Time moved swiftly. Two days later, Rellana gathered a group of her most trusted subordinates and finalized all the preparations necessary for the transfer of the Shamans.
Gawain had initially felt that such caution was unnecessary, given that he had already purged Belurat. However, he soon realized that as a newcomer, he had oversimplified many things. Though the Crusade appeared to occupy most of the Land of Shadow, the Hornsent's elite forces still existed. Any large-scale movement, if not handled with care, could escalate into a major battle—an unacceptable risk for Castle Ensis, which excelled in defense but lacked the numbers for a sustained offensive.
Furthermore, the identity of the Shamans was a sensitive matter. Messmer did not wish for the truth to be spread.
To those in the know, the reason was simple yet tragic: the connection between Queen Marika, the Hornsent, and the Divine Gate concerned the very legitimacy of the Golden Dynasty's birth. Even if it was painted as an act of "vengeance," it did not change the fact that after her ascension to godhood, Marika had turned and backstabbed the Hornsent. According to their original pact, that chapter should have been closed.
Messmer did not want the Golden Dynasty his mother built to be tainted by an "original sin" of betrayal. Thus, he had voluntarily taken the burden upon himself—whether it was the guilt or the curse, he would shoulder it alone.
Because of this, the Crusade could initially advance with fervor in Queen Marika's name. Even if the rank-and-file soldiers had doubts, they remained loyal. However, after Marika severed the Land of Shadow, the fear of abandonment combined with the revelation of Messmer's nature as the Base Serpent caused the once-united Crusade to fracture. The resulting rebellion significantly weakened their strength, leading to the current stalemate.
After piecing these facts together, Gawain had to admit that Messmer was a "pressure-tank" on the same level as Morgott. Maintaining his sanity under such weight was a feat of sheer resilience; he likely had no mental energy left to respond to Rellana's feelings.
From that perspective, God only knows how much the existence of a "Tarnished" would break Messmer's composure. After fighting the Hornsent for untold years, Miquella suddenly arrives from the outside to tell him that Queen Marika has entrusted the duty of lordship to a group of unblessed Tarnished. Suddenly, he's about to have a new "Step-Father" out of nowhere. What was the point of all his years of sacrifice then?
Knowing that Melina had entered the Land of Shadow, Rellana didn't hesitate to send word to the Shadow Keep. she only hoped that this news might alleviate some of his pressure. However, if he learned that his sister had become a Maiden to a Tarnished... that seemed like the kind of thing that would make his blood pressure skyrocket. It was a difficult situation.
On the night before the operation, Rellana put aside her duties and invited Ranni and Gawain to her chambers for a proper talk. At the very least, she needed to understand the changes that had occurred in the Lands Between.
Ranni kept little from her aunt. She even considered bringing Rellana back to the Lands Between eventually to help clean up the mess left by the Carian Royal Family. She never truly desired the "orthodox" throne; she only wanted her mother to return to normal so she could pursue the Order of the Dark Moon in peace.
Rellana's expression, usually composed, became quite vivid as she heard the events of the years since she was severed from the world.
First was the Night of the Black Knives, where Godwyn was slain alongside a vast number of Golden Nobles in the capital. Ranni was revealed to be one of the masterminds—or victims—of the event. Then came the siege of Leyndell by the various demigods, leading to two Great Wars. The magnificent capital had actually fallen so low that it had to rely on a "Margit"—an Omen, effectively a Hornsent—to maintain its defenses.
The events that followed were even harder for her to accept. The Academy of Raya Lucaria had hired mercenaries to rebel, nearly toppling Caria Manor. Of her two nephews, one had been swallowed by the immortal serpent of Mt. Gelmir, while the other had succumbed to the Scarlet Rot after enduring the Bloom of Aeonia, losing his mind and dooming all of Caelid.
Why hadn't Miquella mentioned any of this? She only knew that war was raging outside, that Queen Marika had entrusted the duty of lordship to the Tarnished, and that Miquella had entered the Land of Shadow to find a way to end the conflict for good.
