his way, and he barely dodged away, his reduced speed making itself known.
'Damn, if that was the weakest Shardbearer, then I don't wanna know how strong the others are.'
He slid underneath and swordswing, stabbing his attacker under the armpit with one of his daggers as he did so. These Tarnished weren't that dangerous, at least how far individual strength was concerned. But they were in a group and sooner or later he and Nephelli would run out of stamina.
"Cover your mouth." He said, taking out two identical crossbows and aiming them at the ground. Nephelli looked around, her mouth already moving to form a question, but when she saw the explosive tips of his bolts she seemed to understand. He pulled the trigger and the bolts impacted with the ground, kicking about dust and dirt.
"They are trying to escape, stop them!" To their credit the Tarnished reacted fast, one of them launching an attack at the position where he had been previously. But they were a few seconds too late, their swing hitting nothing but the ground. He grabbed Nephelli by her arm, and dragged her after him, grunting slightly as he did so.
"Jeez, what did Gideon feed you kid?"
"Lots of meat," Nephelli replied, seemingly not even getting that he had made a joke. He chuckled once again and dodged an arrow that came flying at them, most likely shot blindly. He fired off a few other explosive bolts, ensuring that the area was still covered in dust, and then motioned Nephelli to follow him. For a short moment, it seemed like the younger Tarnished wanted to refuse, but then she relented, following his lead.
"They are running away, get them!"
"WELL YOU GO FIRST FUCKER, I CAN'T SEE SHIT!"
He chuckled once more and shook his head. The Tarnished behind them might have been allies, but an organized group they weren't. He continued running, with Nephelli following his lead.
"Did you truly infest Stormveil with Scarlet Rot?" He heard the younger Tarnished ask, and he sighed.
"Yeah, I did." For a short while she didn't reply, but then she asked the question he knew that was going to come.
"Why?" He was silent for a while, questioning himself why he had done it.
"Call it spite." Before Nephelli could say something he raised he stopped and turned around to face her.
"I know this sounds foolish, but I couldn't stand the thought of losing to him. I prepared myself well for this mission, but he still managed to overcome the challenges I threw his way and now even seems to have survived the rot. I know what consequences the rot would have caused, and believe me, I know that it was foolish and unneeded. It was a grave mistake on my part, and also something I won't do again." He stared at the younger Tarnished and then sighed.
"Look, you don't have to believe me, kid. You don't. But we have to get out of here, otherwise, the other Tarnished might find us again."
And as if he had challenged some higher being he did indeed see another Tarnished come out of the treeline. He carried a large mace with him, one formed differently than the one in Magnus's possession, and wore the helm of a knight. His hands already reached for one of his daggers, before he recognized the surcoat of the Tarnished.
Gideon's trademark was emblazed upon it, an all-knowing eye.
"Henricus, why are you here? Hasn't Father sent you to keep an eye on the Volcano Manor?" Nephelli asked the broad-shouldered man, who she apparently knew. The man, Henricus, just grunted slightly, but then motioned them to follow him.
"Where is he going to take us?" He asked his younger companion, who just shrugged.
"I don't know. But what I do know is the fact that Father has personally taken Henricus under his wing, we can trust him." He wasn't sure if he really should, but after a few seconds of pondering, he nodded, following the other Tarnished.
"Do you know where Magnus is? Has he returned from the dead yet?" He did feel guilty about his ally's death. Dragon fire could keep a Tarnished down for a long time and was a brutal thing to recover from. Henricus, to his surprise just nodded, but then shrugged his shoulders.
"He says that Magnus has revived but that he also slipped away before Henricus could talk to him."
"To recover from a bout of dragon flame is not something a normal Tarnished can do." He wasn't even sure if he would be able to do it.
"But Magnus doesn't seem normal now, does he?" Nephelli asked, looking at him with a raised eyebrow and he nodded. Indeed, he wasn't. He gave off a strange feeling as if his body was built differently than theirs. Even during the assault of Stormveil. Before he could ponder longer however they stopped in front of a stone wall and he raised an eye.
"So, where's the secret entrance?" Nephelli chuckled and then shook her head.
"No, you must be granted access to the Roundtable Hold by one of its members. That being either Henricus or me. I guess he just didn't want any other Tarnished following us here." Henricus nodded at Nephelli's guess and gave her a thumbs up. He seemed to be much nicer than he looked at first glance.
"Well then, take me to the Roundtable then." Henricus nodded and offered him his hand. He raised his eyebrow and looked at Nephelli. The muscled barbarian nodded and he sighed, before taking Henricus's hand.
Suddenly it felt like his body was shaken around like during a ride on a Runebear and then he felt his body connect with the floor. He groaned slightly, but could still hear a familiar voice.
"Don't worry, it happens to the best of us." He looked up to see one of his oldest friends, Gideon Offnir, standing there, his hand on his staff.
"Gideon." He said, standing up and dusting himself off.
"Auden." His old friend said, his helmet hiding all emotions from him.
"Come, we two have a lot to talk about, old friend." The All-Knowing said and led him to his library. Gideon sat down, crossed his fingers, and then stared at him.
"Now Auden, tell me everything."
-???-
He cursed and kicked one of the rocks that lay in the forest, sending it flying against a tree.
"How did they escape us?" He asked the remaining Tarnished that were gathered around him. Most of the others had left, but he had tried to find their leaders to the end but without any success.
"They are strong and fast, even if I hate to admit that." One of the other Tarnished, a man in full armor, said.
"They still shouldn't have escaped from us this easily!" He said once again, glaring at the man.
"We've lost so much more than we gained in that damned castle. Half of our weapons are gone, heck, some of our strength's gone too. And why is that? Because we let an old man trick us into believing that he knew all! And now we were unable to stop even those that were the leaders of this entire shitshow!" He sighed and sat down.
"Fuck, what should we do now?"
"I can help with that." A sweet voice said behind them.
He jumped up, his sword in hand and his feet already shifting into a stance. However, he soon stopped when he saw the woman in front of him.
A Maiden.
"Brave Tarnished, you who have traveled far, may this simple maiden aid you?" The Maiden's voice sounded like honey, and her beautiful face was hidden beneath a large veil.
"Of course you can, fair Maiden. I and my allies were befallen by a great misfortune and need your help to return to our full strength." He had been enourmed by the Maiden at first sight, and came closer, dropping his sword to the ground.
"Oh, you say you poor Tarnished have lost some of your strength? Let me help you." She opened her arms, like a mother welcoming her child, and he fell into her embrace, all of the anger and stress melting off him as he did so.
"You see Tarnished, I also have a lord to serve. But don't worry," The maiden's voice changed, turning into something much more guttural and he could feel her warm hands, slowly tighten around his body. He tried to free himself with all of his strength but was unable to, the Maiden holding her in a vice grip.
" You can all be part of the family!" He felt his spine snap and his entire world went black.
Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed it and are looking forward to more.
Also yes, that was the first snippet of influence one of the still active Demigod posseses, though I'd say that he keeps most of his cards still close to his chest.
21-Destiny at the palm of your hand
21-Destiny at the palm of your hand
-A few days later-
I had spent the last few hours preparing myself for another journey out of the castle. Not a long one, at least not yet, but I wanted to be prepared just in case. Liurnia was quite dangerous after all.
Besides that, I had started another important project of mine. After Grisela and I had talked the last time, I agreed to grant her the body that she desired. The poor girl had wanted to walk on two normal legs again, and seen as I had enough bodies, why not grant her that?
I turned to Grisela who lay on the operating table and continued my work where I had left off. Her legs and general balance had to be cut off completely to make her the body she wanted.
Thank god I had given her a lot of the strong alcohol and let Milton and Tarkus sometimes numb her muscles with sleep bolts, otherwise, she would have screamed through the entire ordeal.
As a base for her new, two-legged body I took the body of a female Tarnished and added different kinds of muscle groups to it, making it generally bigger and tougher than it had been previously. Unfortunately, her physical strength in her new body wouldn't come close to that in her old one which I compensated, at Godrick's orders, with one of the last magical staffs I had left. It wouldn't turn her into a skilled sorceress all of a sudden, but it increased her kit considerably and gave her options that allowed her to also fight from a farther distance.
Grisela had been lucky if I had to be honest. In contrast to me, whose entire lower body and legs were missing, her original body still existed, frail as it was. Though she did have a large wound in her stomach, perhaps it was because of the years of grafting.
'Did she get the frailty from you? Or was it something that just existed in your family?'
For a short time Godrick, whom I had asked, didn't reply, but after a few seconds, I could hear his voice in my head.
My family has been growing frailer with every passing generation. Grafting was one of the few solutions we could use to make up for our weaknesses.
I grunted slightly and continued to work on Grisela's body. I wasn't sure at first if I should just give her another pair of arms as I had done with Tarkus, but had decided against it in the end. The chance that she would be seen as suspicious would be much lower if I left her the way she was now.
The needle sewed shut the last piece of skin, and my Great Rune came to life once more, accelerating the rate at which the stitches closed. After they had closed completely I covered Grisela, who was still sleeping, with a blanket, and then turned around to inspect my still normal hand closer.
In the last few days pain had started to sometimes blossom in my body, and I had tried to find out why. It turned out the Golden Seed was reacting, slowly beginning to grow inside me. The wood was pushing outward, stabbing into my body to free itself. I hadn't the intention to let that happen though, and my Great Rune seemed to agree too, pumping magical energy against the wood to stop its growth. I just hoped they wouldn't grow any further, otherwise, I would have to think about something that would help me keep the roots at bay.
'Hopefully, the Great Rune continues to use the seed to increase its efficiency at least.'
I sighed slightly, letting the hurting hand sink back to its previous position, and pushed the energy of the Great Rune through my body, my skin glowing ever so slightly as I did so. Breathing got easier again and my second heart pumped at its full capacity one more.
I took a deep breath and cracked my misformed neck, the many pops and cracks somehow calming me down. It was time to finally get moving, I had been glued to Stormveil way too long. This was why I would check how the constructions of the bridge to Liurnia were going, and if they were coming along fine, I might just start informing the men about our departure to the other region soon.
"Milton, Tarkus." My two strongest creations looked at me, awaiting their orders.
"You shall keep watch over the castle while I'm gone. Make sure to keep your ears out for any Tarnished that might arrive. If some do, crush them any way you see fit." I pointed at Tarkus, who lightly stomped on the ground, making a loud thumb with his boot. I turned to Milton next and motioned him to follow me outside. When we were in the middle of my arena I turned to face him again.
"You will have to help me with my balance during my flight." I spread the dragon's huge wings that were on my back, casting a large shadow over Milton.
"I'm not so good at controlling them yet."
Flying was incredible, no doubt. The first time I flew in a plane was something like a miracle for me. Seeing the huge city of Vienna slowly grow smaller and smaller when we left the ground was breathtaking. When I was younger, I just couldn't understand how a giant, metal thing like a plane could truly fly. It was mindboggling, incredibly so. But I enjoyed my first plane trip more than anything else.
And now I was flying on my own, which was an entirely new experience.
The dragon wings were strong, able to carry my own massive weight without any problems. Every beat of the wings carried me up a bit higher and increased my speed, which meant that Milton, who was following me, had to be careful to not lose me. The only problem with my flight was my inexperience.
I couldn't control my wings the way I wanted them to, wasting too much energy in some of my turns and nearly falling to the ground when we took off. My wings were still new, and I hadn't fully mastered them yet, a single mistake could be fatal.
I spotted the road that led to the bridge of Liurnia and proceeded to ready myself for the landing, bracing myself.
My multi-ton body impacted with the ground, my ungentle landing creating a deep crater on the ground, my feet digging deep into the earth. I let out a slight wheeze, relieved that I hadn't decided to land on the road itself, and slowly got up.
'My knees feel like hell.'
Thy way of landing was truly stupid.
Before I could send Godrick a less-than-friendly response Milton landed gracefully in front of me, his head tilted slightly. I cleared my throat.
"Yes, my landing wasn't the best." My creation looked past me, seeing the large crater I had made, and then looked me in the eyes once again. I felt my face heat up and walked forward, changing the topic as I did.
"Ahem, do you know why the bridge to Liurnia was destroyed, Milton?" The subject change seemed to work and my first minion was soon beside me, his eyes curious.
'Um, Godrick, how did the bridge get destroyed?'
Hm, repeat everything I tell thee, young one.
"Tho-ahem, You see Milton, Liurnia isn't called the land of swamps without reason. The bridge had been locked down in the Shattering, by me and the knights who served under the academy of Raya Lucaria. No side wanted the other to cross over to their region, and thus the bridge was barricaded on both sides. However, over the years some pillars of the bridge were slowly being dragged underground by the swamps. And without proper maintenance nature took its course." Milton seemed to digest the words I had just said, and nodded after a few moments, silently walking beside me while we were getting closer to the bridge.
"Get another wooden beam over here, we need more support for the pillars!" The yells of the Kaiden could be heard dozens of feet away and only got louder when we approached the partially destroyed bridge. I looked around, taking in the architecture that once must have been something truly breathtaking, even more so than it was now.
This place reminded me very much of the game. Even the Finger Reader Crone sat at the same place as always. I froze.
'Wait, why is the old crone still here?'
Before I could ask one of my soldiers or the Kaiden why they hadn't at least tried to get the old woman to move, she had opened her mouth and began talking to me.
"You, please. I can read them. Your fingers, please, your fingers…." The crown she must once have worn with happiness and joy seemed to be too heavy on her head and the golden chain seemed to drag her to the ground. I slowly got closer and, not even sure why, extended my still mostly humanoid, six-fingered hand to her.
'Can she even read my hand? It's not mine…'
Foll, a crone is a wise person, far wiser than any of us can fathom. They can speak to the very gods themselves. The contact seems to have made them mad, however.
The old woman grabbed it with surprising strength and her bony fingers traced the lines on my grafted hands. But her white, milky eyes were staring into my own the entire time as if she could see who and what I truly was. And then she grinned for a short time, showing me a mouth filled with yellow and missing teeth. But something was wrong with the grin.
"Your fate is a puzzle, a tangled web even the cleverest spider couldn't decipher." She broke out into a strange bout of laughter, her old voice echoing around the bridge. The Kaiden and the men working with them had just now seemed to notice the entire ordeal and slowly got closer, some even drawing their weapons.
The crone had gone silent all of a sudden, her eyes on the ground, but her gnarly hand still clutched my finger. I slowly got closer, wanting to use my second hand to free my first from her death grip. But when my face just hovering over her, her face snapped up, foam dripping from her mouth.
" NOTHING SHALL BE COMPLETELY UNKNOWN!" A dagger that had been concealed in her clothes went for my unprotected head.
I reacted on instinct, and the hand she had been previously holding enveloped her in a bone-crushing grip. She slid the dagger into my hand over and over again, her white eyes shining with madness. I raised my arm and then threw the crazy crone on the ground, my fingers still wrapped around her old body.
Her brain splattered out of her fragile skull and painted the stones of the damaged bridge red. Every single bone of her skeleton had been shattered by one mere blow.
I let go of her motionless body and stared at it, something rising in the back of my throat. I swallowed it and turned to the Kaiden and my men, who all had seen what had transpired.
"Well, tell me how the process of rebuilding the damned bridge is going!" At my perhaps a bit too aggressive words, the leader of the Kaiden came forward and led me to the far end of the stone bridge. While he did, I took a small bite from the tentacle of the Land Octopus on my back, healing the shallow wounds on my hand.
"Here we are, my lord. As you see we are currently using wood from the Mistwood as the material to rebuild the bridge. Some of our men are still trying to bring the wood out of the forest, but bandits and Runebears are complicating things." The word bandits reminded me of something, or rather someone.
'Patches!'
How could I have been so fucking dumb? I had forgotten about a way that made the fight against Morgott easier! I cursed slightly but regained my composure after a split second, and addressed the leader of the Kaiden.
"Very well. I and some of my knights shall take care of the bandit and Runbear problem that plague the Mistwood forest." Not only that, it would also allow me to gather more materials. I already began to take my leave, Milton already following me, but I turned around for one last time, and looked at the dead body of the crone.
"Give her a burial. She doesn't deserve to rot away like this." The men on the bridge nodded and some began gathering up the body of the old woman.
"Milton, let's go." My wings spread once again and with one mighty push, I was off the ground, soaring into the sky, and back to Stormveil Castle.
'My fate isn't set in stone, huh? Then let's try to make something good out of it.'
-A few hours later-
-Alaric-
Lord Godrick had picked him and a few other knights as part of his team to hunt Runebears and bandits who were hiding in the Mistwood Forest. And their lord came prepared.
Perhaps a bit too prepared.
"My lord, do you not the dragon head for this… mission?" Their lord had dragged the reanimated head of the dragon with him, carrying it on something that resembled a thick spear, but had two strange grips on it, as if their lord had made a crossbow with two handles. But instead of the firing mechanism the dragon was attached to the front of the strange device.
Lord Godrick had called a flamethrower, something akin to the flame tongues their soldiers were using in the castle.
"Indeed, I do Alaric. Runebears are beasts of extreme strength and ferocity. I won't underestimate them even one second." Alaric looked at his lord, unsure if he wanted to point out the obvious fault in his plan.
"But my lord, we are in a forest. If you torch the bears, the forest will burn down too." His lord looked at him, and Alaric could have sworn he saw the ancient lord pout, but the expression was fleeting and his lord cleared his throat.
"Ahem, oh no, believe me, I never had the intention of going into the forest with this." He shook the strange device with the dragon head on it.
"I planned on letting Milton and you lure most of the bears out here, to make killing them easier." His lord planted his golden axe on the ground, pointing at it.
" That's the thing I am going to kill them with. Burning them is also a possibility, but their flesh would be wasted if I did." Alaric let out a sigh of relief he hadn't realized he was holding.
'Thank Marika the lord's still sane enough.'
"Very well, then we shall follow your orders, my lord." He said, his Misbegotten arm banging against his metal chest plate. His lord nodded and then pointed at an old church that stood nearby.
"Before you into the forest, have you found anything in the Third Church of Marika?" Alaric, raised an eyebrow, confused at the very specific question but then shook his head.
"I'm sorry my lord, but the men found nothing in there except the statue of your ancestor, Queen Marika herself." He saw his lord's emotions once again, this time a strange mix of regret and acceptance on his face, as if he had known something precious wasn't there anymore.
"Well, if that's the case I won't stop you or your men, Alaric. Though, just as friendly advice from me, I would use the ballista to cause damage to their legs. Runebears are faster than they have any right to be." Alaric nodded at his lord's advice and nodded, the grip around his spear tightening.
"Very well my lord, wish us luck." Godrick nodded.
"Oh, I will. And you'll need it." Somehow those words were very unsettling for Alaric's conscience, but he shook the uneasy feeling he was getting off, and along with five of his men began to advance into the forest. The other three were pushing the large ballista after them but stopped when Alaric raised his closed fist. He saw the shadow above him and looked up to see lord Godrick's loyal minion, Milton hovering above them. The creation pointed ahead, and when Alaric followed its finger, he could indeed see a gigantic Runebear, completely covered in arrows. But they only seemed to be a simple inconvenience in the bear's eyes and instead, he seemed to be looking for something, most likely the one that had shot at him.
Alaric raised his hand again and then pointed at the Runebear. His men understood and loaded the ballista, unleashing one of the giant bolts on the beast's leg when the mechanism clicked into place. The beast had managed to turn around to face them, but that didn't save its leg which was punctured by the large projectile.
But to Alaric's shock, the beast seemed to get only angrier and began charging at them, crossing the distance between them extremely fast, even with its injured leg.
"Scatter!" All of them managed to react in time, dodging the giant paw of the beast at the last second. The Banished Knight reacted immediately, their weapons stabbing into the head of the giant beast, one of them even going into its eyehole. The gigantic bear didn't die however, instead throwing them off and trying to bite the leg of the soldiers that still were on the ground.
He stabbed his spear deeply into its nose, making it scream out in pain.
"Not so fast, foul beast!" The bear roared again, its eyes only on him now. Its one remaining eye narrowed and its leg muscles flexed before it jumped forward with an immense amount of strength. However, it hadn't taken out the thing that could kill it in one hit.
The ballista shot its bolt directly into the stomach of the Runebear, stabbing into it and entering into the flesh until only a few inches remained of the once gigantic bolt.
And still, the beast wouldn't die.
In a show of something that bordered on the absurd, the beast began to crawl toward him, its monstrous eye seemingly glaring into his very soul. It was only a few feet away from him, and he readied himself for one last clash with the beast. The Runebear raised its claw, ready to rip apart his body, the promise of a painful death lingering in its eyes.
Only for its head to be easily crushed under a golden axe that had been thrown at it.
"I told you to not underestimate their speed and strength. Runebear's are tough bastards." Their lord stood a few dozen feet away from them, his large arms crossed above his chest.
"It seems we were too careless my lord, I'm sorry," Alaric said, bowing slightly. His lord just waved it away, picking up his weapon once again.
"Don't be sorry, be better. You will have lots of chances to do that now." Before Alaric could ask what his lord meant with those words, his question was answered by a few roars that echoed through the Mistwood.
"You should have taken him out more quietly, now we have his relatives on our heels." Lord Godrick began to walk out of the forest, and Alaric and his group followed him. When his lord had exited the forest he donned his helmet and picked up the weapon with the dragon head attached to it.
"As I said, you lure, I burn and crush." Before Alaric could answer his lord he heard the angry roars getting closer and closer. He sighed and got into the position in front of his knights.
"Very well my lord, we shall give them hell." He didn't see his lord's face, but judging from the tone in his voice he was grinning.
"Oh yeah, let's do that." The dragon's head on the weapon came to life, ready to welcome its newest enemies.
Author's Note: No Liurnia yet, but we should be there soon enough. The only pressing thing Godrick needs to do here is to get the shackle from Patches.
Anyways, as always comments and feedback are welcomed and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
22-Family Bonds and a Shackle
22-Family Bonds and a Shackle
My clawed hand ripped out the heart of the last Runebear, the giant thing still in the motion of biting me. It fell over, its teeth only slightly grazing my skin, and impacted the ground with a loud thump. I was panting slightly and used my axe as a support to stand.
"Is everyone still in one piece?" Alaric and the Banished Knights I had taken with me nodded, but they too seemed to be out of breath and exhausted.
"My lord, do you think that was all of them?" I looked at the five corpses of the Runebears in front of us and shook my head.
"Very unlikely, but what is likely is that they won't attack us anymore. Not many Runebears live in this forest, and seen as we killed five of them the others should listen to their survival instincts and not attack us anymore." That seemed to relieve the men, who sat down on the ground and took a short break.
I didn't need to sit down and have a break. I was exhausted, sure, but my second heart certainly gave me more stamina than I had before. Which, besides increasing my magical power, was a great boon. I looked at my still bloodied hand and the corpses of the Runebears in front of me.
' Me and the men should split up. They will bring the bodies back to Stormveil and I will face Patches.'
I do not know who this "Patches" is, but from the way thou are talking about him, he must be someone of great importance.
I chuckled and shook my head ever so slightly.
' I wouldn't say that he is special, but he certainly is a survivor. He also possesses an item I want in my possession.'
Very well, then we shall go and meet this Patches. I wonder what kind of person he is.
I chuckled once again but didn't answer Godrick this time, instead turning around to face Alaric and his men.
"Men, I have a mission for you. Bring the bodies of the Runebears to Stormveil Castle and store them in my throne room. I shall see what I will do with the bodies. I will meanwhile take care of the bandits that are supposedly causing problems here." I waited for my men's approval, but before they could answer I felt Milton tug at my clothes. I looked down at my first creation, and one of my eyebrows raised.
"What is it that you want, Milton?" And I think for once I heard my minion speak.
"Stay. At. Stormveil. Grisela. Needs. Her. Grandfather. She. Just. Woke. Up. And. Has. To. Get. Used. To. Her. Body." I was silent, staring at my creation.
He's right, my grandaughter will need our assistance with her new body. That matter is much more important than some bandit leader.
"And who will I send to catch Patches then, hm?" I asked, looking at Milton. He pointed at himself.
"Me. And. Tarkus. Will. Do. It."
Thy creations have proven themselves more than capable enough to take on Tarnished. The second one even managed to take out one of the three that led the Tarnished.
I stared at Milton for a bit longer but then sighed and nodded, seeing no point in turning this out into an argument.
"Very well, I shall draw you a few locations where you can look for the bandits, but that means you will also have to come with us to Stormveil once again because you have to take Tarkus with you." Milton just nodded at my words, and then took off the ground, most likely already flying to Stormveil. I on the other hand turned my men and smiled slightly.
"Well, you've heard it, I shall remain in Stormveil Castle for now. And that means I can help you guys transport all of these dead bears." Alaric nodded slightly, still trying to catch his breath.
"We will be ready soon, my lord."
-Two Hours Later-
I laid the last corpse of the Runebear into my throne room and dismissed Alaric and his still tired-looking knights from their duty.
"Alaric, would you please send Grisela to me? I have to talk with her." The knight had just been in the process of opening the door to leave but turned around to slightly bow and nodded, before leaving.
' Alright, she should come soon enough.'
I turned around to inspect the bodies of the Runebears for one last time, checking if any flesh had been lost. My pseudo-flamethrower had burned through some muscle tissue and thus made it pretty useless. The wounds on their bodies, especially mine, were deep, but I could most likely just maneuver around them. All in all the resources were good, not as good as the one Milton has somehow managed to bring in nearly undamaged, but the quantity more than made up for the small difference in quality.
I heard the door to my throne room open again and turned to see that Grisela, supported by Irina, walked into the throne room, her new legs still seemed to cause her big problems. Irina also seemed to struggle but for different reasons. She wasn't able to properly support Grisela's entire weight. I got closer and used my still human hand to carefully grab Grisela's shoulder.
"Don't worry young Irina, I've got it from here." I guided Grisela to my throne and helped her suit it. My eyes turned back to Irina and I smiled slightly.
"Thank you for your help, I think I can handle it alone from here." Irina nodded, her new eyes regarding Grisela for just a moment, and then left the throne room. I turned back to the young scion of the Golden Lineage, looking at her in worry.
"Are you fine, Grisela? You haven't talked to me ever since you wanted a new body." Grisela clenched and unclenched her hands, looking at them before looking up at me.
"It's nothing grandfather, I'm just… overwhelmed. This feeling is something I didn't have for a long time. For decades I grew used to having more than four limbs. Now I'm going to have to learn how to live with a humanoid body again." I hummed slightly, and leaned forward, my human finger lightly prodding her shoulder.
"So no pain with your body, just controlling it, right?" She nodded and pointed at her legs.
"Yeah, walking is the hardest." I felt a small twinge of anger rise within me. She, a young woman was now forced to re-learn walking. And why? Because her grandfather hadn't managed to graft her a proper body.
'You could have given her a better body, couldn't you?'
My memories are my own, young one, and I shall not share them with thee.
Before the argument in my head could start, however, Grisela stopped it.
"But I have managed to at least gain some form of resemblance to walking. Look, grandfather." She tried to get off the throne, and nearly fell on her face, her legs barely managing to catch her fall. Her few steps toward me were like that of a toddler who had just started walking.
"Very good! But I think the two of us should try walking outside, we have more space there." Grisela nodded and began slowly waddling to the exit, with me following on her heels in case I had to catch her.
"Watch your steps, otherwise you might fall." Grisela turned to stare at me, rolling her eyes slightly.
"Come on grandfather, I'm not a baby anymore. Trust me." My hands clenched at the sentence, but I knew what she meant.
No, stay behind her. Otherwise, she might fall over.
'We did promise to trust her.'
…
Fine, but keep an eye on her being. If she gets seriously hurt then….
Godrick let the sentence hang in the air, but I didn't pay too much attention to his threat, instead sitting down on the staircase that led to my throne room, and began watching Grisela's attempts to walk. It reminded me of the days when my youngest sister began to learn to walk.
"You are doing a splendid job, granddaughter! I will watch your progress with interest!" I yelled over to her, taking out a bottle of the strong wine in the process, and taking a swig from it. I let out a content sigh and nodded. Just sitting there, bathing in the sun, it was relaxing.
'This isn't bad at all.'
-Patches-
Life had been good. Well, as good as the days of a bandit could be. His men had found some good amount of cargo in the woods the past week, most likely belonging to a large group of Tarnished. He still was questioning himself what the heck would even motivate Tarnished to come together in such great numbers.
'Though to be honest, I don't even wanna know. Must have been a monster.'
But what truly mattered was the fact that his men had brought a whole bunch of loot to him that day, and that was great. Lots of food too, which meant he wouldn't have to go out hunting and waste his time doing so.
So yeah, he was feeling pretty good about the thing he had going on right now.
And then someone had to come and ruin it.
When he heard the ringing of the alarm bells that had been connected to wires he didn't think very much of it. His men were all normal soldiers who had deserted Godrick's army, but they still were no pushovers, especially because he trained them. They also always had to advantage in numbers.
But this time they didn't appear to be so lucky, and from his elevated position on one of the stone platforms he could hear their death screams.
'Damn, these guys gotta be brutal. Other Tarnished perhaps?'
