Chapter 4: Favored by Grace

Beatrix felt her back slam against the hard stone floor of the bridge, driving the breath from her lungs and leaving her dazed.

Margit the Fell towered over the girl as he watched her struggle to regain her breath.

After a few moments, the Tarnished inhaled loudly before she broke out into a fit of coughs.

Her breathing soon evened out, and she was able to slowly pick herself up.

Scarcely a moment after she got back onto her feet, did she notice that the massive Omen had his cane raised over his head.

Seeing the man poised to strike sent a surge of panic through her body, which forced her to scramble out of the way.

But that reaction was precisely what Margit had counted on. With a shift of his foot and a twist of his torso, he brought his cane down to strike true upon her left shoulder.

There was a distinct crack as the force behind the blow sent her crashing face first into the ground.

Beatrix let out a sharp cry as she clutched at the injury. Crimson blood poured from her nose as she climbed to her knees. She wished to have but a moment to catch her breath, but she knew that if she did not move, then death would be assured.

She scrambled away from her opponent as she climbed to her feet, narrowly avoiding an illusory golden sword being swung at her neck.

The girl breathed heavily as she backed away, clutching her shoulder as her left arm hung limply at her side. She then reached into her bag and pulled out her flask of crimson tears, and took a swig.

She winced at the distinct pop she heard as the damaged bones reset themselves.

Once healed, the Tarnished quickly called for her club to reappear in her hands and avoided an oncoming strike with a roll to the right.

She dodged the follow-up swing with a second roll, and a third roll allowed her to avoid a swipe from the man's oversized horn riddled tail.

As soon as she stood up from her roll, she grasped her club with both hands and delivered a heavy swing to Margit's right knee.

The Fell Omen let out a soft grunt from the pain and lept back across the arena.

Beatrix pressed her momentary advantage and chased after her opponent.

The massive man answered her charge with a toss of two spectral knives.

The silver-scaled girl saw the attack coming and strafed to the right to avoid the first knife, rolled under the second knife, and as soon as she got to her feet, instinctively jumped over a low horizontal sweep that had been aimed at her knees.

She had gone higher than she expected, having lept up to nearly twice as high as her opponent was tall.

Margit clearly had not expected such a thing either if the widening of his eyes was any indication.

Recognizing the moment for the advantage that it was, Beatrix grabbed her club with both hands and used the momentum of her descent to deliver a heavy strike to the Fell Omen's skull.

The strength behind the blow was enough to drive the massive man to a knee.

Within the span of a heartbeat, the girl closed the distance between them and landed a heavy strike onto the deformed man's chest, followed by a second strike to the head powerful enough to leave him sprawled onto his back for a few moments.

The Tarnished quickly backed away to catch her breath as she waited to see if her opponent would get back up.

Margit groaned softly as he rose back onto his feet. He rubbed at his jaw as he rolled his neck, causing several of the vertebrae to let out soft pops.

"Hmph, thou art of passing skill." he admitted with the smallest inkling of begrudged respect.

However, that respect will not be enough to spare her.

In his free hand, the golden construct of a Giant Crusher manifested. He felt mild enjoyment as the determined expression the girl sported morphed into a face of shock, then horror as the realization struck her.

"Warrior blood must truly run through thy veins, Tarnished." he said with scathing sarcasm as he poised to strike.

Margit jumped up, and then the hammer came down.


Beatrix awoke with a gasp as she surged upright from where she lay.

Through panicked breaths, she snapped her head from side to side to make sense of her surroundings.

After several moments, she realized that she was within the stone tunnel that led to the bridge.

The shard of grace silently flickered next to her.

The Tarnished placed a palm onto the side of her head as she attempted to form a coherent thought. Her slim fingers thread themselves through her hair and clenched together in an attempt to ground herself.

"W-wha… what… happened?!" she uttered hoarsely, shaken beyond reason.

As the silver-scaled girl continued to process her situation, there was a shimmer as Melina materialized next to her.

"Greetings. I trust that you are well?" she asked softly, only to see her companion had curled into a ball, rocking herself in place as she cradled her head in her hands.

The redhead frowned slightly. 'That was… not the reaction I expected.'

"Tarnished?" the traveler asked with notable concern.

Beatrix had barely noticed Melina's arrival. She was far too focused on making sense of the situation.

She could distinctly recall most of her battle with the Fell Omen. From his sudden arrival to the final sight of him in the air above her, poised to strike.

After that, everything was blurred. Nothing but a relentless flurry of blows and pain.

He had left her in such a state that she questioned how she was still alive.

'How did I get here? Did Melina save me? But I don't remember her being there. The gate was sealed! I couldn't have gotten here unless…'

Her breaths became shallow as realization slowly dawned on her.

"Tarnished?"

Melina's voice cut through the whirlwind within her mind as the woman gently placed a hand on her right shoulder.

The silver-scaled girl looked at her spectral companion with wide, anxious eyes.

"Are you alright? You have not spoken a word since my arrival." she said with a slight tilt of her head. Her voice was calm, but her expression showed clear concern.

The gesture helped ground Beatrix back in the present moment. If only a little.

She placed her left hand atop the redhead's own hand on her shoulder and took a deep breath in an attempt to center herself.

After a moment, the Tarnished spoke, her voice a near whisper.

"Melina, how am I here? D-did I… die?"