A mother who had lost her mind, a father who had walked out, a brother driven mad, and a niece who was now only a spirit... it was enough to make anyone's head spin.
After a succession of bad news, Rellana noticed that Ranni's furrowed brow smoothed out whenever she glanced at Gawain. She realized the focus was about to shift to the relationship between these two. She wondered what this Tarnished had done to win the heart of her proud niece.
But even with some mental preparation, the facts she heard were unbelievable.
A Tarnished who had recently entered the Lands Between had fought his way from Castle Morne at the southern tip all the way to the foot of the Altus Plateau. Along with the Eternal City underground, he had claimed half the territory of the Lands Between for himself. On his journey, he had defeated three shardbearers. Though Godrick was a lightweight, General Radahn and Mohg of the Mohgwyn Dynasty were anything but.
Especially when hearing Ranni recount the night she gifted him the Dark Moon Greatsword in a slightly bashful tone, Rellana felt a pang of genuine envy. Why had her niece met a King who pursued her relentlessly from the start, while she could only stare longingly toward the Shadow Keep? Had she been too proactive at the start, only to lose her leverage?
Letting out a soft sigh, she looked at Gawain with a complex gaze. She saw in him the shadow of King Godfrey, leading the armies of the Golden Dynasty to victory after victory, sweeping across the Lands Between.
No, the situation he faced was even more difficult than Godfrey's. In an era where the Shadow Tree was severed, there were no endless supplies of Blessed Dew to sustain an army. In remote Limgrave, one could barely find enough smithing stones to reinforce a weapon.
It was safe to say that he had won every battle by putting his life on the line. Such a powerful warrior could not have been forged in a short time. Even Godfrey, before meeting Marika, had led his tribal warriors against the Fire Giants for a long time before his brilliance shone in the Giant War.
With that thought, she donned her helmet. The Moon and Fire on her blades ignited once more.
"Come. While we still have time, spar with me."
"Hm? Why so sudden?" Gawain asked.
"Combat is the fastest way to understand a person. Before you see Messmer, you must first earn my approval."
Gawain looked at Ranni. She gave a slight nod, her eyes encouraging him to go ahead. Having no further objections, he followed Rellana to the center of the moongazing pond.
"I know that as an outsider, your true strength is suppressed by the shadows of this land. Therefore, I will hold back some of my strength. If you satisfy me, all the Scadutree Fragments within Castle Ensis are yours. I will also personally introduce you to Messmer. Of course, whether you can ensure he doesn't impale you on sight is entirely up to your own performance."
"Hold back? What fun would that be? I haven't been serious in quite a while since entering the Land of Shadow."
"I will only show this next battle once. I don't want to reveal too many of my secrets yet; I want to save a surprise for Melina."
Rellana's lips curled. This fight was going to be more interesting than she had anticipated. Her twin swords glowed with different lights as she took her stance, the powers of Moon and Fire interweaving. She moved with elegant steps, circling her opponent, ready to strike first.
"If I just burn a little... it shouldn't be visible from the outside," Gawain muttered under his breath.
Suddenly, a violent flame erupted from his body, enveloping him completely. The pervasive, clinging shadows of the area hissed as they touched the fire, scorched away in an instant until not a trace remained. The surrounding shadows seemed to recoil in fear, unable to maintain their suppression.
From the flames emerged a figure wearing armor that looked as if it had been melted and reforged. He lightly swung a coiled, spiral-shaped weapon, and for a moment, the air itself seemed to vibrate.
"Time is limited. Let's make this quick."
Rellana's pupils dilated in disbelief. What kind of flame is this? Compared to this, she felt even Messmer's flame appeared diminished.
However, her warrior's instinct didn't allow her to hesitate. This time, she would have to give it her all.