Then the screams stopped, which didn't help his worries at all. After a few seconds, a Missbegotten walked into the room below, as if it was searching something. He was already thinking about diving down and stabbing it, but something stopped him. He looked closer and shook his head. The Misbegotten might have looked normal at first glance, but when one looked at him again you would know that he clearly wasn't.
First was the strange body the Missbegotten had. He had seen a lot of weird shit in his times in the Land Between, but somehow the body structure seemed to be too alien to belong to a normal Missbegotten. The strange skin was stretched over the muscles, one could see all of them. The teeth that were normally akin to the ones of a human were sharp like daggers. The wings on the back also seemed to be special, their span much larger than that of a normal Missbegotten.
'A new species? If that thing has killed my men I better get out of here before it notices me.'
He began to walk backward, only to suddenly bump into something hard. His head turned around and looked at the bronze-colored leggings of a large man. His eyes traveled higher, past the broad chest and arms, and then stopped at the strange, axe-ornated helmet.
"Oh hey, there friend. Um, you look like a man of reason and under-" Before he could finish his sentence he was kicked off the stone platform and landed on the stone ground beneath, letting out a small wheeze of pain.
"Jeez, you didn't need to do that-" He was shut up once again when the Misbegotten somehow lifted him and threw him against the wall. Thank the gods he had been prepared this time and managed to bounce off the wall with minimal damage.
"Well, it seems I was wrong about you pillagers! Why did you come into my simple abode? To rob me! How vile!" He had raised his weapons, but in reality, he slowly inched closer to the path the Misbegotten had come from, as one could also leave the cave that way.
He was stopped when two arrows suddenly impacted the ground next to him in rapid succession. The Misbegotten was holding a bow, aiming it at his head.
"Well, that is not bloody fair! Fight me like a man, mano o mano!" Suddenly the large knight from before jumped down the stone platform, forming a small crater because of his weight, and stood up, displaying his four-armed form in all glory. The knight's helmet was staring directly at him, and the man began to advance.
'Oh no.'
The knight slammed into him with a speed that he had no right to possess, the spear he was holding in one of his four arms, pushing him backward, even when he was blocking the hit with all his might.
He didn't even have time to rearrange his stance, because the knight followed him and stepped past his guard, opting to let his armored elbow ram into his forehead. He stumbled backward and the knight followed, dropping all of his weapons, before embracing him, screaming something that was most likely his name in the process.
"TARKUS!" The knight's voice was loud, almost like a mountain had come to life. He felt the man's grip increase and his bones protested loudly.
"Okay okay, I give give! White flag and all!" The knight's death grip loosened almost immediately, and he fell to the ground, clutching his stomach.
"Jeez mate, you're," He coughed and tried to regain his breath "you're a strong one."
The knight did respond however and instead, the Misbegotten came forth, holding a piece of paper to his face.
'Are you Patches?'
He looked at the paper for a short amount of time and then smiled.
"Never heard of the man in my life." The Misbegotten sighed and then took out a dagger, most likely to slit his throat.
"Wait wait wait please, I AM Patches alright, just don't want too many people knowing my identity. But you two seem like people who can keep a secret, am I right?" Both of them stared at him for a while, but then the Misbegotten looked at Tarkus and nodded.
"Oi mate, what is th-" He was once again cut off, this time by the fist of the knight that came barreling toward his face. The armored fist connected with his head and he felt himself losing consciousness.
'What a shitshow"
He awoke in a strange room, strapped to a gigantic table, all of his limbs restrained.
'Fuck.'
"Ah, our guest is awake I see." An ancient, bone-chilling voice echoed from his right.
"I am quite happy that you are awake, honored guest!" His head slowly turned to the right and he saw a wrinkled, ancient head wearing a crown. The head sat on a gigantic body composed of all kinds of flesh. He saw the sharp paws of a dragon joined together to form a clawed hand.
This was Godrick the Grafted.
"O-oh hello there honored lord! It is an honor to meet you!" He was tripping over his own words, panic coursing through his body.
"If there is a god that hears my plea, please help me! I will give you anything!"
Being at Godrick's mercy was one of the worst things that could happen to someone. The grafted lord would pull your body apart and then use it to make something horrifying out of it.
"Indeed, I imagine that it's an honor. But tell me Tarnished, why do you use my men as common bandits?"
Sweat began to flow down his cheek and he chuckled slightly.
"W-well my lord you see, I simply wanted to widen their horizons, that's all." The old lord stared at him, but chuckled slightly, one of his large hands patting his bald head.
"Ah, you are very amusing Tarnished. I like amusement, and that's why I will give you your freedom in exchange for something."
The grafted abomination slightly shifted to the side, giving him the perfect view of a few of the tools that might soon be used on him, all of them rusted and forged in a way that they would inflict the largest amount of pain possible.
"Anything you want my lord!"
The grotesque face of the Sharbearer came closer, smiling with all of his teeth.
"Good. I have heard that you possess a little shackle. I want it for myself. If you give it to me, I will let you go and even be a customer of yours in the future."
He stirred slightly. The shackle had to be important if a Shardbearer wanted it. And the grafted lord couldn't kill him, because he was the only one who knew where it was stored. He grinned slightly.
"Of course my lord! But you see, I went through so many problems to get it and…" He stopped talking when Godrick's eyes narrowed, bringing his clawed hand closer to his face.
"Do you take me for a simple man you can exploit, young one?!"
He felt the claws dig into his cheek and flinched slightly.
"No, of course not my lord! I was simply asking how you wanted to receive it! Perhaps wrapped up in a present!" Once again the laughter of Godrick the Grafted echoed through the room and the monstrous lord patted him on the back.
"You truly are amusing. But no, I do not need the shackle wrapped up in some fancy present, I just require it as is." The lord's hand vanished in the side of his cloak and he took out a golden figurine of Queen Marika.
"What do you say, is this payment enough?"
He stared at the statue and began to smile.
"My lord, your benevolence knows no bounds! I will immediately go to the hiding spot of the shackle and bring it to you!" He lightly shook his restraints.
"But you will have to let me go first, my lord. Otherwise, I will be unable to retrieve it." The grafted lord smiled slightly, and then the ropes that were holding his limbs were cut, allowing him to move freely again.
"Very well. Two of my soldiers shall accompany you and lead you back to the castle when you are done. You shall get your reward when you have fulfilled your end of the bargain."
He nodded, bowing slightly before the grafted lord.
"Of course, which brave soldiers will follow me?"
And as if they had heard him the two monsters from the cave were standing in front of him, staring directly into his face.
"These are Milton and Tarkus, both of whom I trust to take care of you if any difficulties arise." The old lord smiled and then opened the door, revealing that they had been in the center of Stormveil Castle this entire time.
"Well, off you go I wish you good luck." He could only nod slightly, still a bit shocked that he was inside Stormveil Castle, a place known for its brutality against Tarnished.
"You. Go. First." The Misbegotten somehow spoke and lightly pushed him forward.
'What kind of shit have I gotten into?'
He walked forward, leading them to the place where he had hidden the shackle.
What else could he do?
Author's Note: New chapter yeeted, Patches deleted (well not really…).
But seriously, hope you enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to more. Liurnia, we are coming (though I don't know if it will be the next chapter already).
As always, comments and feedback are appreciated.
23-This is quite the mount
23-This is quite the mount
-Two days later-
I stared at the small fetish in my hand, dumbfounded at how such a little thing could possibly hold down someone as powerful as Morgott. It was absurd but at the same time possible.
'And to think that this thing used to cage him entirely in the sewers before the Shattering.'
But I wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. It was the opposite. I would use this very well when the time came.
Suddenly something moved within my chest and I groaned, feeling the Golden Seed growing vines around my Great Rune, which still was working to use the slowly growing seed inside of me. I wouldn't become a strange tree human like the ones guarding the Erdtree, at least I thought so, but I still sometimes felt the pain. Just when I had recovered the door to the throne room opened, and Edgar walked in.
"Lord Godrick, a few of the soldiers have returned from the dead and are ready to do their duties again," he said, my commander bowing slightly as he entered the throne room.
"Good, how is the work on the bridge coming along?" I hadn't visited it since last time and sincerely hoped the Kaiden and the soldiers I had sent that way had been able to make a steady process.
"They are continuing their work as fast as possible and should be finished in a few days, my lord. But my lord, if you don't mind, I have a question." I turned to Edgar, one of my brows raised.
"Yes, what is it?" Edgar pointed at the room where I stored the flesh I used for grafting and then looked at me.
"My lord, it's very unlike you to leave "material" such as the bodies of the Runebears and trolls untouched. Is there a reason why you are doing this?" I laughed and nodded.
"Indeed, there is. I plan to use these materials soon. But at first, I will have to deepen my knowledge in the ways of magic and puppeteering before I make the step that I want to." Edgar seemed to understand what I had in mind and bowed slightly.
"Very well my lord. Shall I bring the soldiers that returned to you?" I pondered about it for a few seconds but then shook my head.
"No, but bring the sorceress to me. We have to continue our lessons." My last lesson about magic had been quite some time ago after all.
"Very well my lord, I shall make sure that Sellen will arrive here shortly," Edgar said, bowing as he did so, and left the throne room. My eyes went back to the little item I had in my hand, and I smiled before pocketing it. I had to admit, I was getting kiddy. Everything was coming together.
'Alright, the bridge should be finished soon enough. After that, I can finally start to prepare myself for Raya Lucaria.'
The aspect of finally being able to enter Liurnia was huge. Raya Lucaria was the main goal, at least at first. But other important things existed there as well.
'I already have the first section of the Dectus Medallion, and if I want to go to the Halligtree I'll have to visit the village of the Albinaurics to claim one of the parts of the Halligtree Medallion.'
Though, unfortunately, if I wanted to take the Great Lift of Altus, I would have to visit Caelid. And I also had to go there to fight against Radahn, something I also wasn't looking forward to.
'How am I even going to get the medallion Melina gifts you in the game? I NEED that to get to the Mountaintops.'
I had nearly forgotten Melina, a mysterious woman that accompanied you on your journey across the Lands Between and then when you managed to beat Morgott, gave you the Rold Medallion, something that allowed the player to use another important elevator. Without it, I would be unable to burn the Erdtree, an important "mission" in the game, and also would be unable to find the second part of the Halligtree Medallion, which would bring me to Malenia, another Shard Bearer.
'Fuck, what should I do?'
My hand tightened around a scalpel, breaking the small instrument I normally used for grafting.
"I am interrupting something?" The voice of Sellen brought me back to reality and I looked at the sorceress that had managed to sneak up on me.
"No, you are not. I was just testing if my strength was back to its peak." I lied, easily flicking away the pieces of metal that were in my hand. Sellen tilted her head, clearly not believing it.
"Of course. And, are the results to your satisfaction?" I just nodded and rolled the rest of the scalpel up into a small ball tossing it at the ground.
"Indeed it is. My strength is at an all-time high." I said, and then changed the subject, clearing my throat to do so.
"Anyway, are you ready to teach me once again, sorceress?" Sellen stared at me for a short while but then inclined her head.
"Indeed I will, lord Godrick." From the tone of her voice, I guessed that she was smiling behind her stone crown, but I couldn't tell. Didn't matter though, at least I could further my knowledge.
I stared at the small glintstone pebble in my hand, admiring its strange beauty.
"At least you managed to do this much. Forming your first pebble is one of the most important steps a sorcerer must take to reach greatness." Sellen said next to me, nodding satisfied.
"I was lacking the basics, huh?" I said, feeling a bit awkward. The sorceress next to me just nodded.
"Yeah, your magical output is quite a bit above average, but your usage and waste of magical energy would make even Bluntstones roll their eyes." I chuckled slightly, my mind going back to Thops, the sorcerer, another NPC you would meet in the game.
'Is he still sitting in that old church, waiting for something to happen?'
"Godrick, you should concentrate on the glinstone." Sellen reminded me, and I did, letting the small pebble grow in size, while also trying to give it a proper form. Even if the pebble was still incredibly small, trying to shape it into something was extremely hard. It was just like Sellen said. I had a lot of magical energy, but my ability to use it was sorely lacking. My concentration slipped and the little pebble in my palm collapsed into nothingness and I let out a regretful sigh.
"Damn it." Sellen chuckled beside me and then opened her palm.
"You seem to think too much about fighting. Glintstone is something beyond physical strength, however. Even the strongest Battlemages of our school could perfectly control the weakest of their spells, control you lack. Here, let me show you just this once."
Her open palm began to glow and a Glintstone began to grow, floating just a few inches over her palm. Instead of just looking like a little rock, however, hers was at least four times as big as mine and glowed with the purest magic I had felt in the Lands Between. The magic the Tarnished had thrown at me was downright ugly and incomplete compared to hers.
And still, she continued. The small crystal began to grow in another shape, now looking like a large shard that could be launched at people. The next second it was a flower-like construct and in the next, it had once again transformed to its crystal-like state. It landed in Sellen's hand and she tossed the pure Glinstone at me. I caught it with both of my hands, looking at her in confusion.
"You wanted to make something out of those bodies there, didn't you? Well, I just gave you the opportunity to at least make one thing out of it, provided you use it properly." I smiled slightly, my fingers tightening around the beautiful stone in my palm.
"Well, then let's start, right?" At Sellen's nod, I took out the few Glintstone scraps that I still possessed and dragged the first body, one that belonged to a Runebear, into the throne room and lay on my table. I took out the various scalpels I possessed and looked over the body, beginning to cut into the muscles beneath the neck. I was already thrilled to see what I would be able to create.
Indeed, this shall become a worthy mount.
My scalpels didn't stop, however, continuing to cut into the flesh of the Runebear, while Sellen looked over my shoulder. I looked at the sorceress for a short amount of while and then spoke up.
"Do you mind me asking you something Sellen?" She tilted her head slightly.
"If it's not something that requires no question, then yes."
I have been thinking about the last few days. About the dragon heart in my chest. It increased my magical power, sure, but there still was the possibility that there could be more, right?
"Do you know anything about Dragon Incantations?"
Sellen stared at me, her expressionless mask saying more than a thousand words.
"Well, then tell me while I work."
I could have sworn that I felt Sellen's glare for the entire next hour, in which she told all she knew about Dragon Communion.
-???-
"But Mistress, why won't you make your move? Stormveil Castle still hasn't fully recovered from the blow the Tarnished left on it, now would be the perfect time to attack." She stared at her loyal warrior, Blaidd the Half-Wolf, and sighed. He was an astute warrior, one of the best the entire Lands Between could offer, however, it seemed like he sometimes didn't think before he acted. Though Iji, her war counselor, spoke up in her stead, the troll's deep voice echoed around the room.
"Blaidd, Lord Godrick may be the weakest Shardbearer, but from what we saw from the confrontation between him and the Tarnished is the fact that he is steadily improving, as is his army. A Demigod, as diluted as his blood might be, will drag a lot of people to his cause. As Lady Ranni is also dead in the eyes of most people, it would be unwise to act right now. If we were to attack Godrick the Grafted, I would advise to bring our own, old allies into play." Iji had already served under her mother and had proven his worth again and again, while also being a crucial part of her upbringing.
"Indeed, Iji is right Blaidd. I don't want to reveal my presence to the normal people of the Lands Between, and while I trust you to defeat a Shardbearer of Godrick's level, his army also presents a large problem." Blaidd sighed at her and Iji's words and lowered his view to the ground. She knew that her loyal friend wouldn't try to resist her orders. But she also knew what Blaidd truly carved. And adventure, a mission that he could fulfill for her.
"Blaidd, you know that there are myths about the stars in the Siofra River, do you not?" Her words made Blaidd's head rise once again, and the eyes of the Half-Wolf seemed to shine slightly.
"I did, my lady. The people of Siofra River are said to be wise and knowledgeable." The fingers of her upper pair of arms interlocked and she smiled down at her old friend.
"Well, I think I need you to investigate the matter then, old friend." Blaidd nodded at her word, a large smile on his face.
"It shall be done, my lady!" He walked out of the meeting hall, leaving her and Iji alone. She turned to the old troll blacksmith.
"What is the information about Godrick the Grafted?" Iji seemed to understand and his illusion looked at her.
"He has ordered his men to start rebuilding the bridge to Liurnia. And seen as the young upstart wants to most likely reach the next Great Rune…" Her fingers tightened slightly, and she stared at Iji's helmet.
"He is trying to reach mother." Iji just nodded, his old and wrinkled hands tightening around his hammer.
"I would march to Raya Lucaria myself if I could, my lady."
'But your oath to me doesn't let you.' She finished in her head, sighing slightly as she did so.
Iji had always been an important figure, akin to an uncle who had always been there. He had served her mother as long as she could remember. But even then, he couldn't break his promise to her. She sighed once again.
"It's not your duty to go Iji." Her four arms began to weave a person into being, a knight that had served her house for a long time, before leaving it.
"You shall watch over mother." The knight's illusion nodded, and then disappeared, teleporting to the grounds of Raya Lucaria. Iji's tense shoulders seemed to somewhat relax, and the old troll chuckled slightly.
"Very well then, my lady. This old smith shall take his leave and await further orders from you when the time is ready." She nodded at Iji's words and turned her head to look at the night sky that was above her.
'Godrick the Grafted, you are turning out to be a much larger threat than I initially thought. But your fate isn't written in the stars, not a single thing.'
She would soon have to gather some of her old allies, even if it included people like Seluvis. But still, a snake you kept closer to yourself was better than a hungry dog that would prey from afar. Another burst of magical energy escaped from her hands, flying toward the person she wanted to contact.
'At least his puppets and spirits should be useful.'
-A few Hours Later-
I wiped the sweat from my eyebrows and looked upon my newest creation. It had taken me much longer than I thought to put it together. Must likely because it was my first time trying to bring something so big to life.
Though even if it took me quite a long to put the glintstones into its body and then reinforce it with other flesh, the time wasn't wasted. I would say I had used every second to its fullest, especially the talk with Sellen about Dragon Communion.
I found out that you could potentially learn dragon incantations without consuming the heart of a dragon. The tongue or eyes were sufficient, though the results that came from it were worse than the ones that occurred if you ate the heart. I didn't want to eat either the eyes, tongue, or heart of the dragon, but I had already talked with Sellen about the matter.
I, theoretically, already was some kind of dragonkin, because its heart was beating within my body, so I should be able to breathe fire. However, my body instinctively stopped itself from doing so, because as opposed to a dragons', my throat wasn't fireproof.
'I could try to use the magic in the heart to channel magic before my mouth? That could work, after all, it did seem to work for some enemies in the game.'
Before I could ponder longer however my train of thought was interrupted when I heard some noise behind me. I turned around, seeing that the body on the table was moving. A smile grew on my face.
"Ah, I already was starting to believe I and Sellen had placed the Glintstones wrong."
The only thing I got as a return was a loud, deep groan from the reanimated corpse that now stood on all of its four legs. One of my hands slowly caressed the fur of the giant predator, feeling the muscles I had added on top of its old ones.
"You turned out quite well, didn't you?" The large Runebear just grunted again, staring at me the whole time.
Art thee sure that this mount's back is comfortable?
'Of course I am.' I answered the question of the ancient man in my head almost immediately, still gazing at the bear in front of me.
"You still need a name." That got more than a groan out of the ursine, namely a huff that ruffled my hair a bit. I chuckled slightly and once again petted the large beast in front of me.
"I think I'm going to call you Ursa." The beast was still for a moment, but then nodded its large head, seemingly happy with the name it was given. A large smile grew on my face.
"Well, how about we go for a test ride, eh?"
-Alaric-
He enjoyed being back at Stormveil Castle from time to time. Sure, the bridge to Liurnia was still being built, and wasn't looking bad so far, but during the last few weeks, the ancient castle had slowly grown to him. Beforehand he saw it as just another position to hold, their last position to hold real.
But now? Now he, and many others, could finally go back to things other than that. He saw soldiers playing with dice, sparring, and keeping their weapons polished.
"Sir, you wanna have a drink with us?" A soldier, who was holding a large barrel of mead in his hand asked. He chuckled and sat down, joining the relatively small group.
"Comes in handy, doesn't it? The new strength, I mean?" The soldier asked, throwing and catching the gigantic barrel over and over again. Alaric just rolled his eyes.
"You are getting cocky, aren't you? Even if Lord Godrick made us stronger, we shouldn't let our guard down." The soldiers surrounding him nodded, but the one with the barrel chuckled.
"Right you are sir Alaric, but don't you agree that it's still a great moment to celebrate a bit? We were just finished with our shift on the bridge anyway, so why not take a break?" The soldier said, filling a wooden cup with mead and offering it.
Another thing that slowly returned after their victory was the men's sense of humor and their sportsmanship. He sometimes saw men in drinking competitions or arm wrestling. But thank Marika they hadn't started to overdo it, still always present to do their duties.
"Sure, why not." He said and took the offered vessel, taking a deep sip as he did so. A contend sigh escaped his lips.
"That's good stuff. How old is it?" He asked, looking at the swirling drink in his cup. The soldier opened his mouth, ready to tell him but his following words were drowned out by a roar and an equally loud laughter. Alaric whipped around, his hands tightening around the shaft of his spear. But during the period it took him to turn around, another thought shot through his brain.
'Wasn't that lord Godricks' voice?'
And as if someone had perfectly timed it their lord's voice echoed through the castle again, his cackling reaching everyone in the courtyard.
"What is lord Godrick doing right now?" One of the soldiers that had just been drinking with him asked, also his weapons in his hands. Before Alaric could respond they saw the form of their lord on the roof of the castle, laughing while he rode the gigantic form of a Runebear.
"What in Marikas' name…" An Exile asked, sounding just as dumbfounded as Alaric felt.
'How does such a heavy thing even climb?'
"Hm, the experiment was a success then." The sorceress, which had suddenly appeared next to him, said, gazing after their cackling lord.
"Indeed, it did." He said, remembering the amount of pain they had to go through when they fought against one of the gigantic bears. When the bridge to Liurnia was finished they would invade the Land of Swamps.
He gazed at his lord for one last time.
He almost pitied the enemies they would most likely encounter.
Almost.
AN: Hope you enjoyed the chap. I think I overdid it a bit with the POV switch in this one, so I'll try to tone it down in the next one.
Nonetheless, I still hope you enjoyed it and as always, comments and feedback are welcome.
24-A Young Astrologer
24-A Young Astrologer
-A few days later-
I gazed at the finished bridge that had been built from the wood that we had transported from the Mistwood forest.
Finished is a large work, don't thou think?
I snorted at Godrick's words, but couldn't help but agree. Of course, it was a fast project and not something that would remain here for hundreds of years. But for now? It was more than enough.
"You did fine work, men. That goes for all of you." I handed the Kaiden another bag of gold, a quite large one. Their leader looked at me, tilting his head slightly.
"Is there any reason why you increased the amount you paid us, lord Godrick?" I chuckled slightly, the helmet on my head thankfully hiding the slight gleaming in my eyes.
"Oh yes, there is," I said, staring at the thick wooden pillars and planks that had been used to build the bridge. They had to carry a lot of weight after all, including my body weight and that of my troops as well.
"And pray tell me, what is that, lord Godrick?" The leader of the Kaiden asked, still looking at the bag of gold in his hands. I chuckled and then turned to look at him again.
"A gift, for a good partnership of course! You Kaiden shall soon become part of my main force. A proper cavalry!" The leader was silent, and then looked at the bag of gold in his hands.
"What do we gain from being part of your standing army, lord Godrick?" I made a show of laughing out loud but nonetheless hoped that my next move was going to succeed.
"A place to call home of course!" The Kaiden leader froze and then stared at me, his helmet still somehow showing every single emotion he was going through right now.
He seemed livid.
"You are from the Mountaintops of the Giants, aren't you? The name "Kaiden" stems from your village, no?" The Kaiden continued to stare at me, and his six companions began to draw their weapons.
"And your point is…" He said, his voice strained.
"If I can climb to the rank of Elden Lord, who do you think will be rewarded the most? Those that followed me." I made a show of rubbing my chin.
"Come to think of it, I think lots of old buildings in Liurnia can still be used to create good housing. And if the lord of the region would permit you, you would be granted a lot of land." My words seemed to get through the Kaiden and his body relaxed slightly.
"And you are claiming that if we help you to reach another Great Rune, we will be rewarded with a safe home we can live in?" I smiled slightly and raised my hand.
"I swear, on the blood of the Golden Lineage that flows through my veins." The Kaiden leader stared at me for a bit longer but then grunted.
"I shall talk with the rest of the tribe that is scattered around Limgrave. If we decide to help you, you will see us carrying your banners, lord Godrick." I nodded at his words, and then gave him a map, pointing at a point I had specifically marked.
"If you manage to come to a decision, meet us at the Purified Ruins, a bit south of the lookout tower that oversees the Highway. I and the men shall be waiting there. If you don't arrive in a day, we will already be gone and will have continued our journey." The Kaiden looked at the location on the map, and then nodded, before walking over to the huge black horse that he used as a mount. He jumped on the animal's back and rode away without a word, his companions following him.
"My lord, are you sure that we should take them into our army? They are sellswords who probably would betray you for the next best lords that offer them more money." Edgar, who had been watching the entire thing, said next to me, his hand holding his halberd in a tight grip. I looked at him and nodded.
"Aye, that's true. But I have a question, Edgar. Are there many people that can offer them more money and goods than I? Most of the other Demigods are crazy or aren't even acting. And no one else gave them the promise to give them a new home, right?" Edgar nodded, if very slowly and I continued.
"And that's why I think they will think about my offer carefully, Edgar." My eyes once again trailed down the bridge, and then back to the group of soldiers that had finished the last work on it.
"Edgar, take these men to the castle and gather the ones that aren't exhausted. They have to prepare themselves for a journey." Edgar looked at me, most likely knowing what I had in mind.
"Should I tell them to bring some ballistae and other ranged weapons with them, my lord?" I chuckled slightly. He knew me already.
"Indeed. And please, tell Tarkus to bring the dragonhead and Ursa with him. He will be accompanying us on the journey to Liurnia." Edgar nodded and then turned to the other men to return to Stormveil.
"And you, my lord?" I smiled and spread my wings, casting a shadow over them.
"I will see how much Liurnia has changed since my last visit there. It has been quite some while." Before Edgar could reply however I pushed myself off the ground, my wings carrying me into the sky in a few seconds. I didn't like to brag, but I had improved significantly since the first time I had done this.
Shouldn't you return to the castle too and train a bit more of your magical power?
'No, Liurnia has a few things that I need, but I can't allow the soldiers to accompany us.'
… I have a bad feeling about this.
'You don't have to, I don't plan on getting into a fight.'
I hope thee do not. We do not need the attention of the damned academy on us right now.
I rolled my eyes slightly, flying slightly beneath the clouds, looking down at the land of Liurnia.
'Anyways, do you see the Godskin Noble on the bridge?'
And indeed, standing on a bridge leading to a gigantic tower was a large, fat "man", who wore skin as clothing and wielded a large Rapier that could bite into one's flesh much faster than the eye could see. I still remember my first encounter in the game. Godrick seemed to share my thoughts.
My god… that thing can roll?
At his words I nearly lost my concentration, sinking slightly in the process. When I caught myself once again, my thoughts were directed directly at the older person in my head.
'… Did you go through my thoughts? You seem to be kinda slipping in a few of my words there.'
Your mind, while fortified, is still young. Mine experience in such things as the mind far outweighs yours.
I felt a certain amount of uneasiness at Godricks' words. I didn't want anyone searching through my brain, and especially not an old eldritch grandpa like him.
'Would you teach me how to fortify my mind… more?'
Godrick was silent for a while, most likely thinking what he would gain from doing so, but then I heard a slight sigh.
Very well, I shall teach thee. But we shall not fight that abomination on the bridge.
My eyes traveled to the Godskin Noble, his fat body visible even from high up in the sky. I never wanted to face that monster just yet. The flames it could potentially shoot at me were dangerous, even if I was confident in my strength.
Instead of landing on the bridge, the Noble was standing on I let my wings once again carry me higher until I could finally see the roof of the tower.
The Divine Tower of the Lunar Princess? What do we have to do here? Her Great Rune disappeared from the surface of this world long ago.
'I ain't here for her Great Rune.'
Even if Godrick managed to get some details of my memories, I was relieved that he was unable to access all of them.
Then what else do you have in mind?
I landed on the tower, my massive weight not even leaving a mark on the stone construct beneath me. Whoever had built the Divine Towers must have been a genius.
'You'll see soon enough.'
My eyes traveled to the old and shriveled black body that lay in the middle of the tower as if it had been placed there on purpose. The red hair that had once flown in the wind was now glued to the blackened head, as if flames had forcefully glued them onto it. You shouldn't have known which person it had been beforehand.
Lunar Princess?
But Godrick did. I couldn't understand, but one of my theories was that he had senses much better than those of normal beings, most likely courtesy of the small sliver of divine blood in his being.
'Indeed. Her body has been here for quite some while. And it also carries something that I want.'
I got closer to the dead body and grabbed its shoulder, my grip breaking the blackened flesh beneath my touch. I nonetheless continued, my hand roaming on the back of the corpse, feeling the wound that had caused its death.
The Great Rune in my chest thrummed to life and I felt how something was pulled away from the dead body, and was slowly absorbed into mine. It wasn't a true Great Rune, but it was something that carried some modicum of power, power I wanted to have in my sleeve if push came to shove. I would still need a catalyst to channel it, and one that could contain its power as well.