If the way Melina's single eye widened was any indication, then she was clearly surprised by the question.

"Tell me, what happened?"

And so, the silver-scaled girl recounted everything she had experienced since they last saw each other.

Once she finished recalling her experience, she looked down at the flickering light of grace.

Melina remained silent for several moments as she digested the information.

"I have heard of such phenomena before. Rumor has it that those that are favored by grace, should they meet an untimely end, will be resurrected at the last site of grace they visited."

Beatrix felt her lungs constrict as the spectral woman's words sank in.

"So that means… I really did die!" she shuddered as her breaths grew shallow.

The redhead nodded. "It appears so, yes."

Melina watched her tremble, her face paling to a dark shade of gray. Her eyes were manic and wide, staring at nothing. Her breaths were short and shaky.

A moment later, the Tarnished let out a choked noise as she clapped a hand over her mouth.

The silver-scaled girl quickly turned away and vacated the contents of her stomach.

The spectral woman was taken aback by such a visceral reaction. Yes, death was often an unpleasant experience within the Lands Between, but never did she think that it would affect someone to such a degree.

Was this how death affected those who never experienced it before their time?

Then again, such sensations were beyond her grasp, burned and bodiless as she was.

Beatrix took several deep breaths as she recovered from her sudden bout of nausea.

"I-I'm sorry… Melina." she muttered hoarsely as she returned to her original position.

The redhead waited until her companion calmed down before she spoke. "It is no trouble. I can imagine that such an experience would be jarring for even the greatest of warriors. Take your time to recover, and you can try again."

Betrix snapped her gaze towards her companion. "You want me to fight that man again?!"

"He bars the path to Castle Stormveil. If we are to progress, then you must defeat him."

The silver-scaled girl looked away and bit her lip in worry. "I thought I could beat him. But the moment he took me seriously, I was crushed! Like I never fought a day before in my life! If I fight him again as I am, then it might end the same way!"

Melina considered her companion's worry for a moment. "Then perhaps it would be best for us to leave this be for now and search for a place where you can grow stronger."

Beatrix considered it for a moment before she nodded in agreement. "I think that'd be best. But one problem," her expression became sheepish. "I don't exactly know where to go next."

The redhead hummed in thought as she pondered their next course of action.

"To the south, there is a land known as the Weeping Peninsula. I believe that will be a good place for you to train yourself."

The Tarnished considered the suggestion for a few moments before she let out a sigh. "I suppose that's as good a direction I've gotten thus far. Alright, let's go then!"

The silver-scaled girl stood from the site of grace and stretched her limbs.

Once her companion looked ready, Melina nodded her head and disappeared into blue sparkles.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that." Beatrix said with a shake of her head.

After a few moments, she took a deep breath and marched her way out of the tunnel.


Beatrix rubbed her head as she rode atop Torrent's back.

"Honestly, how was I supposed to know that those soldiers I beat up before would come back!" she grumbled to her steed. "It would have been very convenient for me if someone had told me how things worked around here, Melina!"

Her complaint went unanswered.

She knew that the spectral woman was present, even if she was not visible.

"Fine! I'm sure that I can figure things out on my own." the girl huffed with a petulant pout.

She rode on in silence as she turned down an old dirt road that led towards the east.

After several hours of travel, she found herself within a dense forest.

"The woods here are pretty dense. Hopefully, we don't run into anything dangerous." the girl said softly as she patted Torrent's neck.

The sound of a distant howl pierced through the foliage.

"We should hurry along just in case."

The spectral steed snorted in agreement and quickened to a contour.

After another hour, Beatrix spotted a familiar trail of light off the side of the road in front of an old shack.

"Hey, let's stop for a little bit." the girl said as she tugged at Torrent's reigns.

Once they reached the shack, Beatrix hopped off of her mount and gave his neck a pat before he vanished in a swirl of blue.

The Tarnished restored the grace and sat by it to restore her strength.

"Hello, is someone there?" Someone from within the shack called out curiously.

Beatrix felt a jolt of surprise surge through her as she turned her gaze to the shack.

She stood from the grace and walked into the shack to see a man standing in the middle of the room.

He was a gruff looking fellow with his hair pulled back into a low ponytail and a short beard. He was clad in bulky ornate silver armor. His right arm rested on the cross guard of a massive sword that was stuck into the floor next to him.

The man noticed her, and he seemed to tense for a moment before he seemed to relax.

"Not seen you before. Name's Bernahl. Tarnished, just like you." The man greeted with a cordial nod.

"Oh, um… hello there. Name's Beatrix." The girl greeted shyly.

Bernahl nodded. "Let me ask you something, Beatrix. Are you here in the Lands Between to take up the fight? Does your faith in the guidance of grace hold firm, despite the collapse of the Golden Order?"

Beatrix considered his words for a moment. "I'm honestly not sure."

The man chuckled. "Honest to a fault, I see. Such thoughts won't behoove you as a Tarnished. But there's nothing wrong with that. Any interest in bearing the torch of my battle arts? All I know is the sword. Picked up a fair few tricks in my time, too. Now's the time to pass 'em on. To a good and proper Tarnished, like you."

"You… want to teach me how to fight?" The silver-scaled girl asked as she tilted her head in confusion.

"In a certain manner. The battle arts I wish to impart are infused into ash. If you sufuse the ash onto your weapon, then these lost techniques will become yours."

