Elden Ring: In the Name of Cinder
Early the next morning, Lillian departed for the Town of Sorcery, Sellia. She needed to inform her kin of the battle's details and begin organizing the migration of most of her people to Stormveil Castle.
The Sellia of today had been battered and broken by years of war. Perhaps they could return to rebuild one day, but for now, it was time to leave.
Yesterday, she had been specifically instructed to bring certain archives—technical data regarding the Dragonkin Soldiers, for instance. Her "King" seemed intent on creating massive golems or some such constructs. She could only wonder what kind of monstrosities would result from such research.
Gawain, meanwhile, sought out Jerren. With the Castellan's help, he found the portal leading directly to the Divine Tower. He watched the shimmering gateway for a moment, recalled something, and asked a quick question before stepping through.
After a brief blur of motion, he found himself at the very top of the Divine Tower of Caelid. He had completely bypassed the tedious process of jumping across giant roots on the tower's exterior and slowly climbing the internal ladders.
"This is certainly more convenient. I'm glad I didn't have to run the whole way."
He ascended the stairs to the highest level. Before him lay another corpse of the Two Fingers. Compared to the one atop Limgrave's tower, this one was smoother, with fewer visible hairs—it was significantly less disgusting. He practicedly withdrew Radahn's Great Rune and presented it.
Because Melina had already mostly repaired it, the activation went far more smoothly than the last time. Soon, the Great Rune flared with light and merged with Gawain's body.
Purple radiance leaked from his frame before settling into a calm hum. He felt the surge of a peculiar power within him, which eventually integrated into his own strength.
"An increase in vitality, focus, and stamina... and an enhancement to gravity magic as well?"
The effects were exactly as he had anticipated: a massive boost to his health, mana, and endurance, along with a permanent recovery effect. While it didn't grant the near-immortal regeneration the General had possessed, it felt as though he were permanently under the influence of a Starlight Shard combined with a Warming Stone.
He knew that from this moment forward, against anyone below a "Hero" level, he could probably stand still and let them hit him—their damage likely wouldn't outpace his natural recovery.
Beyond the inherent authority of the Rune, it bore the General's unique touch. Gawain could feel his mastery over gravity magic tightening and becoming more instinctive.
If there was a surprise, it was that the Great Runes in this reality didn't function like the game, where only one could be active at a time. Instead, the fusion effect inherent to the Great Rune of Godrick already inside him was at work, perfectly melding with the power of the new Rune to achieve a result where the whole was greater than the sum of its parts.
The specific applications would have to be developed in future battles, but for now, his primary objectives in Caelid were complete. Although he suspected a Godskin Apostle might be lurking at the base of the tower, he wasn't in the mood to hunt it down. The Eternal City and the Fingerslayer Blade were his top priorities.
Walking to the edge of the tower, he gazed toward Fort Faroth. Just as expected, he could see a silhouette as massive as a mountain—Greyoll, the Mother of Dragons. Though ravaged by the Scarlet Rot and unable to fly or move, the sheer majesty she exuded even while prone proved her status among dragonkind.
"She's almost too big. Do you think Agheel could grow that large one day?"
"I doubt it," Melina replied, appearing beside him. "That is Greyoll, the legendary mother of all drakes. It is tragic to see her tormented by the rot like this. Do you wish to visit her?"
"No, let her rest there for now. We'll come back when we have more time."
Gawain turned his gaze toward Redmane Castle and Fort Gael. He used his telescope and nodded in satisfaction. Several abandoned Smoldering Walls had been reclaimed, and the Kindred of Rot had been pushed back toward the heart of the swamp. Everything seemed to be heading in the right direction.
Watching this, Melina couldn't help but feel moved. Before she and Torrent had met him in Limgrave, she never imagined things would change so quickly. If the Scarlet Rot hadn't been suppressed in Caelid, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
"Including Godrick's, this is the second one. To be honest, I didn't expect us to reach this stage so soon. By the standards of the Roundtable Hold, you now possess the qualifications to be a Lord, just like those two candidates of the past."
Gawain scoffed at the word "qualifications." He couldn't care less about the Two Fingers' opinion.
"Qualifications? That word is for superiors testing or rewarding their inferiors. I have no need for such things. I will collect every Great Rune held by the demigods and return them to the shattered Elden Ring to repair its damage. The Ring is too deeply integrated into the Lands Between; the more complete it is, the better. It will make it easier for me to rewrite it into something more reasonable, rather than letting it remain a broken mess that plagues all life. No matter how beautiful a blessing seems, it becomes a curse once it loses control."
Melina neither agreed nor disagreed. In her eyes, as long as a better path for the future of the Lands Between was found, she would not oppose it. She looked at Gawain, her heart filled with expectation. To carve a new path with someone so rebellious yet special was exhilarating. She was willing to accompany him to the very end.
She looked down at her translucent palms, recalling something. She hesitated, wondering if she should speak.