… it feels incomplete.
And Godrick once again surprised me, showing just how much knowledge he seemingly had with the energy of this world.
'Yeah, it is. The second part will be much harder to get, but this thing is the real deal. Lunar Princess Ranni only died in one way. She gave up her body but her soul was spared. However to achieve that she needed another powerful soul that would take her place.'
I felt Godrick's presence tremble within the mindscape, though not in anger.
Godwyn's.
Even if I was unable to see Godrick's face, I felt the amount of anger that stuck in that single word and slowly nodded.
'Yeah, Godwyn's.'
Suddenly one of my arms was ripped out of its mental control and came down on Rannis' body, crushing her remains into fine dust.
I will kill that wench! I will leave nothing of her legacy behind!
I wrestled the arm from Godricks' control and lifted it from the now crushed body, breathing heavily as I did so.
'You will NOT take over my body again!'
Oh, you simple child! This is MY body!
Before I could give another answer my eyes were drawn towards a golden, shining medallion that had lain beneath Rannis' body. I picked up the pendant, the magical artifact seeming like a small toy in my hand.
But I still felt the power in it.
It ripped into my mind, and for a short moment, I saw nothing but sheer blackness before I fell backward, my eyes closing.
What have thee done now?!
Godricks' experated words didn't quite register anymore and I felt my back colliding with the ground, my eyes closing already.
'Huh, shouldn't have tried to harbor both the Deathmark and the heirloom then.'
Blackness washed over me and I lost my consciousness.
I awoke not on the tower of Liurnia, but instead, was seated on a green meadow that overlooked the small swamp in front of me.
'Is that Liurnia?'
To my surprise, Godrick didn't answer and when I concentrated I noticed that I was unable to feel the consciousness of the old man that I had slowly grown accustomed to. I slowly stood up, groaning as I did so, and looked at my hand.
Yes, my human hand.
'Am I in a dream place once again?'
I gazed over the much smaller swamp, one that hadn't yet engulfed the little town that stood around the impressive castle in the middle.
The castle was, to put it lightly, magical. The sheer commanding presence that seemed to be emitted from its beautiful walls was enormous, and the chilly night air shrouded it in a strange kind of fog.
Raya Lucaria.
My thoughts were interrupted however when I heard the quiet splashing of feet that were walking on water. I turned around, and my eyes fell on the small form of a young woman walking in the swamp, her eyes gazing at the very stars themselves. She seemed so immersed in them that she didn't even seem to see me, although she should have seen me for sure.
I slowly got closer, my feet now too making splashing sounds. Though mine were by far not as quiet as hers. However, the young astrologer, at least judging from the uniform, still didn't seem to notice me.
When I got closer, however, I began to notice the sheer difference in height between the two of us. I wasn't a giant by any means, but I could claim that I would normally stand over quite a lot of people. The woman in front of me, however, completely towered over me, standing at least two feet taller than me.
'What is it with Fromsoftware and the gigantic inhabitants of their world?'
But still, perhaps I could talk normally with her.
I steeled myself and lightly touched her back, or I intended to but instead, my hand just phased through her body.
"It is another dream world." I sighed and looked after the young woman, who still was walking further into the swamp.
'Well, let's follow her, she seems to be important.'
It was the only logical thing to do in my head. The last time I was in a "dream world" I also only saw one other person, namely Godrick.
Soon enough I was once again walking behind the young astrologer, wondering just where she was going. I looked at the trees around us that were slowly getting thicker and thicker and sighed.
"Where are you leading me?"
-Godrick-
He stared at his hands.
His weak, frail hands.
"Where am I?!" His voice sounded younger, not by much, but noticeable.
As if it had heard and understood him, the darkness that had surrounded him lifted, showing where exactly he was.
He wished it hadn't.
The room he was standing in was familiar, carrying a lot of memories within it.
"Godrick, come out!"
Not all of them were kind.
He turned around and saw a young, blonde boy sitting in the corner of the room, silently sobbing.
"I-i don't want to." The boy's voice was low, weak. The voice on the other side of the room wasn't.
The door was forcibly wrenched open, and a mountain of a woman, with thickly corded muscles and some scars adorning her face, walked in and grabbed the young boy.
" None of my sons will neglect their training, even if their body is weak." The woman dragged him after her, ignoring the boy's protests, and slammed the door shut behind her.
He was left alone in the room, staring at the door.
"Get me out." He said, and looked around, his hands tightening.
"NOW!" He felt the world around him change once again, now seeing how the woman was holding a blunted sword in her hands, her eyes staring at the fallen boy who was cradling his hurt hands. He could feel the disappointment, even if he couldn't directly look at her.
And it wasn't the end. He could spy on the many other children in the courtyard, all of them possessing the same blond hair as the young boy in front of the woman. They all seemed healthy and strong as opposed to the boys' sickly condition.
All of them were hiding their smiles behind their hands, while others readied themselves for another bout of "training" with the boy.
He heard the muscular woman throw away the blunted sword, shaking her head as she did so, and saw her walk away from the boy. The other children got closer.
"Come on Godrick, let's work on your form."
His hands tightened and he felt his nails dig into his palms.
Whatever had trapped him here did not let him out.
'How long is she going to walk?!'
We had completely left the swamp of Liurnia and instead had begun to climb a mountain. Well, I did, because the woman in front of me walked up the mountain without any problems.
'What's with her stamina?'
When I arrived at the meadow that was located on the stone formation I lay on my back, gasping for breath as I did so. I also was confused as to why I was even getting winded from this entire thing.
Before I could dwell longer on it however the astrologer had moved on, prompting me to once again follow her, and was forced to stare at the back of her black-haired head.
But after something that felt like an eternity, the young woman in front of me finally stopped, staring at the beautiful night sky that was above us, not even a single cloud visible.
I got closer, staring at the stars that were shining in the night sky, and smiled slightly, and took a seat not once taking my eyes off the constellations.
And then the woman next to me began to speak.
"Ah, thou must be the one that called me, aren't thee?"
My head turned to her so fast that I nearly broke it, and I got a proper look at her face for the first time.
She was gorgeous.
Her black hair seemed to shine in the brilliant moonlight that seemed to have suddenly fallen over her. Her blue eyes seemed to be shining with pure magical energy, the shabby robe of the astrologer that hid most of her curves still didn't manage to hide her entire beauty. Even the small amount of dirt that seemed to be on her face did not distract from her otherwordly beauty.
And even with all of these words, I would be unable to describe how beautiful she was. The best way to describe it was to say that she was the equivalent of a Disney princess in our world, way too beautiful and regal to be real.
But she was.
"You can see me?! I thought you wouldn't be able to because I was unable to touch you!" I slowly got closer, staring into her blue eyes as I did so.
"So what do thou want from me?" She asked, her blue eyes staring into my soul.
"Do you know why I'm here? I touched a strange medallion and no-WHAT THE FUCK?!" My question was cut off when the woman walked through my body and walked until she stood before a large stone.
"Guide me to a better place, oh guiding moonlight." She said and lifted her hand against the sky.
"You never did see me, huh?" I asked, rubbing the back of my head, feeling ready to sink into the earth.
'Of course she didn't. She would have noticed me a long time ago if she did.'
Before I could berate myself any longer, a blinding light filled the clearing we were standing on, and I had to shield my eyes. When I opened them again, I saw how a miniature moon was flying around the young woman. And then I knew who she was.
A talisman engraved with the legend of a queen.
The young astrologer gazed at the night sky as she walked. She had always chased the stars every step of her journey. Then she met the full moon - and, in time, the astrologer became a queen.
Before me, floating in all of the glory she had before she even became queen of Liurnia and headmistress of Raya Lucaria was Renalla, Queen of the Fullmoon.
The blue light of the moon once again shone into my eyes, and I was forced to cover them once again, falling backward as I did so.
I caught myself, one of my draconic legs immediately restoring my balance, and looked at the medallion that was still clutched in my hand.
You are back.
Godrick's presence once again let himself be known, but something felt wrong as if he wasn't quite manifested yet.
'Are you… alright?'
Godrick was silent but then chuckled.
Of course I am, who do you take me for? I'm Godrick the Golden, scion of the Golden Lineage.
I didn't dwell on the topic any longer and instead let the medallion disappear beneath my clothes.
Is it fit for grafting?
'It will increase our general adeptness in magic.'
At that Godrick gave me a quiet grunt, but didn't answer in any other way. I was alright with that and instead gazed at the stars that now were littering the night sky.
'We should return to Stormveil and our soldiers.'
Aye, let's do that.
Without any further words, I once again used my wings to carry me upwards, before I flew into the direction of Limgrave once again, my wings carrying me towards Stormveil Castle.
When I landed in front of the gate Edgar greeted me with a quick salute and then began to talk with me while we were walking toward the courtyard.
"At least 70 men will stay behind, along with our guardian troll, the lion beast, and all of the Warhawks. We aren't sure who to keep as a substitute for you, my lord."
"That would be you, Edgar." Before the knight could refute my words, however, I raised my hand.
"I know how this sounds, but I need a commander of your skills to oversee the castle. The Tarnished will very likely not try to assault us once again, but I also need someone to carry out my orders while I am in Liurnia. And seen as you are the man with the most combat and strategic experience, I think that you would more than suffice." Edgar was silent but then sighed.
"Very well, my lord. I shall stay here." I lowered myself to his level and then whispered into his ear.
"That isn't the only reason I have for entrusting you the castle, however. Both Irina and Grisela need someone that they can rely on. And seen as you are Irinas' father and both of them are friends…" I didn't finish the sentence, but Edgar seemed to understand and smiled slightly before inclining his head.
"Very well my lord, I shall fulfill my duty." I nodded at him and then turned around to address the gathered men who were in the courtyard.
"Men, all of you know Liurnia, the land of the swamps, the region in which the famous Raya Lucaria oversees everything. And the region where another Great Rune, another Shardbearer, is located." I looked around and saw how all of the men already were tightly gripping their weapons.
"I know that we can't offer the same manpower as we had during the beginning of the shattering, but our enemies also don't. Besides, we are slowly regaining our former strength." To emphasize my point, I pointed at Sellen, who was standing a bit farther away from the soldiers.
"Here is a proficient sorceress that could easily beat most of the scholars in Raya Lucaria." I pointed at the "werehumans" I created, all of their muscles tensing when they caught my scent.
"Here are the troops that will brutally cut through the enemies that oppose us." I pointed at them, my finger resting on them the longest.
"You all know my other creations and commanders, all of whom I'm proud of, however, you will be the ones that will lead me to the crown of Elden Lord." I opened both of my arms, my grin hid beneath my helmet and looked at my soldiers.
"Are you ready to serve your lord in a conquest once more?!" The screams that followed my words were loud and ecstatic, much more than I thought possible.
'Was my speech that good?'
I could hear Godrick's snort.
Nay, but they can't wait to go into battle once more. Into a battle, they weren't able to finish a long time ago.
I picked up a banner that was carrying my colors and hefted my golden axe onto my back before wistling. The giant form of my new mount came crashing down and I jumped onto it. The Runebear jumped over the heads of the soldiers and landed at the very front of the assembled line.
"Follow your lord men, and assist him in claiming something that is rightfully his!" A bit of Godrick blended into the last line, but the soldiers seemed even more excited, all of them eagerly screaming once again.
I rode in front of the rows of soldiers, the banner still in my hands and led all of them into the direction of Liurnia.
One thought did play through my head though.
'I must look ridiculous.'
AN: Alright, Liurnia here we come. Hope it didn't take too long for your tastes and if it did I'm sorry, but I prefer that my story doesn't just speedrun all of the things and takes its time.
As always feedback and comments are welcomed and encouraged.
Last edited: Nov 20, 2023
25-Arriving in Liurnia
25-Arriving in Liurnia
I let out a grunt as I broke the troll's neck, the tall beast finally stopping its struggles as I did so. The stubborn beast had refused to step aside when we noticed that the carriage it was guarding was blocking our way and even had tried to attack us afterward.
I turned around, feeling my newest graft, the stargazer heirloom, slightly channeling energy through my body. Maybe I must have looked a bit off because Alaric addressed me.
"My lord, are you alright?" he asked, his spear held in a tight grip. I smiled down at him and nodded.
"Aye, I am. It is a shame that the beast refused to back down, if it did violence could have been avoided." I turned toward the carriage and grabbed it with one of my arms, dragging it to the side without much of a problem. Meanwhile, Ursa, my mount, began to eat the flesh of the troll. Normally I would have berated him, but seeing as I didn't truly have a way to store the meat or use it right away, I let my youngest creation enjoy the meal.
When the carriage was dragged to the side the soldiers began to pass through. Most of them were on foot, but I could still spy a few knights on horses and Banished Knights on larger breeds, not so similar to the ones the Kaiden normally rode.
"Alaric, please assist me," I said, waving the commander over. I wrenched open the back part of the carriage and saw an old, ornamented spear inside. It was way too small for me, but when I tossed it at Alaric it seemed to perfectly fit into his hands.
"My lord?" He asked, a bit confused.
"The Treespear, a weapon that has been used as the weapon of choice of many palace guards. Very few men could wield it, lacking the strength and dexterity to do so. You, however, aren't a normal man Alaric." I said and gave him an encouraging nod.
He seemed to be floored, his hands tightening around the spear and slightly twitching.
"M-my lord, I shall not disappoint you!" I chuckled slightly and patted him on the back.
"Do not worry, you will soon get the opportunity to test out this new spear of yours." I began to walk towards Ursa, who had already finished half of the troll's corpse.
"Now now boy, you shouldn't eat so fast," I said, patting his head. Ursa just gave a small grunt and continued eating, but to my satisfaction, it was indeed a bit slower.
Milton, whom I had sent to investigate the area around us, landed next to me and pointed north.
"The ruins that we wanted to originally make our temporary base in are occupied by Cuckoo Knights." I just nodded and turned to my men.
"Hear that? It means I can finally give you a chance to prove yourself to me. All of you have grown even stronger since the Tarnished attacked, so how about you show me just how much you improved?"
A good idea. It lets us gauge the current strength of the troops and plan accordingly.
I saw some of my men nod, while the humans were already brandishing their claws, ready to rip apart anything that got in their way.
'This should work out good enough.'
-???-
He hated Liurnia.
That was one thing he had realized in his many years of serving in the army. He hated everything about this place. The wetness, the Tarnished that would sometimes attack, and not to forget the fucking wildlife.
He shuddered, thinking about the giant crayfish and octopi he and his comrades sometimes had to ward off. They gave him the creeps.
"Brinley, what's the situation?" He snapped out of his thoughts and turned around to see one of the three knights who were stationed in the ruins along with him and the other soldiers.
"Nothing is happening, miss. As always." He heard the clanking her helmet only made when she nodded and then heard how her footsteps became fainter, signaling her departure from his post.
He gritted his death.
'This bitch loves bossing others around.'
That was the third thing he hated in the swampy shithole.
The people leading him and the others. Cuckoo "Knights", were nothing more than murderers that wore shinier armor than the other ones. Fucking cunts, all of them.
The grip around his spear tightened, and he thought about leaving his post. He hated Liurnia, so why would he even stay here?
'They wouldn't let me go.'
The grip on his spear loosened and he sighed, looking around to inspect the current base they were "protecting". More like lazing around in his opinion but he didn't want to challenge the knight's views.
He saw fifteen other soldiers stationed all around the ruins while a few wild dogs were sniffing the area out in case somebody did try to attack them. And not to attack their leaders, three cuckoo knights that had recently arrived and had taken over the command.
He didn't understand the fuss they were making. Very few Tarnished came here, and if they did they would even ignore them most of the time and just head up straight to the old main road. There was no reason for anyone to attack them, it would only exhaust the attacker without reason.
One of the damned furballs began to bark, the dog's long hair shaking a bit while it did so. He sighed.
"What do you want, you damned-" He was cut off when something impacted with the dog's head, rammed through it and sunk into the ground.
Arrows.
Old memories took over and he screamed.
"Ambush!" He jumped to the side, hoping to avoid any other arrows that might come his way, and slowly retreated behind the old walls of the ruins.
But no other arrows were fired, leaving him and three other soldiers in the building, all of them holding their weapons in a death grip.
"Soldiers, rally!" Even if he hated the knights, the best chances of survival were always following the strongest. He took a few steps outside of the ruins and began to walk in the direction the voice had come from, the other two men following him.
"Brace for an attack!" He could see the three knights now, with their shining armor and huge weapons, their heads facing towards the north, in the direction of the main road. He looked upward, hoping that it was just a pack of wild wolves or perhaps even a few bears that had run wild.
Instead, he could see a group of strange, monstrous-looking humanoids running at them, their animal faces and claws bared and ready. And right behind, nearly following them step for step were over two dozen of soldiers, all of them wearing a color he had never thought he would see again.
The colors of another Shardbearer.
He could hardly perceive what happened in the next few minutes. He remembered that he, for better or worse, charged into the battle with the rest of the soldiers, the cuckoo knights forming the bulwark and spear of their defense while he and the rest of the soldiers followed, their dogs attacking.
The canines were the first to reach the enemy, namely the strange humanoids. They jumped at their throats, their strong jaws and teeth ready to rip out throats like they had done many times before.
The teeth sank into muscles but were unable to penetrate further. The monster-like humans grabbed the dogs that had attacked them and promptly ripped them apart, their monstrous hands crushing bones without issue.
While the humanoids dealt with the dogs the soldiers had overtaken them and crashed into their defense, their weapons lashing out.
He saw the heads of his comrades fly and soon had to fight against an enemy soldier, his foe attacking with enough speed to throw him back with every single one of his attacks. His spear blocked a shield bash that shook all of his bones and forced him backward once again.
'Fuck.'
He took out a glintstone scrap, one of the few things that exited in abundance in Liurnia, and threw it into the ground, the small magical projectiles that were created from it smashing into his foe.
Only for his enemy to continue, his hand finding purchase around his throat, holding him in place. Then he felt the sword bite into his stomach, penetrating through the mail he was wearing.
He scanned the battlefield for one last time, seeing the fallen bodies of his allies and the corpses of their three leaders, all of whom had been killed by the enemy as well.
His legs were getting heavy.
His foe withdrew the sword from his body, letting him drop to the ground as a result. He sank against the wall of an old, long-since ruined building and looked at his enemies. One of them got closer, brandishing a gigantic warpike in one of his hands.
The soldier stepped closer and lifted the weapon, the spike pointing directly at him.
'I fucking had Liurnia.'
He felt the spike hit his head.
I entered the place where the massacre had taken place because that was the only way I could have described it. The dead bodies of the cuckoo troops lay scattered around the old ruins, with not a single survivor. I turned to my troops, a part of Godrick bleeding into me.
"You have all done splendid and proven your worth. However, we still haven't finished exploring even this small path, and that is why I want a small group of you to remain here and look through this place with the utmost care." There would surely be Glinstones here, and something that was even more important.
The Two Finger Heirloom.
I wasn't sure what kind of vision I would experience if I wanted to use it, but the pure usefulness the Stargazer Heirloom gave me was already enormous, I couldn't let another free strength boost go.
A few of my soldiers nodded and began to walk towards the old ruins, picking up the corpses on the way there. I turned around, facing the rest of the soldiers.
"Very well, we will continue further up the main road and continue onward, there should be a lookout tower not far away from here."
'And a whole lot of spirits that will appear.' I added in my mind before I turned toward Sellen, who hadn't spoken a word since we left Stormveil.
"Are there any… surprises we have to look out for?" Her stone crown turned to face me and she scoffed slightly, before nodding.
"Indeed, I sense another mage in the area. He seems to have been sent from the academy to take care of some business here." I raised an eyebrow behind my helmet. I knew that there would be a mage here in the game, but I didn't directly know why.
"And what's this business?"
"Taking care of the spirits that are haunting the area still, I presume. Spirits that, even after death, serve the Carian family instead of the Academy." I chuckled and shook my head.
"It's quite ironic, isn't it? That Queen Renalla was the headmistress of the academy that betrayed her?" Sellen was silent for a short while but then inclined her head.
"Indeed, fate can be cruel." I snorted at that and then stood up from the boulder that I had taken a seat on, and cracked my many fingers, the knuckles popping strangely as I did.
"No kidding. Let's get this over with." I turned to the men I would lead, Alaric, Milton, and Tarkus among them.
"Alright, you heard the sorceress too?" At their collective nods, I gave a noise of confirmation and turned north to walk up to the Highway once again.
"Alright, then follow my lead and be ready for your crossbows and the ballistae. I don't want to deal with annoying spirits." I began to walk forward, the group of soldiers following closely behind me.
Even when they were ready to face ghosts and already had their crossbows prepared, my men still weren't able to deal with the appearance of the spirits without a reaction, namely a short startle.
I couldn't say I had held myself better. When the spirit of an old man suddenly popped up from nowhere, I reacted on instinct, yelped slightly, and completely buried his head beneath my axe. Thank god they weren't intangible, otherwise I would have had a lot of trouble.
Still, despite the small amount of shock, my men had recovered much faster than I thought and had begun to slowly take out the opposing forces.
Not because they were overwhelming us mind you.
Spirits had the limited ability to teleport a few steps away, which made dealing with them a pain.
The real difficulty would only happen if we trod down the road just a bit longer, but at first, I wanted to deal with the Highway Tower, which could be reached from the place we were at.
The spirits that appeared on the way to the tower were also quickly taken care of, but there was a real problem now.
A mage, the one that Sellen had apparently sensed, was continuously firing magical projectiles at us, which forced me to act like some sort of shield for my men, seeing as their magical defense wasn't up to snuff yet.
The magical projectiles didn't hurt that much, nearly all of them just bounced off the strong dragon skin. But it all took way too long.
Thank god Milton, who was always flying above our heads managed to end the mage's life with a few arrows to the chest and face areas, ridding me of that problem.
After that, I once again instructed some of the men to look through the tower and the small camp that surrounded it, while I instructed the remaining soldiers to prepare the ballistae for a fight that I knew would happen.
Troll Knights are, at least to my knowledge, an extreme rarity. Sure you would find normal, carriage-dragging ones all over the Lands Between, but some were more intelligent than others. Some of them seemed to have joined the Carians, being a strong wall against enemies but also one of the most loyal followers the Carian family could have wished for.
They served, even after their death.
I looked at the slowly rising spirit of the troll knight, a Carian helmet adorning his face and a large sword that had been embedded with glintstone.
How many truly intelligent trolls didn't even exist anymore? It couldn't have been many. Iji was the only troll who could even truly talk during the game.
The troll's spirit had finished rising from the ground, and its eyes fell on me. And to my utter surprise, it began to speak, if very slowly and with peculiar pauses in between words.
"What….do….thee….want….foul…..trespasser?" I lifted my hand, signaling my soldiers who had already loaded the ballista to not fire right away.
"I am Godrick the Golden, another Shardbearer who wishes to claim another Great Rune."
The troll knight reacted after he had heard my words, swinging the sword held in his hands downward.
I didn't dodge the attack, instead meeting the troll's strength with my own. I was pushed backward a few inches but otherwise remained standing.
"Will you hear me out or do I have to get rid of you?" The knight was silent, exerting his strength on me for a few more seconds until he relented and stopped putting pressure on me.
"Speak… Godrick… the… Grafted." I raised an eyebrow behind my helmet but otherwise remained emotionless.
'This guy knows me?'
Of course, he does. I am another Shardbearer! Everyone who is someone knows us.
I looked at the spiritual ghost for a few seconds and then spoke.
"I do not want to kill Queen Renalla" Would also be pretty hard, seeing as she had the Rune of Rebirth. "I simply want her Great Rune."
The troll knight stared at me but then guffawed behind his helmet, before swinging his sword, three gigantic swords formed from magical energy suddenly appeared over his shoulder and head.
"A… traitor… such… as… thee… shall… not… pass… here." I sighed and shook my head.
"Alright, the hard way it is. FIRE!" The ballista bolts sunk into the spectral flesh of the knight, but were unable to penetrate deeper into his body, leaving him with superficial wounds.
He roared at them and sent one of his Glintblades flying at them, which gored through two of my men like they were made out of butter. I grabbed him before he could unleash another blade, throwing him on the ground with all of my strength.
He reacted once again, the remaining two glintblades now firing at me. I blocked the first one with my axe and took the impact of the second one with my clawed hand, the durable skin of a dragon proving its worth. The troll followed up with a sideway slash, aiming at my abdomen.
A magical projectile shot forth from my hand, stopping the huge blade in its tracks. My tail wrapped itself around the leg of the giant knight and I ripped my tail forward, making him lose his balance.
He fell, his hand ready to catch his fall, but that was quickly stopped when the tentacles of the land octopus wrapped themselves around it, securing his hand in one bad. His armored head impacted with the ground, and I could hear him groan slightly.
He lifted his glintblade with his free hand once again, and plunged it forward, aiming for my chest this time around.
I caught the sword with both of my hands, grunting slightly as I felt the sharp blade bite into my palms, regretting the fact that I hadn't reinforced my body with any Ash of War in advance. But the pain didn't stop me from taking a step closer. I could see the troll's eyes beneath his helmet the arms of the Crucible Knight stabbed forward, the claws that they were armed with going into the troll's brain.
He twitched for a few seconds but then the grip on his sword relented and his spectral body began to dissolve.
'Do spirits such as him even return from the dead?' I asked Godrick, unsure if they would like they did in the game.
Spirits can certainly return, but I am sure how long it takes them to, it's been decades since I last saw spirits.
I sighed, not quite content with the answer, but then turned toward the men stationed at the ballistae, looking at the two men that had been gored by the glintblade.
"You there, make sure their bodies aren't damaged even more, otherwise their resurrection will take even longer." Alaric, who was overseeing the men nodded and gave the others signs to carry out my orders.
I sighed slightly and looked around me, the old battlefield was now only filled with the old weapons and constructs the spirits had fought with in their prior life.
My gaze drifted over the entire road, taking in the dead bodies and marionettes alike. Until my eyes fell on the corpse that had been the closest to the troll knight.
It was dressed much better than the others on the battlefield as if it hadn't been a soldier in the first place. I came closer and saw something cradled in the corpse's hands. I got closer and took it from its dead hands, breaking the corpse's finger off. I winced but looked at the object in my hand.
It was a small, for me at least, blue box adorned with golden lines that ran along its surface. It was also locked, a fact I noticed when I tried to open it the normal way. Instead, I had to pry off the beautiful lid to see the contents of the box.
Strangely enough, I saw nothing more than five crystal darts, items I could hardly remember from the game. I still took them with me, storing them away to about them with Sellen later.
"Come down here and gather the weapons that lie around, it would be a waste to let all of the metal here go to waste!" I called up to the soldiers who had been firing the ballistae. I managed to catch their nods before Milton landed next to me, his bow once again strapped to his back.
"You'll help them too. But before you do, tell Tarkus that we are going to rest at the ruins for the time being. Tomorrow we will continue along." My first creation nodded before taking to the skies once again to share my orders.
"What do you plan to do next then? I do presume that you want to finally gain access to Raya Lucaria?" I turned around to see Sellen walk in my direction and nodded.
"Indeed. The academy is one of my goals, but there are other things that I need to take care of at first." Sure I wanted access to the academy, but I also needed the possibility to access Altus Plateau with a proper elevator, which meant I would have to visit the village of the Albinaurics sooner or later.
"Hm, is that so?" The sorceress said, looking at the weapons that were scattered around us. I nodded once again.
"Yes, although I do think that I'll need some grafting after this. The bodies we have aren't bad and there are lots of glintstones of high quality here, so why not use them?" I looked at Sellen, who just chuckled, seemingly amused.
"Alright then, my student. Perhaps I can also teach you a bit more about magic while you're at it." I nodded, smiling slightly beneath my helmet.
"That wouldn't be half bad."
-???-
He sighed, sending yet another wave of his dear puppets away, as a result of the order he had received.
He hated being ordered around, even if it were orders from a Demigod.
Still, at least it was an opportunity for him to cut loose. It had been hundreds of years since he last got to send so many of his sweet creations against an enemy. Of course, he wouldn't be able to send all of them to the imbicel's army at the same time, the mistress had advised against that, but he could still place them at locations that would certainly hinder them or stop their advances entirely.
He smiled slightly, already imagining what kind of new puppets he could create with the bodies of the soldiers that had invaded Liurnia.
"P-please let me go." His thoughts were distracted by one of his newest creations, a Tarnished that he had managed to obtain. The young thing was beautiful too.
"Oh shush child. You know that I can't do that." He got closer, his gloved hands caressing her young face. A face that would forever stay young and beautiful, thanks to his genius. The Tarnished recoiled, whimpering slightly. He sighed.
"Such a shame, but you will certainly be of use soon enough." He pulled out one of his potions, the blue smoke inside not moving even when he removed the lid. He grabbed the pretty face of the Tarnished, who began to trash in his strong grip.
"!" Before she could scream the flask had already touched her lips, its content slipping into her mouth. He stepped away, smiling contently.
The Tarnished began to struggle, her bound arms trying to futilely free themselves from their bounds. And then the gagging started, the potion slowly taking its course. Her mouth opened, but no curses or screams came out, only the sound of her gagging, her eyes slowly beginning to bleed. After a few seconds, her head sagged and her body stopped twitching.