"I understand what you mean, I think." the girl said as she pressed the knuckle of her right index finger against her lips in thought.

"That said, there's a myriad of battle arts in these lands that I've yet to discover. Mementos of all the warriors who raised their arms in battle, lost, and died. A fine tale, all told, of true chivalric romance." Bernahl's expression then became almost wistful. "That's how I fell in love with the sword and the arts of combat. It grants meaning even to falling in battle, onto death itself."

"I see. Then, I'm willing to learn whatever you're willing to teach." Beatrix said with a respectful bow.

"Good. Then let's get started." The knight said with a nod.


"Thank you for your time, sir. I hope that we meet again, then I can learn more from you." Beatrix said with a bow.

Bernahl chuckled. "Oh, you've not had your fill, eh? Worry not, I've enough to keep you busy. So until then, fight well."

With that, the silver-scaled girl left the shack and called Torrent.

As she continued eastward, she manifested her club into her right hand and thought over her lesson from the knight.

He had taught her how to draw upon her rage and frustration and turn it into a mighty roar that she could use to empower her strikes.

Such a skill would be of benefit to her in the future. At least until she could improve her arsenal.


Hours later, Beatrix groaned as she rode out of an encampment of Godrick's soldiers.

She pulled out her flask of crimson tears and took a swig to mend the wounds from her injuries.

"Ugh… I barely got out of that one. Thank goodness for Sir Bernahl's lesson." she said as she put her flask away.

"Hello-o? Can you hear me?!"

"Hmm? Did you hear something, Torrent?" The girl asked as she looked down at her steed.

The spectral steed knickered and bobbed his head in response.

"Help me! I'm stuck. Hello? Hello?! Anyone!"

Beatrix looked up towards a cliff that was to her right. "It sounds like it's coming from up there. Now, how do you suppose we get to the top -whoa!"

The Tarnished yelped as Torrent began to scale the side of the cliff much like a goat would.

After a few moments, the two reached the top of the cliff and leaped over the edge.

She scanned the area for whoever she heard but saw no one around.

"Hello? Is anyone here? I heard you yelling from the road below and decided to come and help." The silver-scaled girl called out as she looked for the source of the voice.

"Oh my stars, I'm so happy to see you! I am Alexander, also known as the Iron Fist. And as you can see, I'm stuck here. Please, can you help me out of this?" the voice, now evidently male, asked from nearby.

"Huh, where are you?"

"Over here, miss. Please hurry!" The man said from near what looked like a giant pot half-buried into the ground.

Beatrix moved towards the pot and dismounted Torrent as she looked at it with a confused look. "Are you trapped inside of that pot?"

Suddenly, a large stony hand raised itself up onto the air.

"Actually, my dear, I am the pot!" The pot said in a jovial tone as it waved the stony arm in greeting.

"What the-?!" the girl cried as she flinched in alarm.

"What's wrong, young lady? Have you ever seen a living jar before?" the giant jar asked with a mixture of confusion and amusement.

The Tarnished merely shook her head from side to side, still too dumbfounded to form a proper response.

"Well then, I do apologize for that. Now, I don't mean to trouble you, but can you be a dear and help me out of this hole I found myself trapped in?"

"Sure… I guess I can help you." she muttered with a dumb nod.

"A thousand thanks! Just give me a good smack from the rear, with something nice and big."

"Are you sure? Jars typically aren't well known for being sturdy." the silver-scaled girl said with some hesitation.

"Put those doubts to rest, I'll be just fine. I'm very well trained. Give it your all, I say!" Alexander said confidently.

"Alright, if you really think so."

Beatrix moved to where the back of the living jar was buried in the ground and gave him a whack with her club.

Alexander grunted from the hit.

"Are you alright?" she asked in concern.

"I'm quite fine, young miss, now keep going!"

The girl nodded and struck again, adding more force to the blow.

"Ouch!"

The Tarnished grabbed her club with both hands and grunted with effort as she struck again.

"Ahhh!"

Beatrix huffed in agitation as she looked down at the living jar, who still looked firmly planted into the ground despite her efforts.

She then grabbed her club with both hands and reared herself back to charge herself up for a single mighty blow.

The Tarnished then struck the living jar with so much force that he not only popped out of the hole he was stuck in but was also sent flying several feet through the air.

Alexander cashed onto the ground with a grunt.

"Ahh! Well played good lady. Well played. Though that mighty wallop of yours almost spelled the end of me!" the giant jar said as he stood up and rubbed at his back. He then turned around to face the girl and crossed his arms together in front of him. "Ha ha ha ha! Well, I'm out now, and that's what counts."

Beatrix took a few breaths to calm herself before she walked up to Alexander.

"I thank you, and as a token of my appreciation, I'd like you to have this." he said as he uncrossed his arms and held a hand out towards the silver-scaled girl.

She reached out and took the offered item.

It looked like a large piece of well prepared, dried meat.

The girl nodded in thanks and placed the piece of meat into her small satchel.

"Once again, the pleasure is mine. I am the warrior jar known as Alexander. Iron Fist Alexander, in fact."

"It's nice to meet you. My name's Beatrix Brightscale. At least, that's what I think it is."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Beatrix. Might I enquire why a fine lass such as yourself is out here on her own?" Alexander asked with a small bit of curiosity.

