Phoenix Rising Chapter 1: The Battle of Aeonia, an elden ring fanfic

I marched along with my fellow Redmanes, led by General Radahn to the penultimate battle. If we failed to stop the Haligtree's forces at the Lake of Aeonia then they will gain control of the whole of Caelid, dooming us to a rule led by the child Empryean Miquella... I would rather rot! I shook my head and and focused on the march. A glimpse of Malenia is enough to kill most men, me included. I needed to focus on the battle yet to come for every man and woman would fight to the last. I gripped my Claymore tighter. This trusty weapon having served well from the failed Siege of Leyndell to now. I'm ever so thankful that I was at the thick of every battle, the experience showing through the scar on my cheek from where a Misbegotten's claws had torn through the right side of my face and even a bit of my lip. My eyes flashed with dark vengeance as I remember how I slammed my Claymore deep within it's neck, tearing the throat, dripping the vile-

Water is underneath my feet. The battle is soon to come. I could hear the damned Malenia's forces march to meet us. General Radahn lead from the front and I took in his majestic golden armour glinting against the setting sun. I remembered the plan. The formation is built up as a triangle, Radahn leading from the front to bulldoze through the Cleanrot Knights at the front and open up space for us to wedge ourselves in and break through the frontline. That cursed Malenia attacked us repeatedly on our retreat back to Caelid from the failed siege, undoubtedly trying to claim Radahn's Great Rune. Our defeats earlier was marked by the Cleanrot's spears of light keeping us at bay while the lordsworn forces battered us with arrows from their safe positions. Malenia shredding through our frontline, demoralising us and making us all think twice about stepping up to attack. Every chance we may of had of turning the tide was ruined by our hesitation. No more.

"DO YOU SEE THEM, MEN! THESE INVADERS HAVE REACHED THE VERY HEART OF OUR COUNTRY! WILL YOU LET THEM KILL YOUR FAMILIES AND PLUNDER OUR HOMES?! OR WILL YOU FIGHT LIKE MEN AND DESTROY THEM WHERE THEY STAND!" General Radahn raised his black and gold greatswords high into the sky, the shout resonating throughout me. I shouted back, not too far back from him, around 10 meters away. "DESTROY THEM WHERE THEY STAND!" I cried and raised my sword in the air in return, hoping to all the demigods that the other Redmanes did the exact same thing... And to my endless relief, they mimiced my cry with vigor. A sense of pride shone through. This is my fellow army, who I would be glad to die with. Some faint imperceivable shouts echoed across the silent Mire. I looked past Radahn and saw the army of the Haligtree forming up. The famed Cleanrot Frontline with Malenia the Severed at the front. With a flash of fear, I realised I would be the first man there after Radahn. In my stupid musing of battles past, I had marched all the way to the front of the formation. The previous first man must have been all too happy to enjoy a couple more seconds living. I steeled myself as best I could, readying myself for the inevitable call to charge. My helmet and cloth mask felt restrictive, I became hypersensitive of every flaw of my armour. Some always there, other hammered in from wars worth of fighting. The Starscourge looked like he almost glided on the water as his small steed carried across our frontline. He inspected and corrected any possible imperfections. Everything had to go to plan or all is lost. This may be the penultimate but failing here guarantees the fall of Redmane Castle. So we fight as our last. And fight we shall.

Radahn finally glided back to the center of the frontline. "THE TIME IS NIGH! CHARGE!" He took off on a dead gallop with his horse and I chased after him without wasting my breath with a warcry, unlike my brethren unleashing a cry so great that it caused the water to ripple.

The spears of light extended around 40 meters from the Cleanrot Knights. The Golden Lion and his horse flying through the air with the assistance of his gravity magic. The countless bolts fired at him grinded to dust as he inverted the flow of Gravity once again, slamming into the Cleanrot Line with the force of a falling star. It crucially created a gap within the wall of spears and I charged through it. My brethren right behind me. I ran towards the Cleanrots with such desperation that it was almost as if I was running from the whole of the Redmane Army. My sword clashed against a scythe and spear held into a cross-guard and all I knew was the blur of adrenaline. Scythes reaping fellow souls. Blades tearing through flesh, turning the Mire of Aeonia into a bloody swamp. The blender of a swordswoman, Malenia crossing blades with Radahn, meeting his measure with the precision of a raindrop. My sword cleaved through yet another Cleanrot's neck and I ducked back to avoid a golden curved sword chopping through where I once was. Malenia dashed past with Radahn hot on her heels, her knights crushed like grapes for even daring to come near him. I immediately moved to assist, a crossbow bolt slamming into my left shoulder as I make it through the Cleanrots. I curse and pull out the bolt and the very next instant I'm swarmed by blades yet againz pushing me further to the edge of the now crimson lake. The splashing of thick, bloody water becoming a symphomy of Death as I take on the much less daunting opponent of what looks like a fellow man, a golden glow showing that all of them have the same suicidal light that caused the Redmanes first loss. The pure fear of a suicidal army, rendering any efforts to get past the Cleanrot Knights a soulless endeavour. The Redmanes have too much to lose to care now. I carefully retreated back to my brethren to avoid death by a hundred crossbows, my armour taking the hit of five more bolts. We advanced further with our wedge in the gap widening with every Cleanrot killed. The plain Haligtree soldiers overwhelmed by our relentless melee and flames. The Redmanes shall win today. All fighting stalled as a orange light burst through the air. An orange glow encompassed where Malenia should have been. The Haligtree's lordsworn broke upon this sight, fleeing the battle while the Cleanrots began their defence anew. "Run! Malenia is... " I disregarded the cries of dead men walking and stood still watching the glow rise higher in the air before crashing down.