Then the silence came, signaling the final process of the process. He slowly got closer to the Tarnished and cupped her face once again. When her eyelids opened empty eyes stared back at him. He smiled.
He could hardly wait to have more creations around.
AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Also, to add something: The MC will not do all dungeons, mostly because some of them are way too small for him and don't offer him grandiose things he can use.
And tbh, I'm also considering dipping my toes into other fandoms as well, perhaps I'll make a thread about all kinds of One shots that can perhaps be turned into a story. Oh, and Omakes I'm planning, for example one for Patches.
Though as always, feedback and comments are welcomed.
Last edited: Nov 20, 2023
26-Of Crayfishes and Warriors
26-Of Crayfishes and Warriors
-Two days later-
I rammed the jagged sword into the stump where the arm of the cuckoo soldier used to be, burning the stump out afterward. The rest of their body was left mostly intact, the only other thing that I changed was their legs, giving them greater mobility and speed. I took a step backward, regarding the fifteen new creations that had been made out of the remains of the cuckoo soldiers.
'Now that I think about it, they do look a bit like the Slayers from Suffering.'
From where?
'You wouldn't get it.' No way in hell Godrick would know about anything coming close to video games, so why tell him?
"These things look disgusting," Sellen said next to me, her voice slightly cracking. I nodded.
"They are supposed to." I didn't elaborate any further, instead opting to leave my grafting room, stepping into the sunlight as I did so.
"And what the heirloom and Carian staff you men found in the ruins and tower? Aren't you going to graft those?" Sellen asked once again, her footsteps following me. I sighed and turned to face her.
"I am going to graft the heirloom soon enough, but will only do so when the men have returned from the mission I have sent them on."
"Why did you even send them in the direction of the study hall? That place has been abandoned for years."
She does have quite many questions, don't thou agree?
'Yeah, she does.'
"I wanted them to scout out the area, make sure that there aren't any surprises." That was partly true, but the real reason was that they could potentially be able to get a prayerbook, an item that would give you a collection of miracles.
Sellen looked at me for a few seconds but then seemed to decide against asking me again, instead looking at the temporary camp my men had built.
"Well, at least the hunting party you sent out should return soon enough. What should they catch again?"
"Giant Crayfish." My answer seemed to throw the sorceress off, but she regained her composure quite fast.
"Why? I understand that those are strong, but why would you need more than one?" I chuckled slightly and pointed at one of the ballistae.
"Quite powerful eh? Now imagine the same or better firepower but with good moveability, along with claws that can also work in melee combat." Crayfish were annoying mobs in the game, even when you were at max level, but if my men managed to capture some of them it would be another advantage that I could use.
"And that is the reason why you sent out both Milton and Tarkus to lead the hunt?" I nodded, grabbing a wineskin from a nearby table.
"Exactly." I took a sip from the wine, thinking what I should do next. I did need the medallion that would allow me to descend into the Hailigtree, and I also had to find the key to the academy. A key that was being guarded by a dragon that seemingly never left that place.
"Anyways, did you find out anything about using the dragon heart inside of me?" Sellen already helped me a great deal when she gave me that info, but I had asked her to look further into it to widen my knowledge.
"As I told you beforehand, there might be a way to…" I began to listen to Sellen's words, the wineskin still in my hand, and tried to memorize everything she told me. All of it could be useful after all.
-Tarkus-
He hadn't been quite sure of how he should feel about Liurnia.
At least he had been until he had met its wildlife. Giant Crabs, Octopi, and Crayfish of all things proved to be much more of a challenge than he had thought.
They were vicious beasts, surprising him with the amount of aggressiveness they possessed. They all fought to the bitter end.
And it was a delight.
Unlike his older "brother" Milton he possessed a spirit that thirsted for a good fight. The Tarnished at Stormveil, as far as he could remember her name was Nephelli, gave him one. But after that experience, he had been left wanting. None of the other enemies he had faced until now proved to be a challenge.
But the wildlife here was exciting!
One of his four arms lashed out, the spear grasped in its hands reinforced with an Ash of War that the creator had gifted him. The spear bit into the tough shell of the crayfish and finally managed to break through it, just under its head. Its owner managed to jump away in time, however, managing to avoid being wounded.
A loud, metallic-sounding laughter echoed from his mouth and he attacked once again, one of the swords he was holding keeping the large claws of the beast at bay. The spear stabbed forward, propelled by his superhuman strength, and was driven into the soft flesh of the crayfish, ending its life.
Milton, the more distance-orientated creation, landed next to him and prodded at the body, before nodding.
"Well done. The body is in good condition." He grunted and made a place for the soldiers he and Milton were leading, allowing the men to tie the body up.
That was the fourth Crayfish he had managed to subdue today, and it wouldn't be the last. Some of the soldiers had managed to spy three other crayfish in the area, all of them located around an odd, tower-like structure that stood out of the swamp that was slowly swallowing the buildings of the nearby village.
When they got closer he saw the three large crayfish that lay in the swampy water, seemingly dozing away. He looked upward, meeting Milton's eyes, and pointed at the one to the right. The other creation understood and slowly flew closer, remaining above the creature's head.
Then he looked at the soldiers and pointed at the one to the left. They approached it slowly, their footsteps making quiet splashes in the water. Which left only the one in the middle, the largest of the three.
He inched closer until he was in front of the beast, his weapons already ready. Crayfishes had hard shells, it would need at least one blow to crack it. He readied his spear, his muscles already tensing and made sure to check if neither the soldiers nor Milton had left their spot. When he saw that they were ready he attacked first, the spear shooting forward once again.
The Crayfish awoke just a second before collision it seemed, because the beast suddenly ripped its head to the side, which meant that his spear only nicked the neck armor a bit instead of breaking it like it should have. The crayfish attacked, its huge pincer stabbing forward to run him through.
He blocked, his weapons reinforced with yet another Ash of War, this time one that was normally used to improve one's defense. And even though he wasn't using a shield, it proved useful. The attack pushed him back slightly, but he blurred forward, dodging the next attack the lobster would have thrown at him, and embedded his sword into the beast's faceplate. It proved to still have some fight in it, however, shooting a blast of concentrated water at his face.
He stumbled backward, instantly covering his face with his broadsword while his spear stabbed forward, finding purchase in the beast's body once again. From its screech, he had managed to take a few of its legs off.
He felt the pincer impact with his heavy armor and although he was pushed back he stood his ground, blurring forward once again, his Bloodhoundstep making him absurdly fast for his size, and aimed for the beast's head. Still, his eyes hadn't quite recovered from the jet of water they had to endure, and thus his aim was a bit off.
Still good enough, however.
Instead of hitting its head directly, his sword punched into the neck area of the creature, puncturing through it entirely. The crayfish twisted its body, wrenching the spear from his grasp but he knew that even that wouldn't be able to save its life.
He turned around, seeing that the soldiers and Milton had managed to kill their crayfish without any of them waking up. He sighed, fearing that the oldest creation would soon berate him for the mistake he had made.
But when Milton turned to him, he saw his widen and his hands reach for his bow.
'Was I too careless?'
He turned around, his three remaining weapons held protectively in front of him. And not a second later he felt weapons slam into his. A slender golden sword and a golden great shield that bore his creator's lion. He looked at his attacker.
And saw into a face that resembled Grisela, the creator's granddaughter.
He fended off the attacks but was still caught off guard by the sudden transformation the killed crayfish had seemingly gone through.
"You damn fucker!" He fended off yet another attack, this time wrenching one of the golden swords from the scion's hands. The scion attacked once again, but this time its attack was stopped by Milton, who grabbed the great shield with his claws and ripped it from the scion's grasp.
"Tarkus, restrain him." He did so, two of his four arms wrapping themselves around the head of the scion. Lord Godrick had shown him this move and called it a "headlock". It was the first time he used the move.
"Hey, let go of me, you… peasant!" The young scion struggled beneath his grip, but it was useless. He was inferior to him in physical might and was also in a position where he had no real balance to use his strength. Nonetheless, he looked at Milton and gave him a nod. His older brother was much smarter than he was, so he should do the talking.
"Will you listen to us first?" Milton asked while the soldiers that had been following them came closer.
"Young Godefroid, is that you?" One of them spoke up, an uncertain tone in his voice. The scion stopped his struggling for a short while and turned to the soldiers whom he didn't seem to have noticed until a few minutes ago.
"Wait, you are grandfather's men! How are you here, in Liurnia?"
"We are here with your grandfather, he wants to take the Great Rune of the Shardbearer here." Milton's words seemed to shock the young scion, who just looked at them for a few seconds.
"My grandfather… left Stormveil Castle?" He felt himself nodding and gave a deep grunt of acknowledgment.
"Indeed, that he has. And if you promise to calm down and not attack us all, we could lead you to him." He felt the scion tense under his grip, but then he took a deep breath.
"Alright, just let me down." He looked at Milton and when he saw the older creation nod his grip loosened and the young scion managed to free himself from his grip. The young boy coughed slightly and then looked at him, his eyes narrowing.
"Grandfather never had soldiers such as you." He could feel himself smile behind his helmet.
"I am new." His voice was deep, and talking wasn't something he did often because it still hurt his throat but he could still talk in short sentences.
"I see." The young scion said, before turning to the soldiers.
"So grandfather decided to do something other than sit in his castle, huh?" Milton didn't seem to like the young man's tone but also seemed to ignore it for now.
"Indeed, your grandfather would also be happy to know that you are safe, as would your sister, Grisela." When Godefroid heard his sister's name his head snapped to Milton and he stalked forward, his mismatched body moving surprisingly fast.
"Is she alright? Heck, what about the others?" Milton looked at the young man and then shook his head.
"I am very sorry to tell you this, but we only know the whereabouts of Grisela, who is doing well. The other grandchildren of lord Godrick still haven't been found."
"Oh." The words seemed to shock Godefroid, but Milton just patted him on one of his shoulders.
"Do not worry, young one. As far as I know, lord Godrick specifically left one of our stronger fighters behind to look for them in Limgrave. Lord Godrick said that he also has a suspicion where two of them could be." Godefroid looked at Milton for a few seconds and then sighed.
"Alright, lead me to my grandfather, but under one condition. I don't want to be held hostage, and if I want to go, I will be allowed to." Milton was silent but then nodded before ordering the men to tie up the two corpses of the crayfish they had managed to kill.
He walked over to the spot where the dead crayfish that had turned into the grafted scion lay, and picked up his spear.
"So you are the one that killed me?" He turned around to see Godefroid standing there, his arms crossed. He shrugged his shoulders, one of his four hands scratching the back of his helmet.
"Sorry." He could hear the young scion scoff but then saw how Roderik scratched the back of his head as well.
"Well, I didn't intend to be reborn as a crayfish anyway, so thanks." He nodded once again and then turned around to follow the group of soldiers and Milton, who already were a bit farther away.
"How does rebirth work?" He asked the grafted scion that was walking beside him, genuinely curious. Godefroid laughed.
"I can tell you during our travel back to the place my grandfather is staying at. I don't know how long our trip will take, but if you want to, I can at least start telling you?"
He nodded, curious what he would find out about rebirth. And who knew, perhaps there was a way to help his creator that way. And if it did, he would find it.
However, just when Godefroid had started to tell him the story about how he had become a crayfish they heard a feminine scream, coming from the town of the academy. His look met Milton's, and the first creation sighed, before nodding.
He stormed towards the direction the screams were coming from, his weapons clutched tightly. He didn't truly know why saving people was important to him, but he knew that he wanted to do it at all costs. He looked back one last time and saw how Milton commanded the soldiers to take Roderick to his creator, and promptly followed him, his wings allowing him to catch up soon enough.
"Hopefully this will prove useful to our lord," Milton said, but he ignored him, instead increasing his speed when he heard another scream fill the area. Hopefully, they weren't too late.
-At The same time-
-Alaric-
He wasn't sure why Lord Godrick had sent them up this hill. Was their lord truly so cautious? Were there truly things that still scared him, other than the other Shardbearers?
His train of thought was cut off when one of the knights in front of him stopped his horse as if he had seen a ghost.
"Is something the matter?" It was very rare to see a knight trembling in fear, so what could he have seen that scared him so much?
"The undead are here." He looked at the knight, one of his eyebrows raised, and then looked past him to see what he meant.
He wished he hadn't.
The skeletons were the first things he saw, and he remembered why lord Godrick had called that one Tarnished to their castle. To extinguish any trace or sign of the damned deathroot that had been growing underneath their castle. But now? Now they were confronted by a thing that was born from a deathroot.
Undead were hard to deal with, or he had heard so. And the thing that seemed to be their leader, a skeleton in a boat, seemed to have already spotted them.
"Men, I want you to ready yourself for a fight." He said, holding his new spear in a death grip. "It won't be easy, but remember, lord Godrick made sure to pick out the strongest of his troops, us knights, to follow his orders. Do you truly think that we will fail?"
"Fuck that!" One of the Banished Knights said, brandishing his halberd and began to stalk forward. Other knights soon began to follow him, and so did he, jumping from his horse and forming the final link. Soon enough they were only a few steps away from the skeleton in the boat, who was now watching them, its empty eyes seeming to stare into their very soul.
He heard the clacking of bones and noticed how more skeletons were slowly pulling themselves together, their bones seemingly being connected by nothing but dark magic.
"Men, make sure that you drag these bastards down." He said, his spear held tightly.
"Heh, you don't have to tell us boss." The Banished Knights seemed to be smiling, while the normal ones seemed to accept their fate.
"Alright, I will take care of the leader." He said, and jumped forward, the new greatspear already poised to attack his enemy. The skeleton displayed a surprising amount of strength, bringing the strange but gigantic golden horn to bear to block his blow.
He quickly changed his stance, his greater speed allowing him to unleash a stab into its midsection. It barely reacted, however, and instead, a wave of water rose, forcing him to dodge backward and avoid it. The Mariner reacted quickly, however, throwing another, smaller wave of water at him that threw him backward, right into the direction of the awaiting spears of some undead skeletons.
He grunted, and stabbed his spear into the ground, avoiding impalement, and immediately swung his spear around, the force behind the hit strong enough to throw the two skeletons that had tried to kill him on the ground. After that he rushed forward again, dodging spears and swordswipes from more skeletons that had risen to protect their master.
"You are very annoying, you know that?" He said, his spear once again stabbing into the ribcage of the undead Mariner, only this time he didn't stop. His spear thrust into the different parts of the skeleton over and over again, hitting his skull, ribcage, sternum, and arms. Still, it wasn't enough.
The Mariner roared, the first real display of emotion since the fight started, and swung the strange horn like it had been possessed. It was fast, way too fast for him to dodge.
He blocked it, or at least he thought he did. But when he opened his eyes again he wasn't on the ground anymore, instead, he was more than a few dozen feet above it. Gravity soon took its effect however and he plummeted to the earth once again, but due to the fact in which direction the Mariner had thrown him, he landed right between a crossroad, the hard ground welcoming him with hard reality.
He felt something break when he landed and struggled to stand. He looked in the direction he had come from and saw how a wave of water threw away one of his men. He gritted his teeth and stood up, one of his legs protesting profusely.
And that's when he heard footsteps, armored once.
He turned around, and his eyes caught another man that he wouldn't have wanted to meet even on his best day.
In front of him, in all of his glory stood a knight of Leyndell, the royal capital. A knight that stared at him with hatred.
"Another traitor to put down then." The knight's sword began to spark and he jumped forward, his speed nearly too fast for him to follow. The following blow made his arms ache, but he held on, shoving his attacker off him. Both of them circled each other and then attacked, sword and spear clashing.
-Milton-
He wasn't sure whether or not he should berate Tarkus or not. The second creation of his father was foolish, but not in a way that seemed to be purely to annoy him. Tarkus truly did want to save people, and there was nothing wrong with that. But it could come into the way of a mission, just as it had now.
He dodged another spell that had been fired at him, returning the favor by embedding three arrows into the bastard's skull. The Tarnished, because that's what the man and his two companions must have been, was too slow to dodge and was quickly taken out, most likely not used to having to fight two enemies that complimented each other as well as he and Tarkus.
He looked around to see the large, four-armed knight fight against the other two Tarnished, effortlessly blocking, dodging, and weaving past most of their attacks, while also making sure to not even back up a single inch. Sure, the Tarnished were quite weak compared to the one Tarkus had supposedly faced at Stormveil, but if there was one thing he had to admit then it was that the four-armed knight had been made to be a tiebreaker, much more so than him.
When he saw Tarkus's sword stab through the chest of the first Tarnished, he knew that it was over and turned to the person they had saved from the attack.
She was a young thing, with light brown hair and grey eyes, and even when she was seriously wounded, he could see the fighting spirit inside her.
He could also sense that she was Tarnished, however. The golden shine of grace was dim in her eyes, but it was still present.
'Why would Tarnished kill other Tarnished without apparent reason?'
He heard a skull break and turned around to see Tarkus walking towards him, dragging the two corpses of the Tarnished behind him.
"She is Tarnished, what should we do with her?" The taller creation tilted his head as if it was thinking about it.
"Is she a threat?" Milton looked at the wounded Tarnished. Would she be a threat, even if she was healed?
"She could become one. And seen as lord Godrick wants to know more about Tarnished…" He didn't finish the sentence, but Tarkus seemed to understand, just nodding his head.
"You will carry her. I'll take the other corpse." He said, pointing at the corpse of the mage that he had killed. He nodded and then lifted the female Tarnished, something she didn't seem fond of.
"I will not visit Godrick the Grafted, it would be a death sentence." He felt a slight amount of anger well up inside of him.
'She should be grateful! If our lord hadn't created us, she would long since be dead!'
He refused to show anger however and merely stared at her for a few seconds, before his wings carried him into the air, prompting the Tarnished to increase her grip around him. He nodded at Tarkus, signaling the younger creation to go while he increased his flight attitude.
"What is the name of the Tarnished we saved, hm?" Knowing her name should be good. Calling her something other than "Tarnished" also wouldn't be half bad. The Tarnished glared at him for a while but then flinched slightly when she felt her wounds.
"The name's Lanya, just Lanya."
-Alaric-
He was sent flying, his aching arms barely managing to move in time to block the next attack. His spear gave him the greater reach and was, objectively the better weapon in this situation.
He still was losing, however.
His strikes, feints, and counters were all being read like an open book as if his enemy had been doing this as long as he had been alive. Well, maybe he had. He managed to block the sword strike but had to accept the punch that was the follow-up instead.
His balance had been seriously damaged, his right leg barely holding on. He didn't know how his men were doing, but he hoped they would be fine. He felt the tip of the sword graze his cheek, drawing blood.
"Don't get lost in thoughts!" The Leyndell Knight was monstrous. Even after all their clashes he didn't even seem tired.
He grit his teeth.
'Alright, let's try something else.'
The Leyndell Knight attacked once more, his sword flowing in a way that it looked like he was dancing. It was as beautiful as it was deadly.
His armored boot dug into the earth and kicked dirt into the knight's helmet, momentarily stopping his attack. He jumped backward, dodging the attack that followed soon after.
"You honorless cur!" The knight stomped closer, but he once again jumped backward, not even engaging in the fight anymore. The Leyndell Knight jumped forward once again, his sword barely missing his throat. But still, he retreated further back, into the direction of where his men were located.
'I just need to lure him there. Perhaps he will take care of the Mariner first.' It was a risky gamble, but one he was ready to make.
The knight wasn't willing to play along, however, stopping before they could even reach the small forest the Mariner was in.
"Will you just run away then? Alright then, little rabbit, run." The knight drew back his hand and a bolt of pure lightning manifested itself in his hand. He threw it and whether it was through instincts or pure luck he managed to dodge it just in time, the incantation only managing to lightly touch his shoulder armor.
Still, the Leyndell Knight didn't give up, as another bolt was already summoned in his hands, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to dodge this time.
'Please make it miss, please make it miss!'
It was foolish, he knew, but he still hoped that someone would hear his silent prayers.
The bolts left the knight's hand, directly traveling towards him.
And then was promptly slapped out of the air by a stone fist.
"Ah ha, you must be my newest advesary!" The voice was loud and boisterous, but at the same time carried a certain warmth in it. He looked at his saviour, his eyes wide open, in both shock and confusion.
Before him stood a gigantic warrior jar, its small legs somehow supporting its weight while the long arms boastfully pointed at the Leyndell Knight.
"Just wait a moment good sir, I will be with you in a moment." It said, before turning to face him.
"Are you doing good, sir? Or do you require any medical assistance?" He found his speech once again, though very slowly.
"At first I think the enemy before you is the thing you should focus on." He heard the warrior chuckle, and it patted him on the shoulder.
"Oh don't worry about little old me, I won't break that easily." The jar turned to face the knight once again, who seemed to be just as dumbfounded as he was, and got into a fighting stance.
"After all, I am Warrior Jar Alexander!" A strange energy began to build around the hand of the huge jar, and its feet sunk into the ground.
"Or Iron Fist Alexander, the moniker I very much prefer!" The warrior jar said, and ran into battle, its fist raised to meet the knight in battle. When the two warriors collided the earth seemed to shake and the knight was thrown back, utterly outmatched. The warrior jar followed the still-flying body of the knight, and brought his fist down, embedding the knight's body into the ground, all the while he laughed boisterously.
He could only stare at the laughing warrior jar in shock, one single thought going through his mind.
'What the hell am I witnessing?'
AN: Yay, more canon characters! And more words than usual too, so I'd say that was quite good. Hope you are looking forward to the next chapter. As to why I wrote this chapter "sooner" than normal, it's because I'm unsure if I will manage to do it tomorrow, so you're going to receive the "Monday" chapter today, hope you don't mind that.
Also, I might even be able to update my second story today, so make sure you check that out too, it's an ASOIAF story.
Here's the link if anyone's interested:
[img: https/forums./data/svg/2/1/1700608538/2022_favicon_192x192.png]
Hammer Time or How I Learned to Stop Worrying & Embrace The Game (Semi-Si)
Many guys (and also gals, no offence here) get choosen for greatness, heck perhaps they even are great from the start. Though they always do have to face great hardships before they make something of themselves. For me it's no different. Though I DO have to admit that I'm a bit confused why I'm…
[img: https/forums./data/svg/2/1/1700608538/2022_favicon_32x32.png]
forums.
As always, comments and feedback are welcome and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Last edited: Nov 26, 2023
27 - Of Scions and Memories
27-Of Scions and Memories
I stared at the Grafted scion that was now in front of me, his arms crossed and his face set into a frown.
'Who is that?'
That would be Godefroid, one of my grandchildren.
I rolled my eyes beneath my helmet. I could have guessed that he belonged to Godrick's family, but his sudden appearance had surprised me. I had to stop my experiments of trying to unleash dragon incantations as a result.
'Perhaps Tarkus and Milton found the lobster that would turn into a scion in the game? That could be?'
"Ah, Godefroid, how are you doing, my boy?" He didn't answer my question, however, and continued to stare at me.
'Awkward.'
"You look different." He said, finally speaking after a full minute of silence. I nodded and chuckled, unsure what to say.
"Indeed I do, young one. However, I must say that I'm also surprised that my men found you, in the swamp of Liurnia of all places." I looked at the men, my head slightly tilted.
"Maybe they want to tell me how they did?" The group of soldiers, who suspiciously weren't being led by either Milton or Tarkus, spoke up.
"We discovered young Godefroid during the mission you sent us on. When commander Tarkus killed one of the crayfish, it suddenly turned into young Godefroid."
'So it WAS the lobster that turned into the Grafted Scion in the game?'
I made a show of being silent for a few seconds, and then looked at Godefroid once again, doing my best to make my voice sound confused.
"And how did that happen, Godefroid?" The grafted Scion blushed and refused to meet my eyes.
"Uh, it's difficult, alright?" I crossed my arms and then pointed at the building I was using as my current abode.
"We have time. You will wait in there, I have to take care of a few things before I'll be there." Godefroid seemed as if he wanted to refuse at first, but then sighed and nodded, walking into the crumbled building while I turned around to address the soldiers.
"What about Milton and Tarkus? Where are they?" I sincerely hoped that they hadn't been wounded. Sure, the lobsters of Liurnia were strong, but not to a degree that they should be able to seriously injure them.
"No, sir Tarkus heard a scream coming from the Gate Town and ran off, most likely to find out who was responsible. Sir Milton followed him soon after, though not before he told us to bring your grandson here, my lord." One of the soldiers said, refusing to meet my eyes.
'What could be happening in the Gate Town? That thing should have been empty for decades. Well, empty except for a few crazy albinaurics.' The fact that something could happen didn't sit right with me, but I had to concentrate on the present right now.
"Very well, return to your posts for now and wait for more orders," I said, dismissing the soldiers. Taking my worries out on them would be counterproductive. The soldiers nodded, and quickly scattered to return to their posts, leaving me behind.
My gaze wandered to the crumbled building Godefroid was in, and I sighed, before entering, having to duck under the large gateway as I did so. Godefroid was already waiting, his arms crossed over his deformed chest. I sat down in front of him and looked him in the eyes.
The room was once again silent, none of us sure where to start.
"So, how's Grisela?" The silence was finally broken when Godefroid spoke, sounding a bit unsure. I was thankful though.
"Ah, your young sister is doing quite well. A few things changed since you last saw her." Godefroid's eyes changed and he spoke once again, his voice suddenly icy.
"Oh, did you completely lock her in the castle then?" The amount of hostility took me off guard, so much so that the real Godrick had to take over for just a second.
"Don't speak to me in that tone, boy! Your sister is fine… and I gave her more freedom than before." The anger that had risen in my voice disappeared as quickly as it had appeared and I stared at Godefroid, who still was scowling.
"Sure, just like the time you allowed me more freedom, only to lock me in one of the towers to assure my "safety"." I was quiet, frantically searching Godrick's memories for such a thing happening. I found it soon enough and stared back at the Grafted Scion, mine and Godrick's minds once again mixing.
"You were nothing but a small child back then. What would have happened if you left the castle? You would have been easy pickings for anyone, not even exclusively Tarnished!" Godefroid stood up again, his scowl now even more prominent.
"Do you have any kind of idea how I felt back then? How slowly the hours passed? Or do you just not care?!" I wanted to answer again, but stopped Godrick this time around, thinking about the question longer before I sighed.
"No, no I don't. I don't know how you felt back then, but a thing I do know is the fact that I just wanted to protect you all." Godefroid's scowl lessened slightly, and instead, he just shook his head, a sad expression on his face.
"I know what you wanted to do, but your good goal still doesn't make the things better that you did to achieve it." He was silent for another few moments and then chuckled ruefully.
"You know, sometimes I still ask myself what would have happened if Dad was around." I was silent, and once again tried to reach for Godrick's memories, but ran against a mental blockade that completely denied me entrance. Godrick took over the body once again, speaking in a quiet, low voice.
"I do not know, young one, I truly don't. But I wish I did." I didn't try to reclaim the body right away, letting Godrick stay in control for the time being. He didn't do anything, however, aside from sitting in front of Godefroid.
"Are you really trying to claim another Great Rune, after all this time?" Godefroid once again broke the silence, and Godrick nodded.
"Yes, it's time that I move again, along with my army." Godrick was silent for a few seconds, but then looked down at Godefroid, once again speaking up.
"Now, will you tell me how you turned into a lobster?" There was some kind of amusement in Godrick's voice, and judging from Godefroid's red face he had noticed too.
"Alright, alright, I'll tell you!" The Grafted Scion said, throwing his arms into the air as he did so. I could feel Godrick smile slightly, even if he otherwise showed no other reaction.
'I should probably use the opportunity to look through the mindscape, perhaps I can find something useful.'
I concentrated and let my mental self slowly slip into the mindscape that still looked like Leyndell, the golden streets, and layout making that extremely clear. But much more than just that lay here. The mindscape was just the upper layer of the memories that lay within the mind. That's why I was in Leyndell, the city that Godrick was so attached to. It worked as both a protection against potential intruders in his mind and as a thing that reflected Godrick's desires, namely to go home.
That's what I had understood from his teachings at least, and while I still was lacking compared to him, I had slowly been able to draw even Godrick's memories to me, at least those he didn't actively protect.
I concentrated on one particular "object" in front of me, in this case, a single stone tile from the street I was standing on, and pulled. Normally it shouldn't even have budged, my physical strength was by far not good enough for that.
But this wasn't reality, and as soon as you understood that, the rules changed.
The stone tile was easily pulled away, revealing a dark swirling void beneath. It was mine, but also Godrick's mind. I mentally made the gap widen until I could comfortably jump into it, landing on solid, but still swirling ground beneath.
The mind place was weird, and that was the only thing consistent about it. Thank god I had control over it.
I looked around me and then tried to slowly make out memories that could help me in the future, drawing from both mine and Godrick's beings at the same time. And it did seem to help something. Godrick had knowledge about the dragons, as fleeting as it may have been, and combined with my own, I might just be able to solve the problem with the dragon incantations that I had for quite some time.
I began to weave the memories into a rope, slowly and carefully pulling them out of the swirling ground. I wasn't a master, far from it, but it should be enough for now.
That's what I thought at least, until I hit a roadblock.