"Oh, well, I'm going south. Towards some place called the Weeping Peninsula. I need to become strong, and I was told that was a good place to start." Beatrix said with a shrug.

"Ah, that's wonderful! I, too, seek to grow strong on my own path. I journey to the east, where I intend to further my education in the ways of war." he pointed off towards something beyond the eastern horizon. "Beyond these lands lie the scarlet rot-blighted Caelid Wilds. And upon their southern edge is Redmane Castle, in which a festival of combat is being held." he crossed his arms again and lowered his voice slightly. "I'd heard whispers of such festivities before... Doesn't the notion set your breast aflutter! Ha ha ha ha!"

Beatrix gave a slight smile and nodded. She called for Torrent. The spectral steed manifested, and a moment later, she sat atop its saddle.

"Well, I guess I'll wish you luck on your journey, Sir Alexander."

The jar guffawed at the show of respect. "And I you, Lady Beatrix! Until we meet again, my friend!"

With that, the silver-scaled girl rode off to continue her journey.


Beatrix sighed as she arrived at the site of grace where she and Melina had first met.

After her encounter with Alexander, she attempted to return the way she came only to find that the road sat at the bottom of the cliff Torrent had climbed. So rather than risk serious injury, or worse, she instead chose to find an alternative path back to the road. That decision had her travel up the hill in the opposite direction, which ultimately led her back to the road that ran along the perimeter of Castle Stormveil.

The silver-scaled girl recalled that there was another road that led eastward that she could travel down. So that pushed her to double back towards the Gatefront Ruins.

That decision unfortunately resulted in her having to spend time between hours of travel fighting off wolves, speed though the encampment that guarded the massive gate, awakened a site of grace that she had missed before, and then fight her way through the encampment within the gatefront ruins after she had accidentally alerted the guards.

Sufficient to say, by late afternoon, she was exhausted and needed both rest and a bath.

The girl climbed down from her mount and sat by the grace, carelessly tossing a rather large makeshift sack onto the ground next to her.

Said sack contained some of the spoils from her impromptu raid on the Gatefront Ruins.

Once she felt redted, she opened the sack to examine its contents.

There majority were a few basic resources that the girl found, such as a bushel of rowa fruit, a bundle of erdleaf flowers, and a bundle of herba. Each of these items vanished into motes of gold when she pulled them out.

Next came two bundles of distinctly different crossbow bolts, an assortment of thin bones that she had gotten from the wolves that were present, an odd blade shaped whetstone, and lastly, some weapons and equipment that she had taken from the soldiers she fought.

First came a pair of armored gloves that she had seen the standard soldiers wear. Beatrix looked over the gloves for a moment before she decided to slip them on.

The gloves were large but fit well enough that they wouldn't obstruct her movements.

The girl then pulled from the sack a set of chainmail pants and armored grieves. They were worn and slightly rusted but still seemed sturdy enough to justify some usage.

After a bit of effort, she was able to fit chainmail and grieves onto her legs. Unfortunately, the set was very ill-fitting with the chainmail barely clinging to her shapely hips. They would have slid off completely had she not taken great pains to create a hole in the chainmail large enough for her tail to slip through.

So, while there was a significant droop in the front, she didn't need to worry about being totally exposed.

With that done, she fished the last couple of items from the sack.

The Tarnished retrieved a simple straight sword still in its sheath. She had gotten it from one of the many soldiers she had beaten and figured that it would be a significant upgrade from her club. She would just need some practice with it first.

Next was a simple flail that she had gotten from a lightly guarded chest near the edge of the ruins. There was a fair amount of heft to the weapon, something that would come in handy whenever she would have need for a blunt instrument.

Lastly, and what she felt was most important, she pulled out some rolled up parchment paper. She unfurled the paper to reveal that it was a map of the region. The whole western half of Limgrave was laid out to her in minute detail with the many ruins, caves, and catacombs, all illustrated and labeled for her to explore at her leisure if she so chose.

The girl allowed a small smirk to appear onto her face at the thought of exploring such locations in search of whatever treasures they may hold.

Melina then appeared from the ether and knelt down next to her.

"It seems that you have found a map of the land. Such would be of great help, especially in the event that you would find yourself lost." The spectral maiden said as she glanced down at the map from over the silver-scaled girl's shoulder.

Beatrix glanced towards the woman, and her smirk fell away. "Why didn't you tell me that I was going the wrong way?!" she complained as she looked at the redhead with a pout.

"Apologies. My movements are limited so far away from the Erdtree. At the moment, I can only appear where grace has gathered."

"So I suppose that means you can't help me in a fight." Beatrix said as she looked at her companion and then sighed when the woman shook her head.

"Twould be a paltry aid, but shall I turn your runes into strength?" the spectral maiden asked as she held a hand out towards the Tarnished.

Beatrix considered it for a moment before she took hold of Melina's hand.

The woman closed her sole eye and began to chant.

"Let my hand rest upon you, for but a moment. Share them with me. Your thoughts, your ambitions. The principles you would follow."

The silver-scaled girl closed her eyes and began to look inwards.

At first, she felt nothing. But after a moment, she became sharply aware of herself. Of how woefully inadequate she was, but also how much potential sat within her.

The only question now was where to start.

She then felt a pull, as though the runes within her had surged to life and were guiding her to a decision.

Increase your vigor! You can better withstand the mightiest of blows!

