Upon the field of the Full Moon pattern stood the interlaced symbols of the sword and the glintstone staff. Loyalty and strength, reason and the cosmos—when knights and sorcerers gathered beneath the Full Moon to serve as one, it signaled the resurgence of the stars.
The blue-clad Raya Lucaria infantry, the four-armed marionette soldiers wielding spears and sabers, and the troll knights carrying colossal greatswords advanced in staggered yet orderly phalanxes.
The Knights of the Cuckoo held the flanks, while multiple sorcerer formations from the various Conspectuses were shielded at the center by the infantry. In the sky, swarms of avian marionettes cruised back and forth, and hot-air balloons powered by glintstone stood sentry over the four directions. On the rear flanks of the battlefield, several Demi-Human Queens stood ready with their hand-picked warriors, eager to strike the enemy lines as a reserve force should the battle reach a stalemate.
Beneath the highest banner at the front of the army, Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, sat atop her steed wearing her high crown and clutching the Carian Regal Scepter, guarded closely by her royal knights.
"I have never even seen Mother look so imposing upon a horse," Ranni murmured, gazing at the battle lines, a smile unconsciously gracing her lips. "It seems Mother's lost heart has finally been found."
"Princess, shall we...?" the half-wolf warrior Blaidd asked tentatively.
"No, let us simply watch from here," Ranni shook her head. "A Mother in such a state cannot be defeated."
"Hmph!" Hector, standing some distance away, let out a snort of white mist from his nostrils. "Do as you wish, Princess of the Moon. I imagine the King would very much like to see his daughter return to the right path."
He mounted a warhorse left behind by a fallen knight, gathered the remaining Leyndell riders, and galloped toward the main body of the Royal Army.
At that moment, a shift occurred in the vanguard of the Golden Order's forces. A small squad of knights rode out from the center of the formation toward the open ground between the two opposing armies, waving banners to signal a request for the Carian leaders to come forth for parley.
Seeing the red-haired, bare-chested man at the lead, Ranni's brow furrowed slightly.
"Radagon..." she whispered, her expression a complex web of emotions.
The Carian royal banner began to move. Rennala rode out from the ranks, followed by a tight escort of Carian Knights.
"Rennala, it has been a long time," Radagon said, raising a hand in greeting.
Rennala paused for a long moment before half-raising her hand in a curt acknowledgement. "Elden Lord. For what purpose have you come?"
"Will you no longer call me Radagon?" he asked, though his face—carved like a marble sculpture—remained entirely devoid of emotion.
"My dream is over," Rennala replied calmly. "I once believed that Celestial Dew could wash away all faults and sins. But in the end, tears are merely tears."
"I ask that you withdraw your troops and let us resolve this matter peacefully. Otherwise, we shall all die here," Radagon stated. "I led my army into Caria only to retrieve our child. I heard his name is Raven?"
"You came all this way just to say this?" Rennala's scepter began to rise.
"I am aware of the matter regarding the Black Knife assassin," Radagon continued, his stone hammer still hanging low toward the ground. "What was stolen was a minuscule fragment of the Rune of Death, so small that even the Black Blade himself did not notice."
"Are you trying to say the assassin was not sent by you? That you knew nothing of it?"
"I will not say that." Radagon fell silent for a moment. "But as of now, Destined Death remains sealed within Maliketh's Black Blade; it has not been released. This proves that the first of the demigod dead has not appeared. Our child is not truly gone. I ask you to allow me to take the boy; perhaps the blessing of the Erdtree can heal him."
"Fifty-seven years ago, you betrayed me, returning alone to the Capital to marry Marika. One week ago, an assassin sent by the Capital attempted to murder my child. And just moments ago, your army trampled Carian soil and slaughtered my people. Now, you tell me you wish to take my child to 'heal' him."
Radagon remained silent for a long time.
"I am sorry," he said flatly.
"Today, blood is destined to flow like a river. I do not believe a single word you say, but I pray that you are telling the truth," Rennala said. "I will breach the walls of Leyndell and personally carry my child beneath the Erdtree. The Erdtree has no right to 'grant' my child a blessing; that power is something I shall take for myself."
"You cannot win, and you know this," Radagon said without expression. "Placidusax the Dragonlord could not win; the Giants and their Fell God could not win. Caria will be no different. The Golden Order is destined to rule the Lands Between. Give the child to me, or more Naturalborns shall descend to destroy everything associated with him."
"At the very least, one dog of the Golden Order dies here today." A cold Full Moon rose behind Rennala. Taking this as the signal, the Carian army began its advance. The knightly orders on the flanks began to maneuver, searching for a breach in the Royal Army's formation.
Just as the war was about to ignite, a purple meteor streaked across the sky from the direction of Raya Lucaria. With a thunderous roar, it zoomed past the battlefield without stopping, hurtling toward the horizon and leaving both armies, who had been bracing for impact, utterly bewildered.
In the sky, a small black dot traced a parabolic arc, plummeting toward the earth accompanied by a long, drawn-out scream.
"Lusat—you set me up!"
Holding a thin Jellyfish Shield to act as a parachute, Raven roared in fury. The meteor's trajectory had been absurdly off; he had been dropped from a height of several thousand meters, not the dozens Lusat had promised. He looked down at the rapidly approaching ground, suspecting he hadn't slowed down in the slightest. Only the Longtail Cat Talisman pinned to his chest and the soft cotton covering his entire body gave him even a modicum of security.
Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!
Raven tumbled across the ground, plowing a deep trench into the dirt. The soft cotton covering him burst open with a series of muffled pops, burying him in a pile of drifting, fleecy white fluff. This was a product created by processing Rowa Fruit using a special method; the principle seemed similar to an airbag, designed to mitigate damage from high falls.
Seeing this object fall from the heavens, the armies on both sides were unsure which faction it belonged to. Just as they hesitated whether or not to open fire, two shouts rang out almost simultaneously.
"Cease all actions!" "Hold your positions!"
Confusion reigned for a few moments before the soldiers confirmed the ceasefire, standing in place, unsure of what to do. A few stray spells and bolts flew lonely through the air, landing harmlessly in the opposing trenches.
Raven lay spread-eagle at the bottom of the crater, covered in fluff, his mouth open and eyes shut in shock.
Pushing aside the Jellyfish Shield covering his face, he wobbled to his feet, only to be caught in a crushing embrace by Rennala, who had leaped from her horse.
Radagon also dismounted and approached. He still held his stone hammer, and this was a perfect opportunity for a sneak attack, yet he simply stood there, watching the scene in silence.
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Elden Ring: The Unborn One's Journey Through Elden Ring(48 Chapter - Ongoing)
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