I did manage to pull out a part of Godrick's memory about the dragons but was unable to do so any further as if something was actively stopping me from doing so. I tried harder, concentrating more of my mental strength on the task but I failed.
'What kind of memory is it? What keeps me locked out?'
I let go of the rope, kneeled, and then let my hand sink into the swirling ground, shuddering slightly as I did so. It was akin to having your entire arm covered in cold slime that constantly moved. My hand wrapped itself around a large clump, almost as if something had been forcibly locked away. I pulled, trying to free it, but my mental strength proved to be far too weak to do anything. A sigh left my mouth as let my second arm slide into the cold ground and grabbed the clump.
However, this time I tried to solve the problem in a way that didn't require brute force. My hands began to slowly knead the clump under their fingers, trying to untie the mess that was the strange memories under me.
It was a long, tiring work but after what felt like an eternity I could finally feel how the strange knot was beginning to weaken. My hands tightened slightly and began to double their efforts to finally get rid of the annoying obstacle.
The knot was untied with a strange sound, but finally gave me the chance to continue with my search for the memories I was looking for. I let go of the now pulsating parts of the knot and began to pull my arms out of the slimy cold ground.
Only to feel something wrap itself around my hands, and pull with enough strength to nearly rip my arms out of the shoulder.
I was thrown to the ground and struggled to retrieve my arms from the strong grip. But it was useless, both of my arms were entirely submerged in the ground again and I saw how the ground beneath me was bending inward as if it was trying to swallow me. The pressure grew and grew, and my body was forced further through the ground. Now my legs were bound by the strange grip and I felt that the ground beneath my chest also began to crack.
"Shit."
The ground gave away and I was completely pulled into the sea of memories.
My breathing was cut off, even though it should have been impossible, and I felt how the slimy "water" between the memories began to respond to my arrival. But the tendrils that held me didn't let anything happen and dragged me away from the still-open hole in the ground, my only way to escape.
I fought back, my hands gripping the dark, letter-covered tendrils as I tried to free myself from their grip. But when I touched them with my fingers, something happened.
'Come on, another round.'
The voice I heard was strong, cold, and distinctly female, but I never had heard the voice, so why did it seem familiar? My hands still managed to rip off the tendril and gripped the second to free myself.
'He's not going to inherit our strength, but he is going to be useful.'
The female voice once again cut into my mind, and I cringed slightly and nearly failed to get out of the second bondage that held me. I still managed to rip it off, but then saw where I was being dragged to, namely to a gigantic cluster of compressed memories.
"Fuck!"
I tried to rip off the tendril around my mid-section but failed to do so in time. A last glimpse of memories flooded my mind.
'Dragon Communion is still a way.'
I was smashed against the cluster, and I felt my consciousness slip away.
'How's that even possible? I'm in a fucking mindscape.'
"Ouch."
My face hurt as I picked myself up from the golden street.
"My poor nose." I made sure it hadn't been broken and looked around, seeing Leyndell in all of its glory, just like in my mindscape. There was one big difference, however.
There were people, incredible numbers of them too.
Some of the people, the thin commoners, were going on their daily business, pulling carts and selling wares, while the burly guards were proudly wearing their golden surcoats which seemed to reflect the brilliant sunlight.
In short, I wasn't in the normal mindscape anymore. The city didn't change to my commands, but I also wasn't in the "real" world. Whenever I touched or tried to talk to the people, I just phased through as if I were a ghost. It seemed as if I was caught in some kind of replay or vision I had to power over.
"Great, well done," I murmured to myself but then began looking for something that could perhaps help me get out of the strange replay.
But I had no luck, nothing I tried worked, which forced me to try and contact Godrick.
'Hey, uh Godrick?'
I received no answer, almost as if I had been cut off from Godrick. Perhaps it was because, in the mindplace, he didn't truly "exist" in my head. Which could mean that this place wasn't necessarily part of the normal layout. I sighed and slapped my forehead.
I shouldn't have underestimated the mindscape as I did, especially because Godrick had just begun to teach me how to navigate inside of it.
'Stupid, stupid STUPID!'
Before I could rightfully continue to berate myself for my stupidity, my train of thought was interrupted by the loud sounds of drums and other instruments that started to play. All of the commoners around me immediately got out of the way and the guards that had been standing proud just a few seconds ago were kneeling as deep as they could, their eyes set on the floor.
I didn't move out of the way and instead stared at the procession that was making its way to the inner gates of Leyndell. They were being led by a tall, muscular woman in golden armor, whose gaze seemed to terrify the child that was walking next to her.
The child was the polar opposite of the woman, short, frail, and seemingly too ill to truly walk properly. But still, one look from the woman was enough to keep the boy going.
They passed by me, and I got a good look at every person that followed them. Nearly all of them seemed to take after the tall woman, being tall and blond-haired, but I noticed that none of them gave off the same air of authority and strength as the woman did. All but the very last person who seemed to be the final link of the rows of people. He was different from the others.
The scars on his body and silver armor told of many fought battles, and the coal-black hair and beard he possessed nearly seemed to scream that he wasn't from the same family. But he had a certain presence around him. Much wilder and more aggressive than the one the woman exuded, but at the same time imbued with much more emotion as well.
I followed them into the inner parts of Leyndell until they had reached a large, church-like building whose exterior almost seemed to resemble the scales of a dragon.
'The hell is this? Never saw that in the game.'
I slowly got closer and let my hand glide over the strange stone. It wasn't dragonscale, but it wasn't normal either. Perhaps magic?
Suddenly the doors of the building flew open, and five knights walked out, all adorned in the golden armor which only guardians of the Erdtree were allowed to wear. The woman seemed surprised, but then reluctantly kneeled when the knight in the middle walked forward, his spear glistening with lightning. I don't know why, but something seemed familiar about him.
"What gives us the honor, Ser Kristoff?" The woman's words were spoken carefully as if she didn't want to provoke the knight.
'Fucking Kristoff? The summon in the game?'
Kristoff lay buried under the ground in the real world, so that meant this entire thing happened long before even the Shattering commenced.
"The prince is waiting inside, lady Matilda. I'd advise you to only take a few of your family inside, otherwise, it might get cramped." The knight said, his voice polite and without any kind of negative emotion. He bowed slightly before her and then joined the other knights that were seemingly waiting for him.
The tall woman, Matilda, now looked at the boy next to her and then sighed, before waving the man at the very end of the collum to her. I could see his wide smile from where I stood.
"Ah, dearest sister, am I allowed to visit my little cousin again?" He winked down at the frail boy and gently ruffled his hair. The woman slapped his hand away as soon as she noticed.
"You may not. Godwyn resides in this church, and we all will show us from the best side we have, even if that includes you."
The large man rolled his eyes, but then nodded and took his place next to his sister before both of them opened the doors of the building once again.
"Leave us be until we are done." The woman looked over he shoulder to address the rest of the people outside, except for the young boy.
"Come on then, you will meet Godwyn the Golden, one of your forefathers."
She had grabbed the boy by his hand and led him into the building, while her brother held open one of the doors for them. I walked in right behind them and now was able to see the interior of the building. It was made to resemble a lot of Farum Azula's architecture, with dragon statues and round structures.
Nearly all rows of the building seemed to be empty, except for the first one which was occupied by a woman and a man, both of whom exuded more raw power than anyone else I had met in this world. Matilda, along with the boy and her brother, had gotten closer to the pair and knelt, her eyes trained on the ground.
"My prince, what gives us the honor?"
The man stood up to his full height, nearly as tall as I had been when I first entered Godrick's body and turned around with a large and friendly smile.
"Ah Matilda, how are you doing? You don't need to kneel."
His voice was deep and rich, though at the same time warm and welcoming. Matilda just nodded and then stood up, dragging the boy who was staring at Godwyn up with her.
"My physical health is at its peak, though I have arranged a ritual with the Church of Dragon Communion to give this child another chance." She pointed at the little boy, and Godwyn nodded.
"Hm, I see. Who are you, young one?"
The boy nervously fidgeted with his hands, and refused to meet Godwyn's eyes, but answered after a few seconds.
"G-Godrick, my name is Godrick the Golden."
My mouth fell open and my eyes widened. These were Godrick's memories, and I had just invaded them.
'Well… shit.'
AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter and are looking forward to more.
I know that the entire dream and mindscape thing is probably a bit weird, so if you have any questions you can just ask and I'll try to answer them to the best of my abilities. I'll also try to finish it a bit faster, though I don't want to rush anything as well.
Nonetheless, comments and feedback are always welcomed and I appreciate them.
28-Of Memories and New Plans
28 - Of Memories and New Plans
'Well… shit.'
Those were the thoughts that went through my mind when I looked at the young form of Godrick the Grafted, which was, to be honest, less than I thought it would be.
I did think that he was thin and frail, but the child in front of me looked like it could have been blown away by a slight breeze. He was also trembling slightly as if he felt cold. Godwyn seemed to notice as well and kneeled to look the young child in his eyes.
"Hm, are you fine child? You seem to be ill."
Matilde seemed to notice Godrick's trembling and I could see her face changed for a short moment, disappointment and a hint of anger in her features. But she composed herself quickly and lightly grabbed Godrick's shoulder.
"Do not fret your highness, he is just a little frailer than the other children."
Godwyn didn't seem to buy it, instead laying his hand on Godrick's shoulder, his vibrant golden eyes narrowed just enough for me to notice.
"I think it's the child's decision, no? To take part in Dragon Communion?"
Matilda's eyes narrowed, but even I could tell that she had no say against Godwyn. As far as I knew from the game, he was the guy who had singlehandedly taken care of a dragon war, killed the biggest of them all, and also served as the person who held the peace in the Lands Between.
"I-I'll do it."
It was Godrick who spoke, and Godwyn seemed to be surprised too, but the surprised look didn't remain on his face long, a look of acceptance taking its place.
"Very well."
His hand left the boy's shoulder and he stepped back, leaving Matilda and her brother alone with Godrick. The armored woman looked down at Godrick and nodded, a slight smile on her face.
"Well done, son."
I saw how Godrick's golden eyes shone slightly and how a smile began to grow on his childish face. Matilda then led her son to the altar of the dragon communion. Right before the altar sat an old man, whose fingernails were long enough to be mistaken for daggers. The ancient man stared down at Godrick, and grinned slightly, showing off his yellow and rotten teeth.
"Ah, so this is going to be a new child of our order. I must say, it's quite the honor to have someone from the Golden Lineage amongst our rows." Godrick's chest swelled up slightly, his pride evident even to a blind person.
"I assume you know what to do, young one?" The old man asked, his dry voice still filling the entire church. Godrick nodded and stepped forward, both of his hands opened, as if he was waiting to receive something.
The old priest let his hand slide into his robe and pulled out a small, but beautiful dagger before he snapped his fingers and a group of red-clothed servants arrived. All of them had some kind of chest in their hands. The servants stopped when they had positioned themselves right behind the old man, and opened the chests.
The insides of each chest were marvelously ornamented, but that didn't distract from the bloody parts of a dragon that were stuffed inside. Toes, parts of a wing, teeth, and even a dragon heart, all of these things suddenly were held into the face of a little child. Godrick flinched back from the gruesome sight, his hands closing once again, and Matilda groaned slightly.
"Get over it, and choose a part that will give you power."
Godrick looked at his mother for a short time, as if he wanted to back down, but then slowly came forward, his little hand pointing at one of the chests, namely the one with the teeth of the dragon inside. The old priest nodded, smiling once again.
"A wise choice, young one. A dragon's teeth might not hold as much magical power as many of the other parts do, but the energy transfer is quite easy."
The old man took a few teeth from the chest and put them into Godrick's right palm. Then he took the boy's left wrist and held the palm of his left hand over his right one. The priest let his dagger glide into flesh and Godrick's blood dropped on the teeth. The old man lifted his head to the ceiling and began to murmur an incantation.
"Oh truest of dragons, lend this child thy strength. Give him the strength worthy of a dragon." Slightly sparks began to spring from the teeth of the dragon, and I saw how the droplets of Godrick's blood began to slowly rise into the air, combining themselves with the slight sparks of fire. I saw how Godrick's eyes slowly began to turn into a sharp yellow, his irises turning into cat-like slits. The old priest seemed to notice it and stopped his strange incantation.
" Wait, halt the magic in thine veins child, otherwise you will turn into an imperfect monster!"
But Godrick didn't seem to hear him anymore, and instead, he opened his mouth to spew a torrent of magma from his throat. The hot fluid mixture of minerals hit the old priest directly in his face, immediately burning his head. Strangely enough, the man didn't die immediately but instead remained alive long enough to scream out in pain, latching onto the young boy. His melted head turned to look at the boy, and all of the grandfatherly presence was gone now, only hatred remained.
"Curses on you! Curses on you and your weak will! Curses! No dragon shall embrace you as its' equal! None shall!"
Godrick didn't seem to hear him, however, and once again spewed magma from his mouth, almost like he was vomiting. His skin was being burned by the heat of the magma, as if his throat had adapted to the heat but the rest of his body hadn't. The boy turned toward Matilda, a look of absolute panic in his eyes. Matilda just backed away, however, trying to stay as far away from the magma as possible.
And then a gigantic hand the size of Godrick's torso touched his back.
Godwyn had appeared once again and now stood behind the small body of the child, his large hand pumping golden energy into Godrick's body. His face wasn't stern or angry, but instead, he looked down at the boy with a great amount of pity, even while Godrick's magma streamed over his body. After a few seconds the sheer endless flow of magma ceased to spew from Godrick's mouth and Godwyn, held the child in his arms, careful not to hurt him.
"Matilde, the child will NOT be included in any future rituals, do I make myself clear." His next words weren't a question, they were a statement. Godwyn's pressure alone brought Matilda and her brother to their knees, and the only person who remained standing was the strange woman who had sat next to the prince.
"A shame." She said and flicked her fingers. Suddenly the magma Godrick had vomited from his mouth was drawn to her and soon evaporated like it had never existed in the first place.
"Fortissax, please make sure that nothing else has been damaged. Heal the priest too." The woman nodded, and disappeared in a quick red lightning bolt, as did the old priest, who somehow still hadn't died.
'Fucking Fortissax? She had a human form?' In the games, I had never gotten to see the human form of a dragon, with the closest being Priscilla the Cross-Breed, but she also still had a few dragon-like appendages on her body.
Godwyn set Godrick down, still looking at the child in worry.
"Are you alright young one?"
Godrick numbly nodded his head, though it seemed to be more out of reflex than his true feelings, and Godwyn sighed before he stood up.
"I must leave now child, but don't fret, I will remember your valiant efforts to help your family, my family." He ruffled Godrick's hair and only slowly got up, uncertainty still evident in his eyes, before he too disappeared, but instead of lightning his form transformed into small particles of golden light that flew out of the door of the Dragon Communion building, leaving only Godrick and the two members of his family behind. Just when he had left the building, Matilda got closer and stared down at her son, who was still lying on the floor.
"I am sorry." He said. These were simple words but laced with true and utter anguish. Matilda stared at Godrick for a few moments, but then turned around and headed for the exit.
"I am too." Her voice was hard and when she opened the door she walked through the crowd of people that had gathered in front of the church. As soon as Matilda was out of earshot I could already hear the first voices being raised.
"Of course, he failed again."
"What else could have happened?"
Godrick's slumped form became even smaller, and a few tears began to drop from his eyes. A huge hand found itself on his shoulder, though it wasn't the one of Godwyn, but instead the hand of his uncle.
"Don't worry, it will pass."
"Being weak?" Godrick's voice cracked slightly as he said it, and his uncle looked down at him in pity.
"No, the hatred."
After the words had left the man's mouth time stopped moving entirely and the tendrils from before seized me once again, ripping me backward. I felt my back impact with the wall of the Dragon Communion church and everything went black for a few moments, though I still felt how the tendrils kept dragging me away. Soon enough I felt my head hit another hard surface and my consciousness left me entirely.
I didn't wake up on the strange ground where I could normally access memories, not even in the mindscape, but instead woke up on the rudimentary bed I had built for my huge, grafted body. I looked down at my hands, and for once was happy about the fact that they weren't my own and instead the giant ones belonging to Godrick's misformed body.
What did you do inside my mind?!
I hadn't been ready for the mental pressure that was suddenly weighing on my mind, nor was I ready for the pissed-sounding voice of Godrick. I tried to mentally push back, to lessen the crushing weight on me but failed to do anything, not even making the old presence budge.
Answer the fucking question, you bastard!
'Alright, alright! I tried to find out more about Dragon Communion and stumbled into one of your memories!'
The mental pressure in my mind got even stronger.
You didn't "stumble" anywhere, you fucking untied the memory and then got sucked in!
'I am sorry, alright?! I tried to accelerate the process and solve our problem faster!'
The pressure slightly decreased and I could slowly regain my thoughts, while Godrick seemingly thought about something.
Did you at least find something?
His voice was still angry, but at least it looked like it was much more controlled than before.
'I did, don't worry. We can immediately test it if you'd like to.'
No, firstly you will have to greet the new guests.
I raised one of my eyebrows, a bit confused.
'Who?'
Well, our creations brought in a little Tarnished from their mission, and that one young knight, Alaric I believe, also brought someone with him. They are all in the building that's the furthest away from our camp and are being watched by your men.
I exited the building that served as my current abode and walked to the house that Godrick had described. It wasn't very hard to find, seen as there were more than a few men stationed around it, including even Alaric and Tarkus. Alaric came forward, most of his body bandaged and bound.
"My lord, may I report?" I looked down at the knight, asking myself what could have hurt him as badly, but then nodded.
"Report." Alaric bowed slightly and did so.
He told me how he and the men I had sent to scout out the hill (and also get the Dragon Cult Prayerbook) encountered more problems than I remembered. A Tibia Mariner, along with his returning minions had attacked them before they even had the chance of encountering the Leyndell Knight and Alaric was forced to battle said knight alone for some time.
"But how did you win, if the situation was so dire? Does it have anything to do with our new guest?" Alaric's nod told me anything, and I went to the building that the newcomers were supposedly in. I passed the guards and touched the handle of the door that somehow was still fully preserved.
"Then let's greet them!" I opened the door and was greeted by two sights I hadn't been ready for.
The first one was a living warrior jar, which in itself wasn't that unusual. But the fact that it was having a heated argument with a female Tarnished wearing chainmail was.
"Oh please fair lady, I have to disagree! A whip is no weapon for a true warrior, it's much more a tool of torture and unjust!"
I knew that boastful but at the same time friendly voice.
"Pah, whips can also be used for justice, mind you. I am the best example of this!" The woman said, slightly beating her chest before her look finally turned to me and she froze.
"Shit."
The warrior jar, whom many players would call one of their best friends during the game runtime, seemed to take her exclamation to heart and threw his stony hand into the air.
"My my, such strong language fair lady, what could have given you the reason to-" The warrior jar had turned around now, and also saw my grotesque form that towered over them. I must have given off a creepy air, especially with the moonlight that obscured my face.
"Well hello there good sir, would you mind telling me if you are the leader of this merry band of respectable warriors?" Iron Fist Alexander stood in front of me, his voice just as friendly as I remembered it.
"Indeed, it's an honor warrior jar." I extended my huge hand, and Alexander chuckled before gripping it with surprising strength.
"Oh, the honor is mutual, good sir!" He said, before turning around to the Tarnished.
"See, I told you that these people could be reasoned with. A good warrior has to think and reason with strangers, and not immediately think of the worst."
"Are you dumb?! This guy is legit the personification of bad news! He's a monster!" The Tarnished pointed at me, yelling as she did so. And I had to admit, I wasn't very impressed.
"Well, it seems that introductions are needed." My multi-ton body moved, bowing as I said those words.
"Godrick the Golden, heir of the Golden Lineage, a Shardbearer and future Elden Lord at your service." The title already was long, but with Godrick's presence, who at least seemed happy to use his damned title, it was as easy to pronounce it without even a single mistake. I rose from my little bow and then looked at the Tarnished.
"And you are…" The Tarnished almost seemed like she wanted to spit into my face but then wisely decided against it.
"I am Lanya, servant of House Hoslow." I nodded but then my brain caught up to my actions, and I suddenly grabbed her by her shoulders.
"Wait, do you serve Diallos Hoslow by chance?"
"How do you even know him?!" Lanya's eyes had widened and I let her down with a groan.
'Alright, Lanya is still alive, something that sure as hell doesn't happen in the game, and Diallos is… still at the Roundtable Hold.'
A grin began to stretch over my face and I felt Godrick's miscomfort.
You are insane.
'The line between a genius and a lunatic is much closer than you think.'
What does that even mean?!
Before I could answer Godrick, Lanya spoke up once again, now pointing a weapon, a small dagger of all things at me.
"How do you know of Ser Diallos, did you somehow infiltrate the Roundtable Hold?" My dragon hand quickly took the dagger from her hands, crushing it like it was a child's toy, and I smiled.
"Oh no, I did not. However, I do know quite a few things, for example, what could happen with young Diallos if he were to stay in the Roundtable without keeping his guard up." Lanya froze, but her eyes were narrowed.
"What do you mean?" I held up a hand and waved one of the Banished Knights into the small house before I pointed at Alexander who was still present.
"Make sure that this Warrior Jar is given the best treatment you can give him, I shall talk with him later. If he is fine with that, of course." Alexander looked in my direction and then nodded.
"Of course, I don't mind, dear sir. I shall wait until you are done and then we can exchange words, and perhaps a few war stories too." I nodded at the warrior jar's words, and let the Banished Knight pass to lead Alexander outside. The wooden door closed, leaving me and Lanya alone in the room. I felt the Tarnished's eyes on me as I sat down.
"Alright, what do you want to know exactly?" I said as my massive body finally settled down.
"How do you know of the Roundtable Hold?" My main arms were crossed over my chest as I stared at Lanya.
"You could say that I managed to find out about your little hideout through trial and error," I said, smiling down at the much smaller woman.
"Then why are you so interested in Diallos?" She asked, her voice taking on a defensive edge.
"That boy, he could be in grave danger already," I said while I put on my calmest face and stared at my fingernails.
"How do you know that?" Lanya said, her hands still clenched and her short orange hair slightly moving as she did.
"Just like I know that the boy is trying to achieve something impossible. Diallos is not like Juno." Lanya flinched slightly at my words, but I didn't let her recover, instead letting a bit of Godrick's persona flood into my speech.
"And now think of it, child. Diallos will try to live up to his house's legacy and fail because, in the end, he is a person who can't mercilessly kill people. But even he doesn't want to see that." I said and stared at the young Tarnished.
"Don't you think that boy will be endangered if he tries to continue on his way?" Lanya was silent for a few moments, and I thought that I had overstepped my boundaries, but when I heard her voice I knew that I had her.
"What do you want from me?"
I had to admit that my smile probably was the stuff of nightmares.
'Careful, very carefu-'
"Why did you let the Tarnished off the hook so easily?" The voice of Godefroid nearly made me cut off one of my fingers and I turned around, glaring at him.
"I'm working here and it's important too." The scion, who had been enjoying the food we had in the camp for the last few days, crossed his arms and pouted.
"You still didn't answer my question." I let out a loud sigh and laid down the scalpel I had been holding, removing any kind of slime that had been on it before I did so.
"You see, while the Tarnished might be a valuable grafting material, she's a much more valuable spy for me. Of course, she has to report to Gideon if she finds anything interesting out there, but she can also report to me if the Tarnished makes a move. That way, I can't be caught off guard."
'And combined with D, I would already have two Tarnished that don't want me dead on sight.' I silently added and then picked up the scalpel again.
"Do you understand where I'm coming from, Godefroid?" The grafted scion made a vague gesture and I sighed.
"I can use her as a spy." Godefroid's eyes widened slightly but then he smiled.
"That's actually smart!"
"You didn't think I could make smart moves?"
"Uh…"
"Never mind then," I said as the scalpel once again dug into the meat of one of the lobsters, shearing off its outer shell. I already had a few plans for the monsters I didn't need for my grafting process, a project I fittingly called "Project Howitzer" also known as "Lobsters that shoot the shit out of things that get too close to my liking." One of the claws of the crayfish finally came off and I let out a whistle.
"These things are sharp, strong too." I also could perhaps use the legs for something.
"Godefroid, could you perhaps get my bear in here? He should follow your commands well enough. Oh and please some of my soldiers too, especially the ones with a huger build." He stared at me for a few seconds but then nodded before he scuttled out of the tent to fetch my mount. While he did, I grabbed the crayfish's head and began to slowly cut through it, using a larger knife to speed up the whole progress. When the head was off, I looked into it and saw the organ that the damned beasts always shot at one. I skillfully began to cut around the organ, leaving only a small part of the head attached, just like I had done with the crab's mouth.
My hands slowly began to attach the projectile shooter, the sewing needle fixing my skin to the cold flesh. I felt how the feedback was delivered to my brain and a small headache made itself known, but at least it diminished soon after it had appeared.
Before I could test my newest graft, however, Godefroid had already returned, one of his mismatched arms pointed at the exit of the building.
"Your mount is outside grandfather." I nodded and grabbed another dead giant crayfish before I carried him outside and laid the dead animal in front of Ursus, whose eyes already displayed a great amount of hunger.
"No, not food," Ursus whined at my words, letting his huge body drop to the ground as he did so. I chuckled and patted his ear.
"Now now, you are going to get a few upgrades, which means you can eat even bigger things." And just after I had said those words, the Runebear seemed to be visibly happier, his drooped ears once again stood up.
'I do wonder how much actual intelligence these guys have.'
"My lord, you called for us?" I turned around and saw a group of my soldiers, the largest and physically strongest of my army, standing in front of me. I smiled as I turned around.
"Indeed, are you ready to receive another series of grafts men? To achieve greatness?" The men looked at me, and then at the shell of the cryfish I knocked on.
"Sir," one of them started and I could have sworn that I recognized him.
"It would be a pleasure."
A smile grew on my face, and even Godrick seemed to feel it.
Don't get cocky, we still have many things to accomplish. How are we even going to get to Altus or Raya Lucaria itself? The gates are locked.
'Don't worry Godrick, I have a plan.'
That is what I am worried about.
--
AN: That's it for this chapter. I am not quite sure how "good" it is, to be honest. I rewrote it two times because I wasn't happy with my first drafts. Hopefully, you still enjoyed it though and hopefully, I can also get more "action" going in the next chapter, and not just remain in one place at a time.
Nonetheless, feedback and reviews of all kinds are welcomed.
Last edited: Dec 6, 2023
29-The Key to the Academy
29-The Key to the Academy
I inserted the last part of the Glintstone into the modified body of the last crayfish. Sellen, who stood next to me let out a resigned sigh.
"Why do you waste glintstones on these animals? I know that they are dangerous, but why did you insert our precious material into their mouths as well?" I looked down at the smaller woman and chuckled, before pointing at the little crystal that was produting through the mouth of the lobster.
"Well, I just upgraded their firepower. Believe me, there will be few things in the Lands Between that can withstand these babies." I would just have to wait for a bit longer, and then the crayfish would soon rise. Sellen sighed and rubbed the forehead of her mask, before speaking up.
"You know what? I won't ask, I just want to see results that help us reach Raya Lucaria." I chuckled and then walked outside, where Milton and Tarkus were already waiting.
"Alright, I've got missions for both of you and I want you to ensure that they run smoothly." I passed a scroll that Sellen had written to Milton and a map to Tarkus.
"Both of you will travel to the village of the Albinaurics together and split up. Tarkus, you will take care of any problems there. If someone has invaded it, make short work of them and bring their parts to me." My second creation nodded, and two of his four arms unfolded the map before he began to study it. I turned to Milton and talked to him.
"As for you, Tarkus will give you the map after you have arrived at the village and you will proceed until you find an old church. If a bald but bearded sorcerer sits inside, give him this scroll and take him to me, he could prove his worth." Milton nodded.
"Understood, I shall do my best."
"Remember you two, if we aren't here anymore by the time you return, you should check out the Gatetown, most of our soldiers should be there by then. And if we manage to take care of everything before your return, we shall wait at the gate to the Academy.
I turned around to look at Sellen
"Now, you were wondering how we will get into Raya Lucaria, right?" sellen nodded and I pointed at the groups of soldiers that were already loading the ballistae. The lobster which I had given new life a few minutes ago soon joined their side and clicked its mandibles, the blue glow of the Glintstones lightly shining through its flesh.
"It's pretty easy, we kill the dragon that's guarding the key. Or we steal it, if we're stealthy enough." Sellen didn't react for a few seconds, but after her brain had restarted she responded as well as I thought she would.
"We what?!"
I did have to explain the plan I had made to Sellen but after she had heard and understood it, she agreed, if a bit resigned. The next few hours were spent making the last preparations and also informing the soldiers of what role they would play in the plan.
The last thing was of course to inform Ursus and my new crayfish pet of their tasks as well. A part of my force wouldn't attack the dragon, but instead the Gatetown which was filled with Cuckoo soldiers. If we managed to take of them fast and effectively, it would fasten our progression the the academy significantly and rid us of any obstacles on the way.
"Judging from the reports some of the scouts have given us, there should be around forty or fifty cuckoo soldiers guarding the collapsed entrance to the academy, while at least another forty are spread around the gate town itself to alert the others if they notice something." Alaric, who had recovered with surprising speed, reported.