Grow your mind! With greater focus, no spell or technique will be beyond your capability!

Work on your endurance! You will fight longer than any other!

Build your strength! Crush your foes with a single strike!

Improve your dexterity! Become faster than the very wind!

Invest in your intelligence! No secret of the cosmos will be beyond your understanding!

Cultivate your faith! Through belief shall the impossible be surpassed!

Brandish the arcane! Through fearsome rite shall even the greatest of foes fall before you!

Each option seemed equally viable and would lead her to greater strength.

Decisions, decisions…

After some deliberation, Beatrix decided that it would be best to put her runes into her vigor, strength, and dexterity for the time being.

She could always improve other aspects of herself later.

With her choices made and runes spent, the girl pulled her hand away from Melina's.

She looked at her hand and flaxed her fingers open and shut several times.

"I don't feel all that much stronger. But I figure that if I keep investing in these aspects of myself, then I can get stronger, right?"

The spectral maiden nodded. "Yes. If you continue to acquire runes, then you will be able to grow ever stronger."

"I guess that creates some incentive for me to fight, not that I'd really enjoy it." Beatrix sighed with a shrug. She then looked to Melina. "You'll be at the next grace I rest at, right?"

"If need be."


Beatrix stopped near a small patch of young trees and bushes off the side of the road and got off Torrent.

She squirmed with discomfort as she scurried behind some of the bushes.

Some time later, the silver-scaled girl walked out of the brush and let out a relieved sigh.

She took a few moments to stretch her back and limbs to work out and soreness.

"Oi! You over there!" A voice suddenly said from nearby.

Beatrix looked around in confusion. "Huh? Is someone there?"

"Could you help me out, cully?"

The girl pointed at herself, her confusion evident on her face.

"You, yeah, you there! Stop pretending you can't see me." The voice said in frustration.

The Tarnished scratched at her head with a frown as she scanned the area around her.

After a moment, she noticed something peculiar.

There was a white glow on the ground in front of a particular small tree.

Intrigued, she approached the glow.

Beatrix stood over the glow and saw that it looked like someone had etched words into the dirt.

Friend ahead.

She was left confused by what she saw.

Just then, another glowing white message appeared next to the tree.

She stepped over to investigate.

Rolling required ahead.

The silver-scaled girl looked up at the odd bush with a quizzical expression before she glanced back at the messages.

To her surprise, more of the messages appeared until they formed a sort of perimeter around the tree.

'Okay then…'

Despite the oddity of the situation, Beatrix elected to investigate the bush by lightly kicking at it.

"Ow! What'd you go and do that for!" the bush said as it suddenly changed into a strange creature.

It was rather small and stood in a haunched position. It also wore what might have once been fancy noble attire but was now dirty and worn with age. It even wore a small cap with a feather attached to it.

The creature then seemed to notice its change in appearance.

"Hm? Oh, yes, I remember. Some clod turned me into a tree. You were just breaking the spell, weren't you." The creature bowed its head in gratitude. "Thank you. The name's Boc."

Beatrix acknowledged Boc with a nod. "It's nice to meet you. What are you doing out here anyway?" she asked curiously.

Boc let out a sigh. "I was pushed out of the cave. I was told not to come back, not ever. Then, I ended up as a tree." He let out a humorless chuckle. "Lucky you came along, really."

He then cleared his throat and brought his hands together. "Boc the Seamster, at your service, Master." he said with a respectful bow.

"Oh, no need for that! Just call me Beatrix!" the Tarnished said flusteredly.

She then noticed that the little creature looked quite glum.

"What's wrong?" she asked with concern as she got down on her knees in front of Boc to better meet his eyes.

The seamster let out a sigh. "Oh, what a shame. When they threw me out of the cave, they took everything I owned, and so this is all I have to express my thanks. I hope you can forgive me."

He then pulled her hand towards him and placed ten pieces of mushroom onto her palm.

Boc then let out a soft hum.

"Or, if you can afford to wait for a while, I could sneak back into the cave and bring back something of actual value. Then I'd be of some real use to you, like fixing up your armor for you."

The silver-scaled girl grew concerned. "Are you sure you'll be able to do that?"

The Demi-human seamster nodded, albeit hesitantly. "Right, but I'll need a moment. I-I'm frightened of them... So I have to gather myself. My knees start knockin'... just thinking 'bout that god-awful cave on the shore."

Beatrix bit her lip with worry. "I can come help you if you want?" she asked with a reassuring smile.

Boc, however, shook his head. "It's alright. This is something I need to do on my own."

The girl did not look convinced but nodded in acknowledgment nonetheless.

"Alright. But please be careful! I don't want you to get hurt just to repay a favor to me."

The small demi-human nodded meekly. "I appreciate your concern, really. But this is something I should do. I just need to settle my nerves, that's all." He rubbed his hands together nervously. "If you want, we can meet back up here in a day or two."

Beatrix considered the offer for a few moments before she let out a sigh and nodded. "Alright, but you come right back here as soon as you find what you're looking for!" she said as she gave the small demi-human a pointed look.

"You have my word, ma'am!" the seamster said with several quick nods.

The two exchanged a few more words before they parted ways.

Despite Boc's assurance about his success, Beatrix still felt worry squirm its way through her. Over her short time in the Lands Between she had learned fairly quickly that danger lurked around every turn. All she could do was trust that he would keep himself safe.