She flicked her right-hand sword upward, and a dozen glintstones flowing with cold light instantly manifested above her. The runes on the blades flickered. After a brief lock-on, they pierced toward the enemy from all directions with a sharp whistling sound.
Simultaneously, her sword-glow surged. A spectral image of a glintstone blade several times larger than her own condensed, its edges rippling with energy—it was one of her signature moves, Carian Sovereignty.
Her gaze locked onto her opponent, her mind already calculating every possible dodge path. Her arm tensed with power as she swung the blade downward without hesitation.
But in the next second, her pupils shrank. Gawain stood his ground, unmoving, as a blindingly white light erupted from his body. The Glintblade Phalanx lost its luster the moment it touched the light, vanishing silently. Her "guaranteed" vertical slash struck only empty air, sending water spraying across the moongazing grounds.
The attack wasn't over. She pivoted on her toes, twisting her waist to drive a follow-up horizontal sweep. Gawain simply turned his wrist, parrying the strike firmly with his coiled sword. In the dull clang of metal, the glintstone energy was perfectly blocked; there wasn't even a shred of feedback from a successful hit.
Her eyes turned sharp. The longsword in her left hand suddenly erupted with dark, ink-like flames. Her body tensed like a bowstring as she lunged forward, closing the gap instantly. Her twin blades struck out together—one biting with frost, the other burning with intense heat. The clashing currents of wind and steel slammed against the coiled sword, sparks falling like rain.
Does this man never consider his own safety when he fights?
In the gap between exchanges, Rellana saw through Gawain's combat style. Even though his movements were deliberately restrained, she could still capture a shadow of his past. It was a reckless, desperate way of fighting—abandoning defense for pure offense, as if he viewed "mutual destruction" as the only path to victory. Every strike carried a resolve to burn it all down.
Such an onslaught forced her to focus on defense. Moreover, Gawain's flames made her heart sink. It was one thing to suppress the chill of the twin moons, but his fire seemed to actively consume and assimilate Messmer's flame. The searing heat transmitted through the blades made her heart race. What kind of desperate situation must he have been in to forge such an extreme style?
In a daze, she was reminded of Messmer. When he fought for Queen Marika, he was just like this—possessing a near-suicidal attitude. Even when covered in wounds, he would never let go of his target until he had impaled every Hornsent in his path.
Messmer did it for Queen Marika. But for whom did this man fight?
Frustrated by the prolonged suppression, Rellana lost her composure. She kicked off the ground, using the recoil to leap backward and create distance, her figure floating into the air.
In the next second, two bright rays of moonlight fell from the sky. Two moons, interlocked and spinning, appeared above the moongazing grounds. The cold brilliance poured down like a tide, instantly illuminating all of Castle Ensis with such clarity that the fine grit in the wall cracks was visible.
"Do all of you in the Rellana family know this move?"
Gawain watched the imminent explosion of the twin moons, unsure what to say. No, if this keeps going, I won't be able to hold back the power of the Ember.
The Firelink Greatsword in his hand transformed into the shape of a Sacred Chime. He immediately began charging a Sunlight Spear.
Just as the lightning and the moons were about to collide, a voice brought both combatants to a halt.
"Enough. Stop."
The flames on Gawain's body flickered and died, his armor reverting to the Outrider Knight set.
"If you go any further, it won't be a simple spar anymore, will it?"
Ranni manifested as a Dark Moon, shielding her King behind her. She gently waved her staff, and the Dark Moon resonated with the twin moons floating in the air, stabilizing the energy that had been on the verge of detonation.
Rellana, interrupted at such a critical moment, felt a lingering desire to continue, but she landed gracefully on the water's surface. Her twin swords grew quiet, and the shadows that had been driven away by the fire began to seep back in.
"I admit it. You are indeed powerful. And that unique flame... is unforgettable. Ranni has chosen well. I will introduce you to Messmer. Prepare yourselves. Dawn is coming; let us bring those Shamans home."
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Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash
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