'That's much more than in the game.'
I still don't know what you mean by "in the game", but a few centuries ago the Cuckoo possessed much more soldiers than now. And I guess many of them were called to the Gatetwon to defend it from attackers.
"How many men do you need, Alaric? You will be granted Ursus and the crayfish too, if you want." I said, staring at the map in front of me. Alaric was silent for a few moments but then pointed at my beastmen and some of the Banished Knights.
"My lord, I shall take this group and Ursus with me. He shall only attack if we are discovered, however."
"Ursus will follow your commands, don't worry." I turned around to look at the modified Runebear and waited until it had inclined its head.
"Good, then I shall take some men with me that know how to use the ballistae." I turned around to a Banished Knight and pointed at him.
"What about the chains I told you about?" The Banished Knight nodded and pointed at a crate.
"We have retrieved them, my lord. The chains of the carriage the troll was guarding were still in a good enough condition to be used." A satisfied sound left my mouth and I smiled.
"Good." I turned to Sellen and smiled.
"Would you mind helping them with attaching a few sharp glintstone blades to the chains? They are supposed to be sharp and sturdy after all." Sellen was silent but then seemed to understand what I had planned and chuckled.
"Alright, I'll help them, just make sure that you don't make any mistakes with this Godrick. A dragon is dangerous." I raised one of my eyebrows and opened my draconic arms.
"I know, but so am I." Sellen sighed, but then turned to a group of soldiers and pointed at the crate the chains had been stored in.
"Come with me, I won't carry it alone." The men nodded and did as they were told.
"My lord, what about us?" The voice of the soldiers I had modified with crayfish-parts reached my ear and I turned around to answer him.
"You have another task." I took out yet another written scroll and handed it to the soldier.
"Take this message to a small shack northwest from here, a Tarnished should reside in there." At the nervous rustling of the soldiers, I raised one of my hands to calm them down.
"You won't have to fight him, in fact, I actively discourage it. Catch a few crabs instead and bring them to him, as a sign of peace. Eat some of his prawns and be friendly to him. Only then, after you are sure that he accepts your presence, you can give him the scroll. If he isn't interested, leave, and don't risk your life."
"Thank you, my lord." The soldier said and bowed, the shell of the crayfish visible on his back, and left the ruins with the five other modified soldiers. I turned around to address the other important person at the table, smiling as I did so.
"Forgive me, but as you see I had to spread the last orders among the men." Alexander laughed good-heartedly and made a dismissive sound.
"Oh don't worry my friend, it is no problem at all. I can understand why you would have to take care of your men at first." He rubbed his stony hands, and I could feel that he did his equivalent of smiling.
"Now, what would you have me do? Shall I help you with hunting a dragon? It would be a story worth telling, of that I'm sure." I chuckled and nodded.
"Indeed, I did plan to include you in the dragon fighting plan. However, you must only attack in two scenarios." I lifted one of my fingers.
"One: If we manage to sneak up on the dragon without it awakening, you can unleash your strongest attack to take it down." My second finger was lifted.
"Two: If we don't manage to ambush it without waking up, you will have to take the role of a front-line fighter by my side who draws its attention away from the men. They might be much stronger than when they started, but they aren't strong enough to face dragons head-on." Alexander's body bobbed up and down, which was his way of nodding, and he spoke.
"Hm, I understand. I have to admit that I'm probably not the quietest person for this too. But I shall assist you in any way I can."
"I thank you for your assistance and be assured, you shall also be rewarded," I said and the warrior jar chuckled.
"A warrior's reward is a beautiful and thrilling fight, and I think that I am going to get one soon enough."
He is nice, too nice in fact. Are you sure he won't stab us in the back while our guard is down?
'You could make that point for every person in the Lands Between, but Alexander is the one who wouldn't do it. Even if he was our enemy, he would strictly tell us to ready ourselves for a battle.'
That is foolish.
'I think he knows that everyone thinks that, but he won't stop because of what others think.'
…
"Good, you should rest before we depart. And who knows, maybe we manage to hunt a few animals down that we can use to strengthen you. Or as a meal, I haven't tried boiled crayfish yet." I said, and patted Alexander on his "shoulder". The warrior jar laughed and nodded.
"Aye, let us do it and engage in jolly cooperation as we do!" He said and pumped his fist into the air before he turned around and walked back to the building he had been in previously. Alexander seemed to like it, claiming that it was quite spacious.
What do we do now?
'The plan's ready, but none of us will depart before the chains are done. But I have an idea'
What kind of idea?
'I could let you into my memories, at least some of them. I can assure you that we don't possess the same architecture as you, but I can offer you a few nice sights. It's only logical after I barged into your memories after all.'
I had thought about what I had done to Godrick and decided that he should at least have the right to do the same with me. Of course, my core memories were still as tightly locked away as I could, but I wouldn't deny him an insight into our world.
'And, what do you say?' Godrick's presence was completely still at first as if he was thinking about my offer, but then it moved, as if he was a bit excited.
What are we waiting for?
I smiled and walked back to the house that served as mine and entered it. Godefroid was inside, sleeping soundly. Godrick guided my hand to a large blanket and draped it over his grandson with a great amount of care.
Alright, show me.
After Godrick gave me the consent, I let myself sink into the mind-scape, where the large lord was already waiting for me.
Now, what do you wish to show me, boy?
"One of the larger cities in my country, Vienna. It's quite cramped sometimes and the people are notorious for being unfriendly, but it also had great sights to see." I pushed apart the stone tiles beneath me and jumped down to land on the strange water-like substance again. Godrick followed suit and his large body seemed to shake the mind-scape as he landed.
"Are you ready?"
As ready as I can be.
I let my arm pass through the ground and began to look for a few of my memories until I finally found the one I was looking for and smiled.
"Alright, here we go." I touched the memory and soon enough the entire mindscape began to change and shift until it took on the form of a familiar Cathedral, one I had sometimes visited with my grandfather. Godrick looked around, most likely a bit confused.
What is this?
"St. Stephen's Cathedral, one of the greatest buildings in Vienna. There's much for you to see, though I have to admit that I ought to show you some kind of sweet as well." I said and led Godrick through the interior of the church.
Oh? And that would be?
I smiled slightly.
"Manner wafers, of course! I should at least show you, right?"
"-rd Godrick? Lord Godrick?" I was awoken by someone prodding my left leg and opened my eyes.
"Yes?" The soldier who was responsible for waking me gave a quick salute and then spoke.
"My lord, the chain is finished and all preparations are completed, we are ready." I stood up, still a bit groggy, and nodded.
"Well done, I will soon be ready as well." I took my helmet and axe, both of which were lying in a corner of the room, and went outside. The helmet quickly slipped on my head and I tried a few experimental axe-slashes. I looked back into the building and saw how Godefroid was still sleeping inside. I beckoned two soldiers to me and pointed at Godrick's grandson.
"Fetch yourself another six men and always keep your eyes on him. You will be fetched by the other soldiers when the problem is over. Do you understand?" They quickly nodded and one of them walked to another group of soldiers, passing on the message.
I on the other hand now moved over to where Sellen, Alexander, and Alaric stood and took my place next to them.
"Are you ready to go?" Alaric gave me a quick nod before he bowed.
"My lord, me and my men shall immediately depart and make haste to the Gatetown." I nodded at Alaric and lifted my hand.
"I wish you the best of luck, Ser Alaric." I then looked at Ursa.
"Be a good boy and don't misbehave." The Runebear grunted and bobbed its head, before it jumped after Alaric's group, following them a bit farther behind. I turned to look at my group and then nodded.
"Alright, let us start as well."
My group departed as well, but we chose a slightly different route compared to the one Alaric had taken. The young knight had opted to walk on the side of the swamp to stay out of sight. We on the other hand had to traverse a part of the swamp, past the Gatetown, and to a rock formation.
We took longer than I thought because I couldn't just leave my group behind and fly over to the dragon. The ballistae slowed down as well, but not to an extreme degree. After half an hour we could already see the rock-formation and also the dragon that was guarding it. We stopped at a safe distance and I snapped my fingers.
"Get the chains ready," I said, and as the men did I got the first proper look at them. I would have whistled loudly but refrained from doing such for obvious reasons.
"You have done excellent work," I said as I looked at Sellen, who also seemed very pleased with her doing.
"Indeed, that I did. These chains won't be easy to break, and their spikes are sharp too." I nodded before taking one of them. I looked for the six strongest soldiers I had with me and handed them the second, smaller chain.
"You shall sneak up on it from the back, while I take the front." I looked at the rest of the group and pointed at the ballistae.
"You will make the ballistae ready, we want to end this as fast as possible." The soldiers nodded and immediately went to work while I spread my wings and took off the earth as quietly as I could.
The soldiers with the second chain moved slowly and efficiently, making almost no sound. They neared the dragon, but just when they were right in front of its mouth, something happened.
The dragon didn't wake up alone, but instead, I heard a bell chime and suddenly the entire place was filled with cuckoo ghosts. I knew that kind of summoning.
'Just like the ones in the Carian Manor.' I thought as I began to dive at the dragon that was starting to stir awake.
The dragon's body rose much faster than in the game and before I could intervene its mouth had already opened and swallowed four of the soldiers. It tried to spread its wings, but I crashed into it with my full weight, dragging it to the ground.
"Fucker!" I quickly stabbed the chain into the bone of one wing and then quickly wrapped it around the dragon's maw. Just in time, because the dragon had already shaken me off and tried to stomp on me. I blocked its weight with my axe but soon felt how little Glintstone shards dug into my hide.
"Everyone, take care of those annoying soldiers while I take on the dragon!" The soldiers, who had been shocked at the ghost's sudden appearance seemed to snap back to reality and roared as they met their summoned foes. Alexander was at the very front, his war cry, echoing through the normally silent swamp as his fist impaled three of the summons in one strike.
I still was occupied with the dragon and tried my best to not get crushed by its increasingly frantic stomps. My axe cut into its flesh again and again, until it fell to the ground with a pained roar. I immediately followed, and my draconic arm immediately went for the dragon's eye. The claws met no resistance as they passed through the softest part of the dragon's body.
I failed to reach the things brain, however, and was forced to hold the trashing head in place. My feet dug into the ground, and the dragon remained rooted in one place. The dragon tail on my back used the opportunity to wrap itself around the monster's throat and slowly began to squeeze, robbing it of its air supply. The arms of the Crucible Knight went to work as they stabbed, thrust, and swung at the dragon's body, especially its eye. The ashes of War in my body that had been designed for piercing attacks thrummed to life and I felt how my arm sunk deeper into the eye socket of the dragon until I finally reached its brain.
My claws ripped it to shreds and the struggling of the dragon ceased at last. I withdrew my arm with a sickening pop and looked around to inspect the rest of the battle.
The ghostly soldiers still had the advantage in numbers, and I could see how some of them had managed to swarm my men.
'Enough with this shit.'
I took a deep breath, gathering magical energy like I remembered the dragon communion priest doing, and then exhaled.
Hot orange flames spewed from my mouth and set an entire group of soldiers on fire. Their deaths were quick and painless, the fire hot enough to instantly melt them into fine puddles. My tail whipped through the air, splitting the ghosts apart with its sheer force and the high-pressure water blast of the crayfish tore through two soldiers at the same time.
My golden axe crushed another three and the staff inside of my palm eradicated five others with its sheer destructive force. I saw how Alexander raised his hand, and a huge shockwave threw the soldiers that had gathered around him back. He crushed their skulls before they could stand up, laughing while he did so.
The crayfish stabbed, shot, and rolled over its enemies, sometimes blocking their blows with its huge pincers. The normal soldiers were slowly but surely regaining their positions, now being able to fight individual enemies. They cut most of them down in a few hits before they quickly found their next enemy.
Sellen had dealt with an entire group as well, the dust of the dead enemies already disappearing around her.
We will win.
'I know.'
My head turned in the direction of the Gatetown.
'But I hope Alaric won't run into trouble.'
AN: Ranni's preparations pay off and manage to hinder Godrick in his pursuit somewhat. It's not only the academy that has been strengthened but also the defenses that keep people out of it.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to the next one. As always, all kinds of feedback and reviews are welcomed and encouraged.
Also, probably won't be able to reply for a while now, I have to play Saint Nicholas for my younger family members. Even if it's two days too late for that and the beard itches, still worth it.
30 - The Gate Town
30 - The Gate Town
-Alaric-
They had managed to sneak up and take care of most of the soldiers that had been scattered around the Gate Town, but he had a strange feeling when he gave the men the sign to advance further, up to the camp that was situated in front of the entrance to Raya Lucaria. The staircase to the camp was hardly guarded, and he also saw no archers even though the elevated positioning of their camp would have been perfect for the wide-ranged fighters. Nonetheless, he gave the sign, and he and his men advanced.
But as soon they had begun to ascend the stairs all hell broke loose.
His ears heard the chime of a bell and his modified eyes saw how an entire platoon of ghostly soldiers suddenly appeared. Three of them had great bows and already knocked on their arrows.
"Everyone, take cover!" The words managed to reach his soldiers, but only the majority of them could react. Some of the beastmen, the self-made creations of his lord, weren't so lucky. He could see how at least four of them were ripped apart by the force of the great arrows that connected with their bodies. He barely managed to shove another soldier to the side, and he felt how another great arrow impacted with the swampy ground right behind him. Before the archer could shoot them again, however, he and his men had managed to descend the stairs and retreat behind a few stones for cover.
"Ser, our scouts have never seen those things before!" One of the soldiers called out to him and he nodded.
"I know," An alarm horn sounded in the distance. "we just need to hold this position until Lord Godrick arrives." An arrow impacted with the stone he had taken cover behind and he cursed slightly. He put two of his fingers into his mouth and gave off a loud whistle.
'Hopefully he heard that.'
Another arrow impacted with the stone formation he was taking cover behind, and this time parts of it broke off. He cursed once again and then looked at the burliest men of his group.
"Do you think you can give us cover?" The soldiers looked at him but then gave him quick nods. All of them took a great shield and stepped out of the cover, already blocking some of the arrows that were thrown at them. The other soldiers followed soon after, their shields also held in front of them to protect themselves from the arrows. He didn't have a shield.
"Advance without me for now, I will catch up with you in a few seconds." The men nodded and began to walk forward, their shields blocking the worst of the damage, though their advance was slow and he was sure that their opponents would be able to crack their defenses if they didn't manage to do something fast enough. He gripped his spear, ready to leave the cover and at least try to make his way to the staircases, but he was stopped by a roar that tore through the air.
The gigantic Runebear of Lord Godrick, Ursus, slammed its large claws into the side of the platform the archers were standing on and quickly climbed the structure. He heard how even the ghostly soldiers screamed in fear as the giant mass of muscles, teeth, and claws descended upon them. He seized his chance and quickly ran out of cover and immediately ran to the staircase, his men following closely behind. His legs easily carried him up the long set of stairs in a matter of seconds and soon enough he was upon the ghostly summons that had appeared.
His spear quickly stabbed and thrusted past and through any defenses that got in his way, and soon enough he had cleared a bit of the way. The soldiers, who had also just arrived, threw themselves into battle, their swords, spears, and war pikes meeting those of their enemies. However, it wasn't the only thing they used. He saw how one of the soldiers quickly ripped his enemy's throat out, making use of the impressive set of teeth their lord had given him, and then went on to throw another enemy against a wall with enough strength to crater it.
Ursus proved to be an unstoppable monster, smashing through the wooden defenses of their enemies as if they were made out of straw and then easily cutting apart anyone that got too close. However, the Runebear's rampage was stopped by a sudden burst of flame that came shooting out of a moving vehicle that was formed like a head.
'A flame chariot? What are those doing here?'
He blocked another strike from a Cuckoo knight and made short work of him with a stab that penetrated through his armor. The tip of his spear found another victim in the form of a hunting hound that had tried to attack him from behind. One of his soldiers blocked an arrow with his shield and gave him a quick nod before he rejoined the brutal melee.
He heard Ursus groan in pain and soon saw why. A Bloodhound Knight had been summoned as if someone had known that they had arrived. The quick warrior left cuts across the huge body of the Runebear while the chariot relentlessly burned it and tried to keep Ursu's attention split.
He took a deep breath and then charged forward, his spear already aimed at the fighter he deemed as the largest threat. He let go of the spear and threw it directly at the lunging Bloodhound Knight. His throw wasn't fast enough to catch the fast fighter in the stomach like he hoped that it would, but it still managed to hit the knight's shoulder and throw him off-balance. Ursus, the clever animal, immediately knew how to use the situation, and his gigantic paw descended upon the Bloodhound Knight. Alaric heard bones snap like dry twigs and Ursus's triumphant roar ripped through the air not much later.
As soon as Godrick's mount was done with its first enemy, it turned to the flaming chariot. The strange machine immediately spewed fire at the huge beast, but Ursus nimbly jumped back and avoided the first hit without a problem. The Runebear's legs flexed and in the next second, he was practically flying at the flaming chariot at top speeds. Ursus managed to ram the chariot and his sheer weight tipped the machine over, and Alaric heard how someone screamed and then was crushed to death by the weight.
'The pilot then.' He thought, while Ursus already faced his next adversaries, a group of soldiers that had formed a shield wall. The shields were more akin to paper against the giant claws of the runebear than the brass they were made He didn't have any more time to watch Ursus's fight, however, because he was forced to block a swordthrust with his short sword. His enemy was a lone Cuckoo knight, though one that was heavily armed and armored.
'Dammit, my spear.' He thought as he saw it out of the corner of his eye. He was close, but not close enough to retrieve it.
The knight attacked, throwing stabs swings, and feints, all of which failed to hit him. He avoided them and got closer, the short sword held tight to end it in one clean slice. The knight had noticed, however, and blocked the blow with his shield. His enemy threw him back and thrust his sword forward, intent on hitting him directly in the face. He caught the sword with his Misbegotten hand and then wrenched it out of the cuckoo's hand before finishing it with a quick stab through the slit of his enemy's helmet.
His men had managed to cut a path through some of the enemies, but it seemed as if there was no end to them. Someone had installed traps, knowing that they would come through here. He dodged a blow from an enemy soldier and jumped backward, retrieving his spear as he did so. His legs shifted until he was in a comfortable fighting stance, and he readied himself to attack once again.
Until a large shadow fell upon him and a gigantic mass of limbs and muscles crashed from the sky, crushing the group of soldiers that had stood in front of him without problem. The helm that once belonged to a Crucible Knight almost reminded him of a crown and the gigantic golden axe looked as if weighed nothing in the hands of its owner.
"Alaric." The man in front of him greeted him with a quick nod before he stood up and unleashed a ball of magic upon his enemies, evaporating five of them outright.
"Lord Godrick." He said, quickly disposing of a soldier who had tried to run away.
"How does the situation look?" His lord asked as a jet of water shot from the shoulder and killed another enemy.
"Now that you are here my lord, I'd say we have won this fight." His lord just gave an acknowledging grunt before he turned to an approaching platoon of soldiers.
"Well, let's end this quick." His lord took a deep breath and a jet of flames suddenly burst forth, incinerating the enemies in front of him and melting their weapons without any problem.
'We are going to win.' He thought as he stabbed another soldier, while he fought back to back with his liege-lord.
I surveyed the damage that had been done to my armor by the battle and sighed, letting myself fall on a crumbled statue that was big enough for me to sit on. I had lasted more men than I liked and also gained less than I had wanted because most of the enemies that had appeared even after my arrival were summons, most likely constructed like those in the Carian Manor, which meant that Ranni had her fingers in all of this.
'We should be ready for more turbulence on the way, especially because of this occurrence.' I felt Godrick's presence shift slightly and nod his head.
Indeed. If the entrance to the academy is so well guarded, I don't want to know how dangerous the inner parts are.
'This might be Ranni's doing.' Godrick's presence froze and I felt how anger began to rise within him.
Oh?
'Yeah, but the chance that she's here by herself is close to zero. But the fact that she wanted to keep us from entering the Academy so badly means something, and I'm sure it's nothing good.'
Hmpf, that's very likely.
"My lord?" My head turned at Alaric's words and I looked at him, my head slightly tilted.
"Yes?"
"The rest of your group has arrived, along with your two creations." I acknowledged his words with a quick nod and stood up, some of my many bones cracking.
"Did the men I have sent for Godefroid already arrive?"
"No my lord, but they should arrive any minute now."
"Good, then let's see if my creations managed to achieve everything I told them to do," I said as I walked down to the larger part of the platform, where the dead body of the Glintstone dragon, along with my group stood. Sellen was at the very front, and it felt like she was glaring at me.
"Do you have any idea how hard it is to transport this thing?" She asked and pointed at the huge dragon, which had been towed to the back of my crayfish. I sighed and lifted my hands.
"Sorry, but I was busy saving the lives of my men." I turned to Tarkus and Milton and saw how my larger creation was holding a small medallion in his hand while my first creation was holding a familiar-looking bald man by his robe.
"Ah, you must be Thops, a scholar of the academy," I said and bent down to the man's level and smiled slightly. It probably wasn't a beautiful smile, judging from the short shudder that shook his body.
"A-ah yes, good lord. My name is Thops, a mere Bluntstone." I raised one of my eyebrows in a show of confusion but then smiled again before standing up to my full height once again.
"Oh no, don't misunderstand me, good man. I am here to allow you full access to the academy." Thops face, which had been filled with fear a second ago, now was more confused than scared and he spoke up.
"R-really sir? Do you truly think it's possible?" I laughed and then pulled out the key to the academy the dragon had been guarding and showed it to the sorcerer.
"You see this. This will bring all of us into the grand academy Raya Lucaria. Though I do have to admit that it wasn't the only case why I wanted you here. I have an offer for you and if you are willing to listen, well…" The let the key swing slightly in my hand and held him in front of Thop's face. He looked at it for a few seconds and then sighed before he nodded.
"Very well, what is your offer, my lord?" I smiled and then opened my hand, before conjuring a small glintstone crystal in my hands. I let it grow to a certain size and my hand took it, waving it in front of Thop's eyes.
"You can do that, no?" The scholar seemed to be confused but nodded.
"Of course, even the simplest of scholars of the academy have to learn it. Lady Sellen here was a master at the subject." I looked at Sellen and raised an eyebrow.
"Didn't know you two knew each other." Thops chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.
"Well, knowing is a strong word. She was in the same class as me, but I never got the chance to talk with her because my magical talent was so low."
"Ah," I said as I nodded and then continued.
"As I was saying, my offer is that you are allowed to go inside the academy, restart your studies, and also have access to all kinds of books inside. You just have to create glintstones like this one." I said and looked at Thops. The scholar looked at me and his eyes narrowed.
"Do you intend on taking Queen Rennala's Great Rune?" I nodded, seeing no reason why I should lie to him.
"That I do, though I would prefer that the entire thing would work without her death.
'Her Great Rune's still only in that strange egg of hers. And if I avoid killing her, Ranni might at least take some distance from me.'
That bitch can come as close as she likes, close enough for me to choke the life out of her.
'You should really calm down.'
"I'm sorry, but I can't betray Queen Rennala and the academy." Thops's words surprised me, and I looked down at him.
"Are you sure scholar? This might be your only chance to return to the academy. Do you truly want to spend your life in an old, slowly deteriorating church where your only companions and friends are birds and other animals? And for whom would you sacrifice your research for? A school full of crazy traitors?" Thops looked at me and didn't back down when my eyes met his.
"The academy might be rotten to the core, but I won't help you gain another Great Rune. If you want a sorcerer that sells and teaches his speels sure here I am, but if you think that I am going to sell the academy out, you're wrong." I stared at the bald man for a few moments and then began to chuckle slightly before I smiled at the man.
"Hm, so not a coward then, eh?" I said and then nodded at him.
"I can respect that." My eyes focused on a few figures that were slowly approaching the horizon and I could tell who the misformed mass of limbs in the middle of the column was.
Godefroid.
'Yeah, we can begin.' I looked down at the scholar in front of me and then bent down to his level one last time.
"I will make sure that you will be able to enter the Academy as well, young scholar, though only after I have dealt with the Fullmoon queen." I turned away from the man, who seemed to be stunned that he hadn't been crushed by my axe already, and then looked at Tarkus.
"Was the mission a success?" My second creation nodded and offered me the small medallion in his hand. I looked at it and smiled.
'Great, one down for now.'
I looked at the corpse of the dragon and then at Ursus and the crayfish before whistling and pointing at it.
"Make sure to carry it with us when we enter." My hugest creations inlined their heads and I smiled before I turned around to look at the approaching Godefroid once more. When Godrick's grandson was in earshot, I raised my voice.
"It is time to pass through the magical gates of Raya Lucaria and finally get what we have tried to achieve for so long." I raised my huge arms into the air and smiled.
"The retrieval of a Great Rune!" My men broke out into cheers as I displayed the key one more time before I got closer to the magical gate and inserted it, turned it clockwise, and waited.
Something clicked.
-???-
He sighed as raindrops fell on his robes and took a tiny step backward to not stand in the rain. He turned to the right to look at the other guard of the large door and sighed.
"Do you know why we are guarding the gate?" The man next to him turned his head and even without an expression to read he knew that the man stared at him as if he was mad.
"To keep people out? Like normal guards do?" He sighed.
"No, I do know why we would normally guard this thing, but I don't understand why we do it right now." The other sighed and shook his head.
"Because it's our shift, dumbass." A groan left him and he already regretted that he had asked.
"The gates are closed, yes?" The other guard nodded.
"That is correct."
"And we are sealed off from the rest of the world."
"Yes."
"Then why do we guard the door to this place if there's no key to here and we are locked off anyway?" The other guard seemed like he wanted to say something but then stopped.
"That I do not know."
"See, it's kinda stupid, right?"
"You shouldn't doubt the higher-ups like that." He rolled his eyes and sighed.
"You know what? Forget it." His eyes once again concentrated on the ground and he let his thought wander.
'Why did I choose to become a scholar anyway?'
He did know the answer. Because of the security it gave him. As a scholar in Raya Lucaria, you were only endangered if the other scholars thought that you would grow too smart too fast, which wasn't a real problem for him. So yes, even if the job was boring, extremely so, at least it was safe.
At least that's what he thought until he was proven wrong when the man next to him fell to the ground, a hole in his chest.
"Well hello there." A voice practically sang above him and he slowly looked up, past the mass of flesh that had somehow managed to sneak past his sight, and directly into the helmeted face of the monster.
"I will just let myself in now, no need to knock." It said and before he could even grasp his staff he felt something wrap around his leg and push him against the wall behind him with a great amount of force. He heard something crack and then fell to the ground as the world around him got darker. Though he still was able to hear the words of the monster that had killed him.
"Fucking spamming mages."
--
AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Have to admit that I was in a bit of a hurry to write this one here.
But as always, all kinds of feedback are welcomed and encouraged.
31 - Magical Shenanigans, sadly of the bad kind (part 1)
31 - Magical Shenanigans, sadly of the bad kind (part 1)
My eyes surveyed the graveyard.
"Isn't it ridiculous?" I said as I looked at the shambling, putrid corpses that were stumbling around. Thankfully they didn't seem to have noticed us yet.
"What?" Sellen, who was standing next to me, asked with a slight tilt of her stone crown. I pointed at the zombies and gravestones and then back at her.
"Why does your school have a freaking graveyard where students have to pass through to enter?" Sellen stared at me for a while and then shrugged.
"Tradition." I felt one of my eyebrows tick with annoyance under my helmet, but repressed the urge to address the ridiculous point Sellen had brought up.
"Moving on, how would you pass through it?" I still remembered the absolute pain in the ass the cemetery had been on my first playthrough, and I certainly didn't want to relive the problems I had gone through.
"… We should move through it with extreme caution," Sellen said and I could feel my anger rising slightly.
"So you want to tell me," I interlocked my fingers and stared at the sorceress, "that all of you passed through a graveyard filled with walking corpses on the daily, just to reach your lessons?" Sellen stared back and then snorted.
"Of course not, that graveyard wasn't as lively when I still was at the school." I groaned slightly and held up my arm.
"You know what, forget it." I turned to look at the zombies once more and then motioned a few of my soldiers to come closer.
"Get me the old liquor." The soldiers looked at me for a few seconds, before they nodded. I turned to Milton and pointed upwards, "Make sure that the other corpses don't come too close, and aim for their heads if they do." My first creation didn't reply, and instead just took off the ground, readying his bow as he did.
"No respect of the dead then, do we?" I turned to look at Sellen, and if I hadn't been wearing my helmet, she would have seen my raised eyebrow.
"I'd say I do have respect for them," I pointed at the shambling corpses, "but would you call it respect to let them suffer even more?" Instead of waiting for Sellen's response, I turned to the soldiers who had returned with a few barrels on their shoulders.
"Good, set them down." They did as I told them and I opened the lid of one of them. The strong smell of alcohol wafted into my nose, and I started tearing up.
Ah, the Marika Gold, a wine that's older than even me. You can't imagine how expensive it was.
Godrick's voice echoed in my head, and I could feel how satisfied he was to possess it. I looked at the alcohol again and nodded. It should have a high enough percentage at the very least. I turned to a few of my Banished Knights and then pointed at the graveyard.