With nothing else of interest around, the girl called for Torrent and rode off.


Dusk painted the sky as Beatrix dismounted from Torrent and sat down by the edge of a large lake.

After she parted ways with Boc, she saw that the road led to a bridge. One that was well guarded by a man on horseback who brandished a very large and very deadly curved blade.

Rather than test her skills on horseback, the Tarnished instead elected to find an alternative route.

This then led her to discover a hill that went down to the edge of a lake at the bottom of the cliff.

It was only sensible that she chose the least dangerous path.

She peered into the crystal clear water to see tiny fish and crustaceans swim and skitter among submerged grass and sediment.

The girl dipped her hands under the surface and brought them back up to her lips to get a good drink.

After she drank until she was sated, she used some of the water to wash her face.

Just then, Torrent manifested himself next to her and let out a soft snort before he lowered his muzzle into the water.

"Ah, so you can appear even when I don't call for you, huh?" she asked the spectral steed with a look of mild surprise. "Well then, can I trust you to come to my aid, even if I can't call for you?"

Torrent lifted his head and looked at the girl for several moments. He then let out a snort and pushed at her head with his snout.

Beatrix giggled at the response. "I'll take that as a yes." she said as she patted the side of her companion's head affectionately.

"It's good to see that you and Torrent have already forged a strong bond." Melina said as she manifested to the other side of the Tarnished.

The silver-scaled girl let out a rather unlady-like squawk before she snapped her head to the side to see her other companion beside her.

"Don't do that!" she spluttered as she threw a weak glare at the redhead.

Said redhead simply stared back at Beatrix with only the slightest upturn of her lips betraying her amusement. Mischief practically danced within her sole golden eye.

"Apologies, but I felt the need to take in this view with my own eyes." The spectral maiden said as she turned her gaze out towards the lake.

"I see." Beatrix said with a soft sigh as she turned to look out over the water, a pout on her lips. "Still, you didn't have to appear out of nowhere and scare me like that!"

"I will not apologize for my nature."

The Tarnished let out a soft groan and shook her head.

They sat in silence for a short while before the silver-scaled girl decided to strike up a conversation.

"I'm curious," she turned her head to look at Melina. "Earlier, you mentioned that you can only appear where grace has gathered. I take it, that means you only appear around sites of grace, right?"

Melina pondered for a moment before she gave a reply. "Under normal circumstances, that is true. However, ever since we met, I've begun to feel the grace within you gradually increase. Enough so that I can physically manifest near you, even if only briefly."

"So I'm acting like some sort of site of grace for you?" the Tarnished asked with clear confusion.

"You act more as a beacon for me to follow. I've pondered what the source of this grace could be for some time," The spectral woman looked up to her horns. "But I believe that ring you bear upon your horn may have something to do with it."

Beatrix let out a sound of confusion as she lifted her left hand to trace the silver ring on her left horn with her fingers.

Melina shook her head. "The one on your other horn." she said as she pointed towards the girl's right-hand horn.

The young woman's confusion only grew as she reached up with her right hand to trace along the length of her right horn. That confusion quickly bled into shock when she felt a familiar protrusion near its base.

Her slim fingers immediately began to pull at the ring in an attempt to dislodge it, only for it to stubbornly remain in place. It was almost as if it didn't want to be pulled off.

After a few moments of twisting and tugging, the ring finally came loose.

Beatrix slid the ring off her horn and brought it down to get a look at it.

The ring was much like the one on her other horn, save for a few key details. It was made from a golden alloy with a wider band than the silver ring. Instead of its surface being littered with gems, it had a coat of arms that depicted a lion and a dragon encircling an odd symbol.

Melina extended her hand out to her companion. "May I look at it for a moment?"

The Tarnished glanced from the ring to the redhead before she dropped the piece of jewelry onto her palm.

As soon as it touched the skin of her palm, she felt a small surge of grace flow through her.

She briefly wondered how the accessory had been infused with grace until the answer presented itself within the coat of arms on its face.

'That is the rune of Queen Marika!'

In her shock, she glanced back towards Beatrix and noticed another key detail.

The light of grace within her eyes had weakened slightly.

'I see,' she looked back to the golden ring. 'Perhaps this ring was why grace had chosen her. It must hold some significance.'

As she examined further, she noted some subtle signs of wear. Thin scratches on the inside of the band, suggesting that her companion was not the first to have worn it.

"Melina?" Beatrix spoke up in confusion.

The redhead was pulled from her musing and looked back towards her companion.

"Apologies. I was merely lost in thought." she said as she returned the ring to its owner.

A beat of silence passed between them.

"Well? What do you think?" the girl asked as she gestured to the ring that was still in her palm.

The spectral woman hummed. "This ring has been infused with grace. For what purpose, I'm unsure, but I feel it all the same."

"How strange." Beatrix murmured as she looked down at the ring.

"If I may suggest, I believe your possession of this ring may be what led grace to you."

The Tarnished looked surprised by the suggestion. "You think so?"

Melina pondered for a moment before she spoke. "It's only a theory. I don't know what sort of life you lived prior to being called to the Lands Between, nor what position you held. But I believe that you, or rather your family, may have once had a connection to the Golden Order."

The girl hummed in thought as she processed the theory. "I don't know if my family had anything to do with the Golden Order since, y'know, I can't remember much about my past."