"From your tone, it seems you've completely turned away from the guidance of the Fingers. If that is your choice, then proceed boldly. As for that Lunar Princess, Ranni..." Melina hesitated before voicing her doubt. "Do you truly intend to continue this cooperation with her?"
"I never intended to follow the Fingers' orders in the first place, otherwise I'd already be hunting the next demigod. So, there's no 'turning away' to speak of. I care more about the living people I've saved than the throne itself. I chose the path of a Lord so they could live better lives. That is my true goal—to be a Lord for a purpose, not for the sake of the title."
Gawain thought of the stories of the great Lords of Cinder. To use one's own body to burn away all the world's despair was his true calling. The petty squabbles between the demigods of the Lands Between seemed small by comparison.
"As for Ranni... what she did in the past was extreme, and she left herself no retreat. But ultimately, it was the inevitable result of this warped God-King system. Even without her, other rebels would have appeared. Besides, how could an outsider steal the Rune of Death and assassinate Godwin without an accomplice? There must have been other players involved. Marika herself left word for her children to fight it out in a divine battle royale; it's no wonder the demigods made their own moves, leading to the Shattering.
"Ranni's ideals don't conflict with mine; in fact, they overlap in many ways. Cooperation isn't a bad thing. And as I said, I want you to have a full life as a normal human. With the help of a Carian Princess, I believe we can make that happen."
Melina muttered something under her breath, then looked up, having made a decision.
"Since you have decided, I will trust your judgment. But I no longer wish to be this powerless, watching you fight from the sidelines. That 'Soul-Blending' ritual you use on others... can you perform it on me? Your soul is powerful and pure. I wish to borrow a portion of your strength so that I may help you in the future."
Gawain looked at Melina in surprise. He hadn't expected such a request. Was this the legendary "mana replenishment" trope? He had no reason to refuse and reached out to take her hand.
"Meeting you was the greatest fortune I've had in the Lands Between. You are my maiden, and you've helped me enough already. If I have to rely on you for combat too, then what use am I? But since it's your wish, I will share my soul with you. My power will be yours, but be warned—it might be painful. You'll need to endure."
Their fingers interlaced, gripped tightly. A flare of fire erupted, merging portions of their souls together. Gawain felt his Faith stat begin to climb at a staggering rate. He was shocked—just how high was Melina's Faith for it to provide this much before the ritual was even complete?
Melina endured the searing agony. For a moment, fragmented memories of her physical body being consumed by fire resurfaced. Pain and despair flooded her mind, but they were met by the inexhaustible strength pouring into her frail spirit. Instinctively, her sealed left eye snapped open.
"Wait, what's happening...?"
Gawain watched as Melina's hair began to stand on end. Then, his jaw dropped as he saw her gloam-colored eye open.
"Wait, I didn't even touch the Frenzied Flame. How did we bring out the Gloam-Eye?"
He could feel the power flowing from his soul into hers reaching the brink of instability. The fire was becoming laced with a black-and-white radiance, strikingly similar to the Black Flame used by the Godskin Apostles.
He hurriedly halted the transfer. The ritual was complete; he severed the connection. Under his careful manipulation, the surging power within Melina's spirit finally calmed.
"What... what happened to me?" Melina touched her open left eye, visibly confused. This was a seal placed by her mother; she hadn't expected it to fail now.
She instinctively looked toward the Erdtree. In a daze, she saw a vision of the tree engulfed in a colossal inferno. She stood frozen until Gawain's voice pulled her back.
"Are you back with me? I thought I'd messed up the ritual for a second. Your power almost went critical."
"I'm sorry. It wasn't your fault. I don't know why this happened, but the seal my mother left in my eye is gone. I... I cannot control this unfamiliar power yet."
"The Gloam-Eye... so that's what your left eye really looks like. To be honest, it's more beautiful than I imagined. Though the way your hair stood up reminded me of some unpleasant things."
Melina swatted at him playfully, hurriedly smoothing down her disheveled hair and covering her eye. Why was he thinking about such trivial things at a time like this?
"But my mother viewed this eye as a sign of a calamitous future—an unpardonable sin. That is why she sealed it. Do you truly not care?"
"Why should I care? Because of some supposed 'future'?" Gawain shook his head. He knew the sealed eye was likely related to the vision Marika saw—the future where the Erdtree burns. To the Golden Order, that was indeed an unforgivable sin. But to him, the only "unacceptable future" was the one where his maiden sacrificed herself at the Forge of the Giants to burn the tree.
"Don't worry. As long as I'm here, no 'calamitous future' will become reality. I will burn them all to ash."
"If you say so..."
Melina slowly lowered her hand, revealing the eye once more. She could feel the unique power within it. As long as she didn't use it or lose control, it wasn't a problem. In fact, she could see more clearly with it than with her other eye.
Now that the Gloam-Eye was open, she felt a bit strange, but she accepted it. The seal was broken; she might as well use it to observe the changes in the Lands Between more clearly... or perhaps...
"Alright, don't overthink it. It's time to head back to Stormveil."
"Yes, of course."
She followed him closely, occasionally watching his back with both eyes. Another busy day was about to begin.
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