"Quick, spill it on the graves," I grabbed one of the barrels and then threw it into the air, where Milton caught it, "and you'll spill it on the corpses."
Wait, no.
'It's easier to take care of the corpses and other problems this way.' I responded and the ancient Demigod in my mind grumbled slightly as both of us watched how the soldiers and Milton began to spill the alcohol all over the graveyard.
'And see it this way, we can always get more of Marika Gold when we arrive in the capital.' I tried to appease Godrick's still angry presence. His shifting ended, and his next words came out a bit slower.
Yes, that is also true.
Before I could continue the conversation, I saw how the last of the barrels had been emptied and that the men had taken position behind me once again. My eyes surveyed the entire graveyard, and I nodded slightly. I looked upwards and saw how Milton also returned to his spot in the sky, dropping the now-empty barrel back into my palm. The graveyard was almost completely covered in alcohol, and it should be enough.
"Step aside please," I lightly shoved Sellen out of the way as I stepped forward and took a deep breath. A large gust of flames shot from my mouth and the high-percentage alcohol immediately caught flames. The corpses in front of me immediately began to burn, roaring in pain as they did. However, even in their zombie-like state they still had enough instinct to know who was responsible for their pain, and some of them turned to me, their mouths opened wide to suck out the magical energy in my body. I responded by continuing to release the hot flames from my mouth.
The few corpses that nearly reached me were melted into fine puddles as the flames bit into them, and I could see how their glowing blue eyes stopped shining. They fell to the ground, which gave me the chance to see just how much damage the flames had already caused. The trees and bushes that had started to grow because no one had tended to the graveyard had also caught fire and the flames were even beginning to eat away some of the gravestones.
'Dragonflames are absurd.'
Indeed they are. Godrick replied though he did sound a bit more resigned than usual. I cringed as I remembered his memories that I had seen, and coughed slightly.
'Sorry.'
Hmpf.
Godrick didn't seem happy that I had brought up Dragonflames as a topic, but at least he seemed to accept my apology. My eyes surveyed the graveyard one more time, and I saw how the flames were slowly starting to go out. The ground was still extremely hot though as it was practically releasing enough steam to smoke a few fish. The crab mouth on my shoulder reacted immediately, and it began to spew a wide fountain of the water jet on the ground, accompanied by the much more powerful jets of the crayfish mouth. Soon enough the ground was cool enough that all of us could comfortably pass through the graveyard, though I still had my guard up. Milton surprised me by handing me a strange, but very beautiful set of armor.
The Carian Knights. Godrick's voice was filled with a certain fear, but I could also sense the respect that was present.
'I heard they were legends when they still were a unit that served directly under Queen Renalla.' I heard Godrick chuckle and it seemed like he was smiling.
Legends? That doesn't even begin to describe them. They can be compared to the best of the Crucible Knights who served directly under Godfrey. Their three vanguards were absolute monsters as well. Loretta, the knight that trained an uncountable number of Preceptors and Bols, the troll knight that has supposedly been by Renalla's side since the very beginning. It was unlike Godrick to continuously praise someone, but the ancient man inside my head just couldn't stop.
And then there is Moongrum, the loyal protector of the queen, who is rumored to have killed enough warriors to fill entire castles with their corpses.
'Moongrum.' I did know that name, and the fact that I would have to fight against him certainly didn't fill me with happiness. He was one of the few NPCs I genuinely struggled against in the game, not even Renalla, who was the final boss of the area, had been as hard as him. I felt how Godrick's presence suddenly stopped moving as if he had realized that I was familiar with the name.
Is there something you would like to tell me? His voice was calm and collected, but I could feel that he was anxious.
'Uh, well,' I replied as my axe bisected the body of a still-moving corpse that had tried to attack me. 'We might need to fight against Moongrum.' Godrick was silent for a few moments, but then I could hear the older man groan.
I hate you.
'That is kind of unfair.' I replied and then grabbed another still living corpse by its neck, before snapping it with a slight increase of force. 'Anyway, where would you graft a set of teeth belonging to these guys? Sucking magic from one's enemies wouldn't be too bad, right?'
Godrick groaned.
-???-
The eyes of the spiritual hawk that she had summoned observed everything that happened in the graveyard, and she felt how her fists tightened when she saw that the grafted abomination took Ser Herick's armor. The man had been loyal till the end, and even when the cuckoos had outnumbered him he refused to give up. And now his armor was being defiled by falling into the hands of that monster.
'Seluvis, you bastard.' The sheer thought about her colouge made her clench her fists. That fool had relied on simple meatshields to protect the Gatetown. Even his so-called "fool-proof" plan with the Glintstone dragon had failed. She still wondered why Lady Ranni even trusted that slug.
"My lady," The voice of one of her students brought her back to reality and she took a deep breath to collect her emotions.
"Are the preparations finally finished, Thrush?" Her youngest student nodded, the cap on his head ill-fitted even after all the decades she had taken him in.
"They are, my lady. Every trap, every trick you wanted us to employ is finished." She nodded, satisfied with his words. Seluvis might have been a clever inventor and magician, even more so than she, but he knew nothing about traps that were supposed to stop intruders from getting in. She had lots of knowledge about them, and she would use everything she had to keep that monster out.
"Good, what about our special guests?" Her student looked confused for a split second but then grasped the meaning behind her question.
"Sir Seluvis managed to capture most of them, my lady," Thrush was silent for a few seconds, but then spoke up again, "But we have an entirely different problem." Her eyes narrowed.
"Then tell me," She hated being teased. Every piece of information should be delivered immediately and without delay.
"It concerns the last living knight, my lady. It seems as if he doesn't accept her presence near the queen." She let out a loud sigh, understanding what his words meant.
Moongrum wouldn't cooperate with the summon of Loretta.
'Why did you even have to leave?' She silently asked as she stared at the huge surge of magical energy in her hands, the thing that would summon the once loyal knight of House Caria. Lady Ranni had made sure to send her a message on how to place the knight, but it seemed even the most intelligent of the Demigods sometimes didn't think about the personal grudges of the people she commanded.
"What about the other knights we have in our repoiture?" The way she said that sentence irked her, as if the past heroes of their land were nothing more than mere puppets now.
"Moongrum won't raise arms against any of them, my lady. He even expressed willingness to let a few of our surprises accommodate his guarding place." She nodded, satisfied with what she heard.
"Good, what about the traitors?" Thrush bowed slightly, though she could see the satisfied look on his face.
"All that refused to help us were killed, my lady and replaced by your troops." A small smile made its way to her face.
'Finally, Raya Lucaria is back where it belongs. In the hands of the Carians.'
"You and the other students know what we will do with the traitors that are still alive?" Her youngest student nodded.
"We do, my lady. No amount of help will let them escape the fate they deserve." She left the place she had been standing on and looked down to the Debate Parlor, staring directly into the eyes of another loyal protector of the queen. The intelligent eyes of the Red Wolf stared back.
"Good," She said and turned back to look into Thrush's eyes, "Prepare yourself and the other students as well." The youngest student nodded and already was in the notion of leaving the platform they were on before she stopped him again.
"And Thrush," He turned around to look at her, "make sure you and the others won't do anything stupid." A small smile grazed his face, and he bowed before he left her alone with her thoughts.
'I hope our plans will work.' She thought as she stared at the shining energy in her hands. She looked over the room and made sure that the summoning signs had been placed correctly before she exited it, the container of Loretta still in her hands. Her grip tightened and she shook herself, silently echoing the mantra she had learned from her teacher.
"The Carian knights never waver."
A curse left my mouth as I felt how my multi-ton body was sent flying into a nearby statue. My weight carried me through the large structure however and I had to catch myself with my draconic legs.
'It just had to get worse, didn't it?' I thought as I groaned and stood up.
We passed through the graveyard without any problem, except that my large height forced me to crawl through most of the tunnels, and then arrived at the gigantic elevator that would take most of my group to the upper classrooms of the academy. However, that's when the problems began to pile up. We were being bombarded by summoned archers who were wielding great bows, all of which stood on the edge of the upper area, which meant that the only person who could reliably take care of them was Milton. My first creation also struggled with them however, the high ground and superior numbers they possessed were huge advantages.
If I could have been able to, I would have taken off the ground with my draconic wings and taken care of them myself. The key word being could have, been because as soon as I entered the bridge that led to the elevator, I felt how magical circuits were activated under my feet. My men, Tarkus and Sellen also seemed to be affected, but by far not as much as me. The glyphs under my feet had pulled me through the entire bridge and then slammed me against various objects. A few weaker arms that still were located on my body were completely ripped off or broken, and I felt how bruises started to form on my body.
My men also couldn't help me, however, because they were either forced to block the rain of arrows that came from above or had to engage in single-combat with the ghostly summons that had started to appear. Though this time around it wasn't the mook soldiers we had seen until now. They were fully armored and armed with much more efficient weapons than the other ghostly summons had been.
I collided with a huge boulder and my draconic hand finally managed to embed its sharp claws into the thick stone. The strange force with which I had moved still didn't stop, however, and I had to activate the ash of war that reinforced my arm and shoulder, otherwise, the bones that supported them would have broken.
"Sellen!" I screamed as my eyes frantically looked for the sorceress. When I finally saw her, she was still firing wide-ranged spells at the archers above, "Don't just stand there, help me!" The sorceress looked at me and then aimed at a very specific rune, before unleashing a large magical glinstone. The glyphs holding me didn't stop, but they got weaker, finally allowing me to aim the Glintstone staff that was inserted into my palm at the ground. I didn't know what the runes meant of course, but the gigantic ball of explosive magical energy seemed to do the trick, finally shattering them. The gravitational force on my entire body stopped working and I immediately acted. My wings finally unfurled fully and in a matter of seconds, I was in front of the archers. My hand crushed two under its mass while my axe lashed out and cut three others open. The tentacles on my back lashed out and seized the remained three soldiers, and the arms of the Crucible Knight quickly stabbed into their bodies, finishing the entire ordeal in a matter of seconds.
I dropped to the ground as my wings slowed my fall slightly, and then immediately unleashed a large gust of flame on the row of the enemies that were away the farthest of my men. Then I blurred forward with the extreme speeds that the flesh of the Bloodhound Knight granted me and unleashed a large, almost neverending combo of attacks. My axe threw blades made of winds at the summons, while my entire body was surrounded by a large gust of wind that stopped any projectiles from reaching me. Well, normal ones at least. A large spell reached me and did damage my scales a bit, but the man responsible, a burly battle mage, was gored by my draconic hand. The body was the last to fall to the ground, and I finally had time to take a deep breath.
'Holy hell, that wasn't easy.'
It wasn't supposed to be. Godrick's dry voice echoed in my head, but I couldn't find his statement funny.
Well, equipped archers, better-armored knights akin to the ones that were used in the Carian manor, and even battlemages, all of those factors couldn't mean something good. Especially because I would have known that they would have been here. My memory of the game wasn't perfect, but I knew which places were a pain in the ass to clear normally, and this section of Raya Lucaria wasn't.
"Sellen, what was that?" I said as I turned around to address the sorceress who was seemingly recovering from the assault as well.
"I don't know, but I already have a hunch who is behind this," She said, kicking one of the runes, "Seluvis is, or at least was here, that means lots of problems." I just nodded, groaning slightly as my mind wandered to the old creep.
'That means Ranni is involved, she noticed that we're here.' At first, I had hoped that my suspicions had been wrong and that Raaya Lucaria itself had strengthened their defenses, but now that we knew that one of Ranni's closest subordinates was here it was pretty clear.
Good, we will just brush past every trap like we did with this one. Godrick said though I wasn't sure if he was truly fully focused on the task before us.
'Godrick, I've never seen any traps similar to this one before. They function with gravity and also target us directly. It's different from what I know about this castle.' I replied as I ripped off a small chunk of flesh from one of the tentacles on my back, before opening my helmet and stuffing it into my mouth, letting the natural regeneration of the Land Octopi work its wonders on my bruised and slightly damaged body. Now that I thought about it, where was the Alabaster Lord you would normally encounter around here?
Doesn't matter, we are so close to the next Great Rune, that I won't let some traps stop me.
I snorted slightly at his words, though not because I was amused. My head turned back to Sellen and my men.
"Alright, seen as you know what we are going to be dealing with the best, you will walk right beside me," I turned to the first of my creations, "Milton, Tarkus, you two will watch our back," and then I raised my voice as I addressed the entirety of the men that were following me, "And everyone, keep your guard up." When I received nods of agreement I inclined my head, before spreading my wings once again and taking off, reaching the upper floors of the academy immediately. I would just have to wait for the rest to arrive.
I quickly looked through the little room, that might have once been a classroom, and into the corridor behind it. However, contrary to the game's events, not a single sorcerer walked up and down the corridor, and instead I was greeted with absolute emptiness. And that worried me.
"Everything alright?" I turned around to see Sellen behind me and forced a smile to my face, one she wouldn't even see because I wore a helmet.
"Of course, let's go." Though it was clear that it wasn't all right.
And the narrow corridors of the academy surely wouldn't be making things easier for me.
AN: HAPPY NEW YEAR Y'ALL, that's something I wanted to say as the first thing.
Also yes, I do know that this chapter is released nearly an hour later than usual, so I'm sorry about that.
Now, I hope that all of you enjoyed the chapter, even if it was one that you've been waiting for a long time.
As always, all kinds of comments and feedback are welcomed.
Last edited: Jan 3, 2024
32 - Magical Shenanigans, sadly of the bad kind (part 2)
32 - Magical Shenanigans, sadly of the bad kind (part 2)
I felt the magical projectiles slam into my helmet as I recoiled and was forced to shield my eyes. I felt the hard, stony fist of a warrior jar slam into me and let out a pained groan. I blindly kicked and thankfully seemed to hit something, at least judging from the sound that echoed through my ears. The loud, booming voice of Alexander was also an indicator that at least someone was having fun in this death trap. My earlier observation that the entire hallway and corridor were empty couldn't have been more wrong. There weren't any enemies that walked on the ground of course, but the Carians that seemed to run this whole thing had other things up their aces.
Namely Fingercreepers. Hands with dozens of gigantic, misformed fingers, fused and given life. Their behavior and method of traversal reminded me of spiders.
Those little (as large as a grown man) things had been placed on the ceiling. And not just a two or four at a time like in the game. No, whoever decided to fuck with me wanted to make it as painful and long as possible and decided to glue dozens of those little gremlins on the ceiling. Did their strikes hurt me? Not particularly, no. But their immense amount of numbers, combined with the small amount of room my large body had, forced me to slowly wade through them to reach the bigger threats in the room, all the while I was forced to fight against another array of gravity runes that slowed me down even further.
Another magical projectile forced my head backward and I could feel how my anger was beginning to rise. My axe already was in the motion of finally hitting my target, the large, misformed ball that was seemingly formed out of various sorcerers, but then was forced down by the gravitational pull of the runes. The ball took off the ground once again and shot out magical blasts of magic, all of which could have been compared to the bolt of a ballista in size. I skidded backward a few inches but stopped any further movement by digging my claws into the stone tiles beneath me.
I would have released a large ball of magical energy, if there wasn't the danger that I would blow up some of my men with it as well, especially Sellen and Milton who were the closest to me. My fire did work, though I also had to use it sparingly, otherwise it would spread too quickly. My free hands crushed a Fingercreeper that had tried to jump at my face, while the crab and crayfish mouths on my shoulders went to work, blasting into the masses of flesh.
'I wish I could have taken Ursus the dragon and the crayfish with me.' I thought as I reinforced my body with an Ash of War to take another magical projectile directly to my face. The large monsters of my army were too large to fit through any normal corridor and as I had to crawl through most of them, their combat efficiency would be reduced to pretty much zero. But at least Godefroid had a few large protectors that wouldn't be killed by anything short of an Ancient Dragon or another Demigod, which was the only reason why Godrick had even agreed to let his grandson stay outside.
Alexander's fists slammed into the ground and sent multiple Fingercreepers flying away from him, all the while the battle maniac continued to laugh out loud. He didn't even seem to feel the gravitational force that slowed me and the others down, and instead just continued his rampage.
'Should have asked Sellen how those damn glyphs work.' I silently berated myself as I reinforced one of the Crucible arms on my body and sliced through the five-finger creepers that had begun to climb my body. My head turned to Alexander and I raised my voice.
"Alexander, Tarkus make way for the men to retreat to the hallway!" The warrior jar stilled for a few seconds and then nodded, joining my second creation in quickly cutting a small path to allow my men through. The normal men needed the short break the two large fighters gave them. They might have been considerably improved and strengthened since we left Stormveil, but the sheer numbers of the Fingercreepers were ridiculous.
The next array of magical projectiles hit, and this time I hadn't prepared myself enough. The Glintstone projectiles dug into my scales and I felt how one of my legs was loosened from the stone tiles. The glyphs did the rest of the deed and dragged me to the ground. The Fingercreepers, those pests, immediately used the chance that was presented to them and began to climb onto my body. It was akin to being covered by a group of oversized ants, but all of my struggles seemed to be futile as the glyphs still held me down. The Fingercreepers began to grip my limbs, slowing my movements even more, and two of them crawled up to my helmet before they covered all of its openings. I was confused at first, but when I noticed that it was getting harder to breathe my eyes widened.
'FUCK!' I reinforced my body, and the tentacles on my back tried to rip some of my attackers off, while the crab and crayfish mouth fired around blindly. But the Fingercreepers refused to let go, and whenever I felt that one loosened its grip, another two replaced it. But as the oxygen was getting less, I noticed that they weren't just holding me down. Their blue, sharp fingernails began to dig into my sides, and into my neck, the part I hadn't completely covered in dragon scale. I paid for that mistake, as I felt how one nail punctured through my throat. A scream left my mouth, wasting even more of the spare oxygen I had, and Godrick had to take over. It was different from usual. The old man was immediately on high alert, and when he opened his mouth and shot a gust of flame through the openings of the helmet, I felt how the Fingercreepers fell off. It had been a risky move, we could also have been suffocated from the smoke of our flame. But Godrick knew that as well as I did.
Godrick freed one of my hands by detonating a large Glintstone projectile right under the Fingercreepers. I felt how one of our still humanoid fingers was burned off by the explosion, but Godrick didn't seem to pay any mind to it. He ripped the helmet from our face and then began to breathe fire on the monsters on our body, finally freeing us from their grip. He faulted back to his feet and advanced. The glyphs still held him down, and we were still bleeding from our throat and losing blood fast, but I mentally commanded our arm to fire a magical projectile once again, this time not having to worry about hitting any of my men who had long since left the room we were in. The glyphs exploded and I felt a smile stretch across Godrick's face. The old man lunged at the last of the Fingercreepers, not caring how small the room truly was.
His fighting style was odd, almost as if he hadn't received any formal training but also knew where and how to swing his axe. Godrick also paid much less mind to any collateral damage and instead focused on decimating our opponents as quickly as possible. He rolled over some, stopped over others, and even sent entire wind blades through the now-dwindling group of Fingercreepers.
'Godrick, brace yourself!' I warned the older man, and he did, shielding his now unguarded face to take another blow from the gigantic ball composed of sorcerers. It hadn't fired at us when the Fingercreepers had held us down, but now it had a clear shot once again.
'Take care of it first.' I advised, and Godrick acknowledged me by jumping across the entire room and sinking the golden axe through the large, stone-like ball. It stopped glowing and then fell to the ground, finally giving us the chance to take care of the last Fingercreepers in the room. Godrick let loose one last gust of flame and then gave the control of the body back to me. The unnatural monsters that had survived until now didn't survive our last attack, and the room finally began to quiet down. I sank to my knees, and quickly ate another piece of the tentacles on my back. I felt how the hole in my throat sealed itself and finally could breathe again. My eyes surveyed the entire room, and my hands picked up the helmet that Godrick had thrown away. I inspected it for any damage, and when I found none, put it back on.
'Fucking hell, that was close.' I thought as I stood up again, and looked down the hallway where my group had retreated.
"Alexander, have you taken care of anything that followed you?!" My yell was answered by loud laughter, and a few seconds later I could see how the warrior jar entered the room, covered in the strange blood of the Fingercreepers.
"Of course I have. It was no problem for someone of my caliber." His stony fist knocked against his exterior and I smiled before I looked at the rest of the men that were starting to approach. All of them looked tired and worn out, while others were wounded enough to seriously hinder any of their capabilities. Our numbers had been reduced after the last unexpected trap we ran into, and I was sure that none of them had the motivation to storm the next big hurdle, the Red Wolf of Radagon that we would soon have to fight. I sighed at the thought and then raised my voice.
"Everyone, take a break and gather your strength, you'll need it. Those of you who can take care of wounds, help the wounded." The men nodded, and I could see how a few of them sagged to the ground almost immediately after the words had left my mouth. I turned to Sellen and then motioned her to my side.
"How about you tell me what kind of tricks we can look forward to when we reach the Debate Parlor?" Sellen tilted her head but then nodded as she cupped her chin.
How do you even know that there is a Debate Parlor nearby?
'Um, it makes sense?' I tried to reason with the older being in my head but only received a suspicious "hmpf" as an answer. Thankfully I didn't have to try and explain my knowledge anymore, because Sellen answered my question.
"It does have an upper part as well, so that means we will have to expect heavy attacks from above. Knowing Seluvis he surely has another ace up his sleeve as well, but I can't say for sure what it is." I nodded but then pointed at the now destroyed glyphs on the floor.
"Next question, what the hell are these things? Some kind of gravity magic?" Sellen inclined her head, though even her normally cocksure demeanor had changed slightly.
"It does appear like a master of Gravity magic was at work here, a subject I haven't delved into too much. They also remind me of the summon signs for spirits." She pointed at one of the runes, "But they also remind me of normal runes that are used to seal off towers or entrances, just much smaller. Whoever did create these had help, without a question, otherwise they wouldn't be as complex." I raised one of my eyebrows.
"Then why were you able to destroy them so easily?" Sellen tilted her stone crown once again.
"They are complex, but even the most beautiful spider web gets ripped apart when a hammer smashes into it," She pointed at herself, "My attack was similar to a spear, while yours," She pointed at me, "Was more akin to a large club. Both did the deed, but mine did it better."
She's cocky. Godrick remarked, having seemingly forgotten that he had been suspicious of my knowledge just a minute ago.
'Can you fault her? The experience she possesses outstrips our many times over.'
All knowledge in the world is meaningless in the face of true, untamed power. Godrick replied, and it reminded me of a saying back home.
'Remind me of "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face". But do tell me, who taught you that?' I silently asked Godrick as I turned away from Sellen to walk up the set of stairs that led to the Debate Parlor.
Those words are from my uncle and my ancestor, the great Godfrey himself. Godrick said, and I could feel how much pride his presence was emitting.
'If you say so.' I replied and then looked at the entrance of the Debate Parlor. Instead of a yellow fog gate that signaled a boss fight in the game, however, I was greeted by an immensely large and heavy-looking door, nearly large enough that even I could have fit through without crawling. Breaking it open wouldn't be a problem, but what lay behind it was unsettling. I walked back down the stairs and called Milton, Tarkus, Alexander, and Sellen to my side before I let out a deep sigh.
"Alright, we will have to expect the worst, like another array of gravity glyphs that completely and utterly mess with our balance, or archers that won't stop shooting at us. Which is why I will be the one to take the frontlines, along with Tarkus and Alexander," The two physically strongest of my companions quickly nodded, and I could have sworn that Alexander even rubbed his hands in anticipation. I turned to Sellen and Milton.
"We three will bear the brunt of their attacks and keep them locked in our position, which should give you and the rest of the men a chance to take out the archers and sorcerers that are most likely in the upper area of the Parlor," I pointed at the sorceress, "You have the right to change your plan if you think mine doesn't apply anymore, but make sure that the men's survival is important as well," Sellen nodded at my words and I could practically feel how a smile grew on her face. I straightened myself and sighed.
"Alright, all of us should get some rest before we enter the next room, it's unlikely that we'll get a breather afterward." They nodded before all of them walked down to meet up with the men again, most likely to share the information we had just talked about. I on the other hand stared at the large bookshelf in front of me, before I sighed and leaned against it, intending to regain some of the energy I had used during the earlier skirmishes I had been in.
'Will you remain on guard?' I asked for the presence of Godrick, and the ancient man nodded after a while.
I will.
A few weeks ago it might have seemed crazy to me that I could have trusted someone as Godrick as easily as I did, but as soon as I heard his confirmation, I closed my eyes and let my consciousness slip into a short state of sleep.
When Godrick woke me, I immediately looked at the large, wooden door that separated us from the next room. I took a deep breath and then walked down to the rest of my men, most of whom at least looked somewhat rested. My eyes surveyed all of them for a short while and then I nodded, wordlessly signing them to follow me.
"We will attack fast and quick. Make sure to take care of the archers and sorcerers first, then move on to any other surprises." The men nodded, before they took position behind Sellen and Milton, while Alexander and Tarkus stood just a few feet behind me, ready for what was to come.
I got closer to the door, and put my hands on it. It was a beautiful door, I noticed. And it seemed old too, almost as old as the stone on which the academy had been built.
'A damn shame.' I thought as my hands traced the masterful carvings. My hands grabbed the door, already slightly damaging it, and I pushed with all of the strength my grafted body gave me. The door flew off its hinges and nearly managed to hit the unsuspecting Red Wolf of Radagon that had just sat still a few moments ago.
The animal proved its speed, however, and narrowly dodged the large projectile I had sent at it, though the door did hit something behind the wolf. I saw how two Fingercreepers were completely crushed behind the weight of the wooden construct and smiled slightly. At least something had been taken out.
My entrance had been abrupt and seemingly surprising, because the sorcerers and knights that were positioned right above our heads fumbled to grab their weapons. The Red Wolf and the Fingercreepers that were positioned all over the room didn't hesitate, however, and instead attacked immediately. A shot of magical energy left my hand and immediately destroyed the misformed hands before they got too close, and my axe blocked a magical, blue sword the large canine had summoned and shot at me.
I tried to advance, but I felt how gravity dragged me down again, once again in the form of the strange glyphs not even Sellen seemed to truly understand. Instead of hesitating and freezing like before however, I immediately reacted and destroyed them with a magical projectile. However, the Red Wolf had noticed the small window I had given it, and immediately pounced at me, a blade consisting of pure orange energy manifesting in its mouth as it did. I threw my head to the side, but the blade still managed to sink into my shoulder, the tough scales of the dragon proving to be only somewhat effective against the sheer heat and sharpness that the magical blade possessed. The scales parted and it sank into the flesh beneath. I felt my flesh burn and give way to the hot blade as I grit my teeth and reach for the beast's head, ready to crush it.
I was stopped, however.
A large arrow composed of magical energy slammed into my helmet, and my hand narrowly missed the Red Wolf. I immediately jumped backward to avoid another arrow, but the blow connected with my torso, and I was sent into one of the walls of the Debate Parlor. My hand destroyed one of the large pictures as I supported myself on the wall to stand up, while my eyes managed to catch the person responsible for my current predicament. The hat wasn't as large as I remembered that it was in the game, but the robes were just as I remembered them being. The constellation of stars that were stitched into them with golden color made it hard to forget them after all.
The Preceptor fired at me once again, but thanks to the quickness that the Bloodhound Step granted me, I avoided the blow and also was able to crush three Fingercreepers that had started to attack me once again. However, I noticed how the situation got more dire. More and more sorcerers and knights had begun to unleash their glintstones or arrows upon my men, which forced them not only to fend off the attacks of the Fingercreepers but also the projectiles. I gathered some strength into my legs and then took off the ground to take care of any enemies that were situated on the upper part of the Debate Parlor. The Red Wolf, which was way too smart to be a normal animal, had noticed my intent and acted almost immediately. I felt its teeth sink into my leg and drag me downward. My hand lashed out and sent the canine flying, but I had to free myself of a few gravity runes that had suddenly sprouted under my legs. I cursed as I was dragged downward, but managed to release another explosion of magical energy from my hand, though it wasted much more of my magic reserves than I would have liked. My eyes darted over the room as I tried to find the caster of the glyphs. But it wasn't me who managed to discern it, but Godrick.
Right next to the exit. It's a small glow.
I followed Godrick's description with my eyes and did indeed see a small, white light next to the entrance. It would have been hard to notice, even in a dark room, but Godrick had somehow managed to see it in the bright Parlor, even though the glow was also somewhat hidden behind the three men who stood in front of the animal. But when I saw the glow, I knew what the thing was that had caused me so much trouble.
A Spirit-Caller Snail.
They were rare in the game, and I hadn't even considered the idea that the Carians had gathered one to bolster their forces. It explained why so many spirits and glyphs were appearing in the room, even after they were destroyed, trampled, or blown up.
The multiple muscle groups in my grafted legs flexed, and the ground cracked beneath my body as they bulged outward slightly. The Red Wolf, which had just managed to recover from the blow it had taken, lunged at me once again, its sharp teeth coming closer as it tried to stop me. I remained rooted in place however and reinforced my entire body with a few Ashes of War. The cracks in the ground got more numerous as the Red Wolf slammed into me, its teeth sinking into my thigh. The protective Ash of War proved to be insufficient to protect my skin as the sharp, dagger-like fangs sank deep enough to be completely submerged into the flesh of my leg.