Melina considered her companion's point of view for a moment before she nodded. "Another mystery, then. You certainly are an interesting creature, Tarnished."

"Beatrix. I'd like it if you called me by my name." The silver-scaled girl said as she slipped the golden ring back onto its original place.

The spectral maiden stared at her companion for several moments before she let out a soft hum. "I suppose that is fair. Very well Beatrix."

The silver-scaled girl grinned.


Beatrix rode atop Torrent's back as they traveled over an old path that lay submerged under the surface of the lake.

She had noticed along her trek that much of the lake was actually quite shallow, likely a result of the area becoming flooded at some point recently.

"There are a lot of trees and structures sticking out of the water. I wonder what caused such a big flood?" the girl mused as she scanned the area while the diminishing light of the sun still peaked over the horizon.

The land around her was rather flat, with a clear view of nearly every corner of the lake. From the cliffs to the west to the shores that sat to the east.

There were even ruins of what might have once been a lakeside village to the south.

As the twilight sky gradually gave way to the night, she continued southward along the path until she neared a patch of dry land that had avoided the flood.

There was a large crowd standing before a massive bonfire, their arms outstretched to the heavens above.

'Are they holding some sort of celebration?' The Tarnished wondered as she stopped to watch the scene.

She watched for several moments as the crowd seemed to chant wordlessly. But soon, they fell silent.

As did the surrounding area.

It took only a moment for Beatrix's instincts to flare to life.

With a quick kick, she coaxed Torrent to run away from the patch of land.

The command was timely, for a moment later, there was a deafening roar, and the entire crowd was engulfed in searing flames.

The silver-scaled girl watched in horror as a massive winged beast landed where the bonfire once stood and snatched up several of the survivors in its terrible maw whilst it crushed others underfoot.

The creature appeared to be a form of dragon. One with a long powerful tail, a single pair of thick legs to carry its weight, a single pair of wings in place of forelimbs, and a short neck that carried a large head which ended with a pointed maw lined with sharp fangs and a large horn made to skewer prey at the tip of its snout. Its dull gray scales were worn and scarred, no doubt a testament to the many battles it had fought.

The Tarnished knew that facing that creature would mean certain death. So she hoped that she was far enough away that it wouldn't notice leave.

She coaxed Torrent to slowly move towards the ruined village ahead, only to immediately freeze with a squeak at the sound of a growl so thunderous that she felt her very bones tremble.

The girl swallowed a sudden lump in her throat as she slowly turned her head to look at the dragon.

As it turned out, the dragon had already spotted her and was actively approaching her position.

She had only one course of action to take.

"Nope!" she said hurriedly as Torrent took off towards the ruined village at full speed.

The dragon stopped and watched as the girl scampered away towards the ruins it had long since reduced to ash. It briefly considered giving chase, but the energy it would take to catch such a tiny morsel was not worth it, especially when it had a veritable feast at its feet.

It was better to simply scare it off for now. And if the little thing appeared again later? Then the dragon would eat it.

With that, the creature let out a hiss and scooped one of the still living people into its jaws.


Beatrix did not slow down until she heard Torrent's hooves clop onto the old broken cobblestone streets of the village ruins.

There was very little left of the buildings, with only the broken foundations of what used to be housing and the charred husks of stone buildings. Even the road and buildings were all partially flooded from the nearby lake.

It didn't take a genius to see that the dragon she had fled from was the cause of the destruction around her.

However, despite the desolation, the girl figured that there could be useful items buried amongst the rubble.

Some time later, Beatrix rode away from the Dragon-Burnt Ruins with an air of slight disappointment.

The village had very little in the way of supplies save for some very simple resources that she could use for crafting.

She had spent the bulk of her search chasing off wandering nobles, several rabid undead dogs, and multiple rodents of unusual size.

The only thing of note that she found had been a weapon with blades attached to both ends of the handle within the basement of one of the stone buildings.

The Tarnished lifted her hand and manifested the twin blade.

It had a long handle between the blades, long enough that she could comfortably wrap both of her hands around it. The blades were both about equal in size to that of a longsword but were also fairly light.

It was a simple but elegant weapon that would make her a danger to approach if she became skilled enough with it.

She lowered the weapon and continued her ride.

The field beyond the village ruins was open and peaceful as dusk became night, with naught but the gentle chirps of insects to fill the air.

It was enough to elicit a yawn from the girl as she rode down a semi-worn path that led eastward from the village.

After some time, the Tarnished caught a new scent in the air. One that made her stomach groan and mouth water.

She motioned for Torrent off of the path so that she could better follow the smell.

A minute later, they found themselves near the ruins of what appeared to be a massive curved stone wall that was lodged into the earth. The wall laid on its side, forming a sort of archway that also acted as a shelter from the elements.

Just past the edge of the ruins were a pair of horses hitched to a small tree.

Beatrix dismounted from Torrent and stepped under the ruined structure.

Near the edge of the structure was a small camp that consisted of two bed rolls laid out on either side of a large lit campfire.

Near the fire were a few bags that looked to contain supplies along with a large wooden box.

The girl looked about the small campsite with curious eyes.

'There's no one here?' she mused with a soft humm. "Hello? Is there anyone here?"

There was no response.

The Tarnished tilted her head with a look of mild concern etched onto her face.