And all I saw was orange. Burning and scalding it's way into my very being. Reducing me. Taking me. My very soul encroached upon. "DESTROY THEM WHERE THEY STAND!" I heard Radahn call but who was my enemy? Destroy? Then I must destroy all that stands. Chopping and weaving my path away from the lake (away?) soldiers all around me coughing up their lungs, succumbing to the Scarlet Rot. The water thickened even more, every step feeling like an insurmountable task. I had to keep fighting. Stop Malenia's conquest. I shook my head and threw off my helmet, keeping the mask on. It sank into the swamp and my legs, far overworked, collapsed on the solid ground of the shore. I ripped off the mask, gulping in much needed air as focus returned to me. Whatever presence lurking deep having deemed me unworthy of recreation. Thank Marika for that. Everything snapped back as I stared upon the massive flower pumping veins of Scarlet Rot into the water. It eventually receded to reveal both Radahn and Malenia incapacitated. The exact state of both unclear. My fellow brethren and the Cleanrots fighting even more viciously. Wild swings cleaving limbs and heads, thickening the now swamp even more with the precious blood.

A Haligtree soldier groaned next to me and I immediately stomped her head into mush. My country ravaged, there shall be no mercy for these mongrels who dared to step onto this swamp. I picked up the dead soldier's crossbow amd adjusted my grip on the claymore to be one-handed. I used the blade to chop off the bolts stuck in my armour and saw a single Cleanrot carrrying Malenia. She will not escape! I swore upon everything I could swear upon, my mother, my honor, my sword and on my Oath as a Redmane. I marched back into the swamp and focus faded once again. My burning hatred forging a singular goal that I can clearly think of. Prevent Malenia's escape. My brothers, maddened by the rot continued chopping the corpses of the Cleanrots. The Cleanrots themselves formed up, putting up an excellent fight and curiously enough a clear path for Malenia's exit.

I marched closer and closer to the Cleanrot carrying Malenia, who finally took notice of me and gently set Malenia down into the water before brandishing her scythe and spear. All the Cleanrot Knights were women, trained personally by Malenia herself. "Surrender and I shall make this quick." Her voice rang out coldly against the maddened screams in the background. I smirked "Still got our wits about us, I see? Ah well, I've killed my fair share of you foul rotten knights already. You'll just be the next!" I quickly fired my crossbow in her direction, knowing full well it would never hit even a boar. She stepped to the side lazily. The bolt traveled far wide of her to the point she didn't even have to move. A sharp pain rang through "With shooting like that, are you sure the rot hasn't gotten to your brain yet?" She mocked which only made my smirk widen. She countered with a sweep with a scythe sending an arsenal of golden spears trailing down towards me. I dodged to the side and saw her immediately rushing down with her spear held out, planning to run me through. I quickly reloaded my crossbow, years of battle having tuned my strength to make crossbow-loading an easy effort. Back when I first joined, loading a crossbow was one of the hardest things i could do, requiring every ounce of my strength for every bolt. I fired again, this time my aim true as it struck her shin. It merely stopped her charge as it clearly didnt penetrate her armour. If it did them she wouldn't have dodged the thrust from my sword, aiming to tear her throat. She spun, swiping her scythe towards my own throat. I abandoned the crossbow and held my claymore in two hands as I struck against the hilt to intercept the strike. The collision rattling my arms. She twisted further and stabbed my torso with her spear, causing my eyes to blur and my retaliation swing to grow wild, dragging along the hilt of her scythe and slashing through her golden armour and her chest. She let out a grunt of pain and pulled out her spear, dragging me forwards to receive the hardest left hook I have ever received. She dropped her scythe and I took the opportunity to stomp on the hilt, breaking it in half before picking it up. She thrusted again with her spear amd and I used the scythe to parry the strike, thrusting back with my own sword. She almost danced past it, gliding past my blade then jumping back to build distance. "Before either of... us die... I'd like to know the... name of such a great warrior." I panted in pain. The rot burning once again but this time it refused to be cowed. She took the opportunity to catch her own breath, tearing her helmet off aswell. "Lieutenant Finlay, Cleanrot Knight!" She had brown hair, an attractive face and piercing blue eyes. "Captain Khirza, Proud Redmane!" I announced my own name in return.

I looked back at the orange flower in the middle of the blood-soaked Aeonia Lake. It's far more accurate to call it a swamp now for the blood will never drain from the Aeonian waters. This lake allowed water to soak in through the floor, feeding the vast forests of Caelid. Now with Malenia's attack, rot will seep in amd infect the whole land. Caelid is done for. Nothing can survive here much longer. I sank down on my knees, my will to fight drained. "I fought so hard for my country..." A hoarse whisper escaped my lips as it took all my inner strength not to let tears fall. I shut my eyes tightly. "Just go, take your rotten Empryean and leave." My voice cracked a few times, broken by despair. I half-expected Finlay to just cut my throat with the clear opportunity but it seems she's spared me. I heard her breathing calm down before she picked up Malenia and left. It would have been easier if she finished me right there, now I'm left to rot.