But they were too weak to stop me.
My body launched off the ground like a gigantic missile, and I felt how the Red Wolf let out a pitiful whine as its body forcibly ripped along. I crashed into the wooden planks of the upper part of the Debate Parlor and felt how the men who had just been guarding the Spirit-Caller Snail were crushed as their bodies were forcibly pressed into the wall behind them. I felt the Red Wolf's fangs loosen, and heard how its body fell to the ground beneath us. The snail, which was now nearly within my reach, let out a strange, squeaking sound as I reached for it. My draconic hand was somewhat stopped by a magical shield that was located around the body of the animal, but it didn't hold for long. The barrier began to crack as I began to apply pressure to it.
I felt a magical arrow slam into my back, most likely a curtsey from the Preceptor, but ignored the pain as its tip punctured into my lower back. I felt how a few sorcerers and soldiers had started to attack me, trying to stop me from finally getting rid of the thing that had slowed down our advance for too long. The bubble around the snail finally cracked and I seized the animal with my large hand, engulfing the entire body of the animal. The soldiers and other enemies got more erratic, and I felt how some of their swords bit into my flesh, though the wounds were superficial at best. A magical arrow nailed collided with my head, and I nearly loosened my grip.
But I didn't.
The snail's shell cracked beneath my fingers, and I heard the Preceptor scream out in frustration.
"NO!" The sorcerers and glyphs around the Debate Parlor began to disappear and the Fingercreepers scuttled off, lacking all of the discipline they had displayed a few moments ago. The only people that remained were a few Carian sorcerers, the Preceptor himself, and the Red Wolf, though the animal seemed to be unconscious at the moment. My tail lashed out, quickly crushing the sorcerers that still stood in my way, and I dragged myself upwards.
"Well," I said as my large feet found balance on the wood. The planks creaked under my weight but held as my eyes met the mask of the Preceptor, "Seems like you and me have a few things to talk ab-" My sentence was cut off by another magical projectile that was shot at my face. I avoided it by turning my head slightly, and then looked at the Preceptor once again.
"Do you seriously intend to fight me? We can talk about this. And besides, it's not like you could win." I said, smiling slightly as I saw how Tarkus, Milton, and Sellen restrained the Red Wolf out of the corner of my eyes.
'Damn, I sound like a Sunday cartoon villain.' I thought as the Preceptor summoned a beautiful blue sword that glowed in his hands. Carian Slicer, that's what the sorcery was called in the game.
"Go to hell, you monster," The Preceptor said as he took a wide stance, ready to face me. I raised one of my eyebrows and then sighed.
"Alright, you don't seem to get it," I pointed at the damaged parts of the Debate Parlor, "You have lost, just give up." The Preceptor looked at me for a few seconds and then began to chuckle.
"This will just be the beginning, you abomination! All of this was just a little taste of what we can d-" His sentence was cut off by a large arrow that punctured through his throat, and the word that would have left his mouth turned into a gurgling sound as his hand tried to stop the blood that spurted from his throat. I looked around and looked at the unapologetic form of Milton, whose wings were slightly signed. His eyes met mine, and he wordlessly pointed at his burned side.
'Huh, they can hold grudges,' I thought as the Preceptor dropped to the ground, his blood already gathering in a small puddle.
Indeed. Godrick reinforced my statement with his shaking voice. It seemed like he had been caught off guard as well.
"Well," I cleared my throat to make sure that my voice wasn't shaking, and let my eyes roam over the entire room. Everything was caked in blood and gore, most of the furniture was destroyed and the only enemy that had remained alive was the Red Wolf.
'Doubt that will be long though.' I thought as my shoulder itched with pain from the wound the canine had given me. Its abilities were undoubtedly useful, and I would take anything that would take anything that could make me stronger.
"Everyone, take a break." My voice echoed through the Debate Parlor and it had an immediate effect. Most of my soldiers, those who hadn't died yet, sank to the ground to relieve their aching bones.
'The academy is weakening us over time,' I thought as I chewed on the piece of octopi meat that I had ripped from my back. The wounds were more numerous than last time and took longer to heal.
That chest over there, it's strange. Godrick's voice echoed through my head, and I turned around to see what he meant. And then, as my eyes fell on the chest he had mentioned, I remembered.
'Oh, this is going to be great!' I thought as I neared the chest and looked at it. It was, strangely enough, still untouched and locked, though I could see that a small magical field flickered around it. It didn't help much against my strength, but the fact that they bothered to protect it with anything was interesting enough. My fingers gripped the top of the chest and I began to squeeze slightly. The lid popped off, and a large smile grew on my face as my eyes fell on the medallion inside.
'They didn't remove it.' I thought as I grabbed it and rubbed my fingers over its surface.
A medallion of Lord Radagon? Why is it here? I shrugged at Godrick's question.
'I don't know that either, but I'm sure of one thing.' I flipped the medallion, which let its user reduce the time needed to cast sorceries and skills, and caught it again.
'Things just got easier.'
AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter and are looking forward to the next one.
Also sorry for the long break, but this chapter caused me LOTS of problems. The amount of times I re-wrote it stands over a dozen (didn't exactly count) and I'm still not quite happy with the ending. If you have any ideas how I can perhaps improve it, please don't shy away from writing a comment.
Interlude - Of Commanders, Golden Scions, and Old Heroes
Interlude - Of Commanders, Golden Scions, and Old Heroes
-Edgar-
He stared at the large structure in front of him and gritted his teeth. What he was about to do qualified as disturbing the ghosts of the dead, but Lord Godrick had given him a task. And after all the favors his liege had done him, he couldn't just refuse to follow his orders, even if it meant breaking into the graves of his old brothers-in-arms.
"Commander," the voice of a Banished Knight found its way into his ear and he turned his head to the man, "the Hybrids are ready."
"Hybrids", are what every soldier in the army called the feral, blood-lusted monsters that Lord Godrick had created from the dead bodies of the Tarnished and animals alike. The beasts were immensely useful, however. Their noses were fine and the physicality they brought to the table surpassed most of his normal soldiers.
"Good, ready yourself as well. From what Lord Godrick told us, we are going to be assaulted almost immediately after we enter that grave," He looked at the rest of the soldiers, "Are the ballistae and firebombs ready?" All of the men nodded, and he let out a relieved sigh. Lord Godrick had told them that they would need the ballista "for something big" and if the words of the Demigod were to be believed, he didn't want to personally engage the thing they were going to encounter down there. Some men were confident though, saying that they had encountered one of the beasts just under Stormveil Castle itself.
"Alright men, let's depart." All of them nodded, though the hybrids seemed to be noticeably more eager to throw themselves at whatever enemies might await them in the grave. He inserted two Stonesword Keys into the forehead of the strange Imp-statue and waited until the fog lifted itself. When it had done so, he looked down and sighed as he saw what lay beneath. A long path full of bubbling poison lay in front of them, just like Lord Godrick had warned them. He beckoned the men over, and soon enough they threw a few wooden planks into the substance below. It wasn't fine work, but it should be enough to grant them a safe passage.
He climbed down the ladder, and then slowly walked over the planks, making sure to not make contact with the bubbling poison beneath his feet. When he arrived on the other side he let out a breath of air he hadn't realized he had been holding, and turned around to see the progress the rest of the men had made. All of them had nearly crossed over, their strengthened legs easily striding over the planks. The hybrids, wild as always, charged over the planks. Thankfully no one fell into the poison though.
"No one moves," He said, as all of them stared at the long ramp that would lead them down. Soon enough he could already hear the loud whirring and grinding of the mechanical gears of the thing that was "guarding" this place. Lord Godrick had expressed a certain amount of personal feelings about the chariot, though he questioned himself how the old Demigod would know a way to defeat it. The grinding got louder, and he could see how a large, mechanical construct came closer. It wore the familiar armor of the Tree Sentinals of the capital, symbolizing that the heroes would be given their protection even after death. The sharp spikes of the wheels got closer, and he took another cautious step back. Godrick had told them of the limited motion of the machine, but that didn't make the sharp, blood-covered spikes any less intimidating. The large machine slowly lost some of its momenta as it came closer, just as Lord Godrick had told them. One of the men passed him a large spear, which he lifted above his head. His legs shifted slightly, as he let his magic flow into the shaft of the weapon. The large chariot was even closer now, and he could finally see the small gears behind the large, metallic cover of the statue and the horses it "rode". He could see the small, thousand-year-old mechanism work as if it hadn't existed for millennia, almost as if the Shattering hadn't happened, almost as if the world hadn't gone to shit. The golden, mesmerizing ornaments reminded him of a better, more peaceful past. A past he wished his daughter had been born into.
But in the end, they had to make the best out of what they had now.
The spear flew from his hand, barely passed the hooves of the horses, and collided with the gears. He could hear and see how the robust, energy-filled, weapon was shredded to fine pieces in front of his very eyes, and jumped back as the chariot got a bit too close for his comfort, barely slowed down by the metal pieces in its machinery.
"Fire!" His voice boomed through the grave, and the men followed his command almost immediately. The ballista bolt impacted with the armored front of the chariot, and he could see how the iron plate was dented slightly. It lacked the same precision as his prior throw, but it made it up with the force it carried. The chariot stuttered in its approach, and five bear-like hybrids crashed into the two stone horses of the chariot and grabbed the legs to slow the machine in its tracks. He felt his hands tighten around his old weapon, the halberd that had often saved his life in the trenches and channeled energy into his legs. He felt how small gusts of wind gathered around his legs, just like so many times before, and jumped. His leap carried him up for what must have been a dozen feet, and he plummeted down on the chariot. His halberd bit into the platform the rider statue was standing on, and he felt how its tip was jammed right into the fine machinery. The weapon was nearly ripped from his grasp, but he held on strong. The chariot stuttered and he could hear the high-pitched creaking of the machine. The hybrids that still tried to stop the chariot from continuing were soon joined by the rest of the men. Large, thick ropes were slung around the statues and he could feel how the machine groaned as it was slowed down even further. Another ballista bolt slammed into the chariot, and this time it managed to completely penetrate the thick armor of the machine. He heard a series of loud cracks and the mechanical construct beneath him finally stopped in its tracks. He remained on top of the death machine for just a moment longer, before he chuckled, jumped off, and gave his men a quick nod.
"You," he pointed at two of the four Banished Knights that were accompanying him, "take half of the men, the Hybrids, and the ballistae with you and ready yourself to attack the beast beneath us." The Banished Knight nodded and stepped forward, but was stopped in his tracks as his hand touched the armored shoulder.
"Do you know what else you have to retrieve?" The knight was silent for a few moments, but then inclined his head, nodding slightly.
"Good," He let go of the knight's shoulder and turned around to the rest of his men.
They could continue.
He let out an angry huff as he stomped on the stone head of the damned imp in front of him. Lord Godrick had warned him and the others of such critters, but he certainly hadn't thought that the little beasts were smart enough to use the damned flame pillars that had been built into the grave as a defense mechanism.
"Is everyone alright?" He asked, and all of the men nodded. He did notice that some of the hybrids had signed furs though, something the wild soldiers didn't seem to appreciate.
"Good, just stay on guard." He said, and then took the lead once again. He walked past the pillar, just like Lord Godrick told him, and then across an archway that led to a room with a large statue. He knew who the female statue depicted of course. Godqueen Marika, Lord Godrick's ancestor, though her title "The Eternal" seemed to be very fitting. Her statues always depicted her as young, ever-lasting, and beautiful, something that she had been even when the Shattering occurred. He shook his head slightly, clearing his mind from any distracting thoughts, and then spoke as his eyes observed the room.
"Noble scions?!" He began to slowly cross the bridge that was in the room as his eyes scanned the room, but he failed to see anyone, "Your sister, Lady Grisela is worried about your well-being, as is your grandfather. He has sent us to retrieve you from here." He stopped right in front of the statue, and then let his eyes wander to the ceiling.
As soon as he had done so, he saw how a large blob of flesh suddenly dropped from the ceiling and landed on the ground with a loud sound. Some of his men were already reaching for their weapons, but his raised hand stopped them in their tracks. Another mass of flesh slammed into the ground on the opposite side of the room, but he instead noticed the person in front of him. She was larger than Lady Grisela had been, and her weapons were different as well. Instead of a short sword and shield, she instead was wielding two long spears and a dagger. Her golden hair was longer, and her face seemed to be less childish.
"My lady," He said, and he could see how she cringed slightly, though he also noted that her spears weren't raised.
"My name is Gwen," She pointed at the second scion that had dropped onto the bridge, "and that is Godiva." He inclined his head and smiled.
"It's an honor. May you accompany us? Your sister is worried about your well-being." Gwen was silent for a few moments before she sighed.
"And grandfather sent all of you?" He inclined his head.
"That is right, he sent us to reunite you with your sister." He heard her snort.
"Oh, I'm sure he does. Where is he now? Perhaps he has left his courtyard for the first time in what, perhaps the last six decades?" He cringed at her words.
"With all due respect, my lady, your grandfather is-"
"I am not your lady." The noble scion reminded him as she cut him off and he could see a certain mirth in her eyes.
" Lady Gwen, your grandfather has departed to Liurnia to retrieve a Great Rune." He saw how the eyes of the young scion widened, and how her smile turned into a frown.
"Has he lost his mind?" Godiva, the other scion, suddenly spoke up, and he could see a conflicted look in her eyes, "He couldn't hope to face the other Shardbearers, even in his youth. And now he wants to seize the Great Runes when he is at the end of his life?!"
"When has our grandfather departed?" Gwen seemed to be much more collected than her sister, though he noticed how the grip around her weapons had tightened.
"He left over a week ago, my lady." Suddenly he felt how three of her many arms grabbed him.
"And you didn't stop him?!" The pressure on his shoulders increased.
"I did not my lady," He felt the force of her arms through his armor, "but be assured, your grandfather will be fine." Gwen stared at him for a few seconds, before she let go of him.
"And he left Grisela alone, at Castle Stormveil?"
"My lady, I assure you that your sister is better guarded than she was in many years." That much was true. Castle Stormveil still had an immense amount of men, even after Godrick's departure. And there still were some old, nearly forgotten soldiers who were finally returning to their lord's seat of power.
"Tch," The young scion made a dismissive sound and crossed her arms, saying nothing for quite some while.
"What about the others?" Godiva asked after a few moments, and he sighed before he shook his head.
"I am sorry my lady, but Lord Godrick told me that none of the other scions are still in Limgrave." He saw Godiva's head lower and sighed before he patted one of her misformed shoulders.
"Fret not my lady, Lord Godrick promised your sister that he will-" A tremor suddenly shook the room and he narrowly dodged a piece of debris that came crashing down.
"What was that?" He asked as he looked at the two noble scions, both of whom had a serious expression on their faces.
"Did you take care of the chariot?" Gwen's hands once again pressed down on his shoulders and he saw how her eyes had hardened.
"We did," He said, still confused about what the destroyed chariot had to do with anything.
"Idiots!" Gwen was moving now, quickly scuttling towards a small medallion on the ground. She picked it up and quickly put it into the large cloak that covered her body, and then turned to his group once again, "We have to get out of here. The chariot was that only thing that kept it locked in here."
"Thing?"
"A Tree Spirit." Godiva answered his question, and readied her weapon, a pair of curved swords, before she looked at her sister, "one that has been cursed. The chariot kept it locked at the roots of the grave. Now that it's gone, it's going to the surface."
"Commander," One of the Banished Knights spoke up, "The Lord stressed the execution of the Tree Spirit." He nodded at the knight's words and then turned around to address the two scions.
"Does it mean it has just escaped from down there?" Gwen stared at him for a few moments, a confused look on her face.
"Indeed, he must have smashed through the barrier."
"Good, that means we still have time," He turned to the Banished Knight, "Get ready to support the rest of the men, they should still be waiting down there." The knight inclined his head and then motioned the rest of the soldiers to follow him, leaving him and the two members of the Golden Lineage behind.
"You want to fight that thing?" Gwen's voice rose once again, though he just nodded.
"We do my lady. Your grandfather has warned us of its strengths and weaknesses and told us to prepare appropriately." Gwen shook her head.
"You're crazy." He shrugged.
"We have to be in times like this."
The gigantic, worm-like body of the Tree Spirit was disgusting to look at. Its many, little legs that moved like a mass of wriggling flesh made it astoundingly mobile, even if it was much faster than any troll he had seen yet. The large, three-fingered hands were sharp and blood-covered, and the crawling, with pustule-covered skin, seemed to only move more as it got closer.
"Fire!" The bolts of the ballista slammed into the face of the cursed spirit and he could hear how it let out a scream. The scream was strange, almost as if it had come out of multiple mouths at once. It must have eaten the corpses that had been buried in this grave.
"Commander, what of the scions?!" One of the Banished Knights, who was standing next to him, asked.
"I've sent them out of here, to the very top of this grave."
"Good, at least the lord will be satisfied." The knight said before he threw a javelin at the giant beast, which sunk into the bark-like skin. It ignored the pain that it maybe could have caused, however, and instead looked at him, its small beady eyes carrying a frightening amount of intelligence.
And then it moved, propelling itself forward with speed it shouldn't have possessed for its size. It crossed the distance between itself and their group in a short moment, and he could only narrowly evade a large swipe from its claws, which bit into the ground and sliced it open like it was made out of thin paper.
"Oh, you're a big one," He couldn't help but remark as its murderous eyes focused on him. The Tree Spirit ignored the firebombs that exploded on its back and skin and pursued him once again. He felt its large claws narrowly miss him once again as he ducked to avoid the swing. His energy-filled halberd sliced through the finger that had nearly touched him, and he smiled slightly as he heard the pained outcry of the beast. He saw how Gwen and Godiva, both of whom had begrudgingly agreed to help him and his men, jumped onto the back of the Tree Spirit and embedded their weapons into its flesh. It cried out once again and tried to shake the two noble scions off his back.
"Oh come on now," His halberd stabbed into the arm, pinning it to the ground, "don't be such a baby." The Banished Knights used the moment of weakness he had given them and attacked, their sharp and well-maintained weapons skewering into the body of the Tree Spirit. They were relatively shallow wounds, especially for a thing for its size, but it would be brought down if they wounded it often enough. Another ballista bolt slammed into its head, and he could have sworn that he heard a resounding crack echo through the catacombs as the tip of the projectile managed to penetrate the beast's armor.
And then it exploded.
Or at least it seemed to have done that. A large, yellow flame shot from its body and he felt how he was thrown backward, right into a wall. The stone cracked behind the force and speed that his body delivered and he groaned as he fell to the ground. The Tree Spirit, which somehow seemed to have survived the explosion, charged at him and he only had time to bring up the halberd to block the blow. He was sent flying once again, this time for a much longer period. His bones protested when he landed on the ground, this time much higher up than he had previously been. The Tree Spirit pursued and he could only curse as its claws sank into the ground only a few inches away from his face. He jumped away and stabbed the beast in the eye, which gave him some breathing room. He almost wanted to retreat to where his men were, but stopped in his tracks when his eyes fell on them. Nearly all of them seemed to have survived the explosion, but it had taken its toll. The ballistae had been reduced to unusable wooden splinters and some of the men were lying on the ground, likely wounded and burned. He could see how some of the Hybrids, who didn't have any armor to speak of, had been burned to lifeless husks. Godiva and Gwen had received a lot of damage as well. Their bodies might have been more durable than the others, but they had been directly on the beast's back. Gwen was missing an arm and Godiva was trying to extinguish her cloak that had caught fire. He remained in the same spot, right in front of the already recovering beast. Its' uninjured eye focused on him and he could see the hatred that burned inside.
This was personal now.
The spirit's body was wrathed in a sickly yellow glow, and then it spewed a gust of the bright flame at him. He avoided the flames by a hair's breadth, though he could still feel how his armor got noticeably hotter, and started to back away from the cursed thing in front of him while his eyes tried to find anything that could help him. And then his eyes fell on the three large pots hanging on the ceiling.
'Oh thank you Marika or whoever built this death trap!' He knew what the pots were, explosives and strong ones at that. He didn't know why they were here specifically, but he wouldn't miss the opportunity that presented itself.
"Come here, you stupid overgrown root!" The Ulcerated Tree Spirit's attempts to catch him got even more frantic and he could feel how its body was getting hotter behind him, most likely because it was readying another gust of flame that it could throw at him. His strides led him further up, just before he was nearly under the large pots, and then he finally seized his chance. He threw his weapon at the ceiling, years of battlefield experience forming a nearly perfect form, and he could hear the thick ropes that held them snap. He pushed energy into his legs and lunged forward, hoping to evade the worst of the explosion. The Ulcerated Tree-Spirit didn't have that luck.
The pots collided with the cursed being's head and he could observe how the skin was peeled off by the force of the explosion and how its gigantic body quite literally was ripped in two parts. Its strange, pus-riddled body parts flew in his direction and he quickly dodged aside. The putrid smell that assaulted his nose nearly made him gag, though he held back the urge to vomit. The separate parts of the beast landed on the ground with a loud wet noise and he stared at it for a few moments.
It still hadn't died, at least judging from the rising and falling of its chest.
'What a tough bastard.' He thought as he retrieved his fallen halberd and observed his weapon. The blade was somewhat hot from the explosion and the wooden shaft was slightly darkened, but it wasn't damaged enough that he had to worry about it. He got closer to the still-breathing form of the Ulcerated Tree Spirit and looked at the beast for one last time. Its remaining eye was threatening to close and it was clear that it wouldn't survive its wounds. The tip of his halberd stabbed into the eye, and the beast trashed one last time, nearly throwing him away once again. The struggles subsided after a few more moments, and then the lifeless body of the spirit collapsed to the ground, motionless. He pulled his halberd free with a wet pop and looked at its tip, frowning as the disgusting smell hit his nose. He quickly shook off most of the stinking eye fluid with a quick flick of the halberd and looked at the slowly disappearing body of the monster. Its wooden skin and rotten muscles began to dissolve into fine grey ash, which then disappeared into thin air after a few seconds. Some of the ashes belonged to what must have once been the humans that were buried in the grave. They shone in a bright blue light before they disappeared, leaving behind a small golden seed and one last heap of ashes. The ashes' glow was brighter than the ones that belonged to the rest, and he could feel a similar calming presence in his mind, almost like a calm wind was blowing in his hair.
"Sir?" His ears picked up the voice of one of his men and he turned around.
"I know why Lord Godrick sent us here," his hand traced over the glowing ashes, "this is Sir Oleg." The other Banished Knights in his group shifted slightly, and one of them got closer.
"Sir Oleg's ashes remain even after centuries after his death. What of Sir Engvall?" He shook his head before sighing.
"It's doubtful that they were buried in the same grave." Their leaders had fought in the trenches for years, but only one of them chose to become a vassal of the Grace-Given Lord. Sir Engvall had refused the offer and instead had opted to fight his wars for the rest of the Shattering. He bent down and began to carefully put Sir Oleg's ashes inside a large bag, took the Golden Seed as well, and stood up.
"We have come for what we came for," he looked over to the two scions who were supporting each other, "Are both of you alright?"
"Do we look like it?" Gwen's voice was dry as she pointed at her handless arm, but Godiva nodded.
"We will be fine." He gave her a quick nod before he took the object one of the Banished Knights offered him. It was one of the items Lord Godrick wanted them to retrieve. Its form reminded him of a dragon scale, though he hoped that the blood-red color it possessed was natural. He let the seal glide into his bag as well and then turned to his men.
"Let's depart." All of them nodded, and he could see the tiredness in their eyes as all of them began to ascend to the top.
'The group that was sent to the catacombs must also be finished by now.' He thought as he looked at the dark ceiling once again.
"What will happen when we get back to Stormveil?" Godiva's voice ripped him from his thoughts and he turned toward her to answer him.
"We will rest and recover from our injuries and then wait for Lord Godrick's return." He replied and he could see Gwen frown.
"We will remain in the castle like sitting ducks?" He shook his head.
"No, my lady, your grandfather has mentioned other plans that we should carry out while he is gone," Though Godrick claimed that none of them would be quite as dangerous as this one.
"Well, I can't wait to see where we will go." Gwen chirped and he could feel how one of his eyebrows ticked.
"My lady, with all due respect, I can't allow you to accompany us." The noble scion's golden eyes shone with amusement.
"Oh, I doubt you can order me around." He let out a sigh.
"I shall not let you near my daughter, that is clear." An amused chuckle ran through the rows behind him, and he could feel a small smile grace his lips.
The future could be a bright one.
-Preceptor Seluvis-
He stared at the building of the Debate Parlor and sighed before he shook his head. The sounds of fighting had stopped quite some time ago and the audible cries of triumph were quite telling of what happened to the soldiers stationed in the room.
"Some of those men were good puppets." He lamented the fate of his test subjects, though thankfully he hadn't thrown away his best ones yet. His eyes wandered over to the puppets that he had personally collected. They would create a good amount of attention from him, and who knows maybe they could also stop the Grafted Demigod in his tracks. Not that it mattered to him anyway. He already had tested the effectiveness of his puppets against the enemy forces and found most of them sorely lacking, something he would have to fix when he returned to the Manor.
"Seluvis," He heard the irritating voice of Miriam behind him and silently repressed the urge to shoo the harlot away.
"How may I help you?" He said as he turned around. He interlocked his fingers as he did and tilted his head.
"Your ambush failed." He willed his body to raise one eyebrow, not that Miriam could have seen it, and then answered.
"As far as I can recall, the ambush at the Debate Parlor was your idea, Miriam. I carry no fault for your student's loss." He saw the other Preceptor cringe slightly and felt a small smile grow on his lips.
"But let us not fret, the other men, and of course, some of my puppets, are prepared to stop them as soon as they try to pass the staircase that leads to the Queen. And if they do oh well, that's what it is."
"You think that they might reach the Queen?!" Miriam nearly seized his clothes, but her hand uselessly bounced off his enchanted clothes.
"I said that it's a possibility, yes," His voice still was collected, still in control, "But you have prepared for such a case, no?" Otherwise, the rest of her disciples wouldn't have disappeared, would they? Miriam clicked her tongue but didn't try to lay her hands on him anymore.
"And you intend to leave? Now that a Shardbearer is practically in front of us?"
"Oh, do not wound me with such words. My puppets will remain here and hold the line better than any man could." He said, though he still noticed that Miriam's mood hadn't improved.
"You are leaving us alone, like the coward you are."
"Oh, do not think of me as a coward, Miriam," The air around him got colder and he let some frost grow around his fingers, "I merely underestimated Godrick's martial strength. Nearly none of my puppets remain," He silently gestured to those who stood behind him, "But I assure you, these are the best ones I possess." The best ones he had gathered in the past weeks anyway. His true masterpieces were still in their hiding place. Miriam's eyes stayed on him for a few more seconds, before she made a dismissive gesture.
"Just go back to Lady Ranni like the snake you are," He felt the eyes of his body narrow, but otherwise kept them under control.
"I wish you the best of luck Miriam, I truly do." The small runes and symbols he had drawn beneath his feet began to glow and he felt the cool night air blow under his feet. He slowly sank into the ground, though he still noticed Miriam's hate-filled glare that was directed at him.
'My my, you could cut boulders with that glare.' He thought, though didn't have time to express them. The portal had already swallowed him whole and he felt how his feet touched the familiar ground of his tower. And then, almost as soon as he had regained his bearings he felt Lady Ranni effortlessly break through his mental protections and invade his mind.
'What is the reason for your return here, Seluvis?' Her voice was calm and collected, something that roused bad feelings within him.
'I am sorry my lady, but nearly all of my stored and newly created puppets have been destroyed by the forces of the Grafted. I came here to report to you.'
'The numbers of your puppets had been doubled since the last time I called you.' He felt Ranni's suspicion, though managed to shield the rest of his thoughts from her.
'I have underestimated the other Shardbearer, the fault for such a huge loss of manpower is mine.' The witch's mental presence intensified once again, trying to squeeze out every source of information from his mind. After a few moments of finding nothing the Lunar Princess's finally stopped prodding.
'Very well, report.'
He did as she ordered, quickly listing all of the abilities and strengths the Shardbearer and his army had displayed. Ranni listened intently, and he could feel how thin, almost unnoticeable cracks started to appear in her calm presence.
'Continue your work, but Seluvis,' He could feel how his hand started to slowly turn into ice, 'do not flee from the battle again.'
'I won't, my lady, I promise.' He assured her, silently cursing as the freezing traveled further up his arm. The arm was almost completely motionless and he could feel how the cold was creeping up into his face. And then, finally, the cold slowly subsided, allowing him to breathe again.
'You bitch.' He silently thought as he reinforced his mental defenses, making sure that he wouldn't be caught off guard once again. He wouldn't have to endure the mad raving of her any longer thankfully.
'It's going to be over soon enough,' His hands caressed a little pendant in the form of a cuckoo.
'And then I will finally be free.'
AN: Hope you enjoyed this Interlude. I know that it might not be the best placement in the story and that I should have most likely released it before the prior chapter, but I wanted to give all of you some more substance to expand the story. If you have any questions (especially about the Seluvis part) you can comment and I will try to answer them as well as I can.
As always, all kinds of reviews are welcomed.
AND OF COURSE THE DLC WAS ANNOUNCED, YES BABY!
Last edited: Feb 23, 2024