"Odd… why would anyone abandon their camp while there's food over a fire?" She directed the question towards no one in particular but did hold hope that Melina would appear and offer some insight.

The spectral maiden did not manifest.

Alas, the girl found herself alone.

Pale crystalline eyes shifted towards the campfire, where they spied several fish and what looked to be small rodents skewered onto long sticks. All with their heads removed.

'It would be a shame to let the food burn. And it does smell delectable.'

Beatrix considered her options and ultimately concluded that it would be best to remove the cooked meat from the fire. And maybe no one would notice if she helped herself to a little bit of fish.

With her decision made, the Tarnished walked over towards the fire and pulled the cooked meat away, placing each skewer onto a small wooden tray that she had found amongst the supplies.

Once the food was on the tray, she set it aside and looked towards the bags full of supplies.

"I wonder if there's anything to drink as well?" she mused as she stepped towards the bags.

"Second bag to the right." a voice called out from behind her.

"Ah, thank you!" the silver-scaled girl said as she crouched to open said bag. "Honestly, I would've made a mess if you hadn't - guh!" Her body suddenly became rigid as the realization struck her.

With stiff, jerky movements, Betrix turned around to see someone garbed in foreign armor standing behind her with their arms crossed.

The Tarnished grinned weakly and held her hands up in surrender.

"Um… it's not what you think…?" she muttered nervously as she stared up at the warrior.

The stranger merely narrowed their eyes.


Yura sighed with relief as he returned to camp.

The trek to the nearest nomadic merchant had taken longer than he had thought. But thankfully, he had gotten enough supplies to last a few weeks. They would be needed if his search was to continue.His search for the Bloody Finger that stalked Agheel Lake had stalled. He had hidden himself well and likely would not reveal himself unless a potential victim wandered into his territory.

Perhaps he could find a way to draw him out?

His musings were cut short when he noticed that the samurai that he had been traveling with for some time sat next to the fire with the food already prepared.

All while a strange creature that looked to be a cross between a woman and a dragon lay on her side nearby. Her limbs were tightly bound, and her mouth gagged. She whimpered as she stared longingly at the cooked meal.

"Care to explain?" The old man asked as he raised a brow.

"The little thief tried to take our food. So, as punishment, she will be forced to watch us eat it all." the samurai stated as they pointed at the creature.

The ronin hummed in thought before he nodded with a soft sigh, choosing to accept the situation.

"Very well. Is there enough for this old man to have his share?" he asked as he approached his companion and sat down by the fire.

"Take your pick." the samurai said as they offered the wooden tray with several skewers still on it.

Yura thanked his compatriot and took one of the offered fish.

The creature whined miserably as several tears slipped from her eyes.


AN: Well, that about wraps up this chapter. This took way too long to get out. I could name a thousand different reasons why it took so long, but it really boils down to real life getting in the way and causing what should have taken maybe a month or two to write… take significantly longer to finish.

Anyway, I'm proud to say that the next chapter onwards will introduce the rest of the little ensemble cast that I plan to introduce. So, for the people who have yet to realize the obvious, Beatrix is not your average player made Tarnished. She is a pre-existing OC that I chose to insert into the role of the Tarnished of no renown. While she does have a backstory, for the purpose of this story, it will be modified to conform with the established lore of Elden Ring. The same thing will happen to other OCs that will take on the roles of the other Tarnished player classes.

While this story will follow the overall plot of the base game plus the DLC, I will be taking creative liberties here and there to better serve the plot.

With that said, I will try to resolve the events of Castle Morne within the next chapter and try to get the ball rolling on Stormveil. So I'll leave you all with teasers for future events and the promise of something good down the line.


Potential Spoilers Ahead!

"Well, I can' in good conscience just let ye go off into Castle Stormveil all alone now, cannae?" the Vagabond said as he placed a hand on her shoulder.


"Come on now, don't tell me you're still miffed about that whole misunderstanding." Patches said with a nervous smile as he held his hands up defensively.

"You left me with three Rune Bears, Patches! THREE!!!" the female bandit shouted as she had her great knife pressed against the bald man's throat.


"Ah, you must be the new Tarnished.

You'd do well to steer clear of Agheel Lake, fledgling." the man under the metal hat said with a nod.

Beatrix looked out over to the lake that sat just beyond the ruins they sheltered under.

"A dragon roosts there... And it's as fearsome as it is majestic." warned the old man.

She recalled her encounter with said dragon. She very much did not want to face it again any time soon.


Beatrix lightly bit the second knuckle of her left index finger in thought.

She couldn't just leave this poor girl out alone in the cold rain!

The silver-scaled girl did not know of any place safe enough to bring the girl, especially on short notice.

That only left her with one option. She just hoped it didn't go poorly.


Beatrix shrieked as the gigantic Rune Bear desperately attempted to dig into ruins she had sheltered herself in.

The beast roared fiercely as though it could smell her terror.

The bear continued to claw at the aged stone for what felt like an eternity before it suddenly stopped.

There was then the sounds of a struggle. The bear let out a deafening roar.

There was a heavy thud before it all fell silent.

The silver-scaled girl then felt a sudden rush of runes flow into her body, which prompted her to look at the opening the massive bear had attempted to claw through.

After several moments, she hesitantly crawled up the stairs and peaked her head out to see what had happened.


Until next time!