Chapter 5 - Roundtable

What happened? Why is it so dark? My body hurts! What was I even doing? I was fighting! Malenia! I woke up startled; I looked around in search of my enemy. However, I was no longer in the ruins. 

I was in a comfortable bed in a kind of castle, there were shelves full of books, quality furniture, a burning fireplace warmed the room and some candles illuminated the area. My equipment was near the bed, staff, chime, and rings. Apparently, I escaped from memory, but who brought me here?

Getting of the bed, I analyzed my wounds, someone healed my body, I can move my left arm, and I have perfect vision again. Well I won't get answers staying here. Picking up my equipment, I left the room. 

As I walked through the corridors, I looked at the decoration, large paintings hanging on the walls, red carpets stretched across the floor, torches and candles lit the place. 

I entered a circular room, a round table was in the center, and on top of the table was a giant site of grace surrounded by swords. When I entered the room, the people there looked at me. Roderika was among these people, she approached me with a smile.

"You are awake! When Melina brought you here, you were on the verge of death, but now you're fine!" Roderika exclaimed.

I jumped back a bit, still not used to people being friendly with the undead. 

"Yes, I'm fine. But can you tell me what happened?" I asked as we went towards the fireplace.

"After you left to face Godrick, Melina took me to the dilapidated church where I met Kalé, but a long time passed and you still hadn't returned, Melina was worried so she brought me to the Round Table and then left in search of you. She came back with you wounded in her arms, according to her you were on the brink of death next to Godrick's corpse, it must have been a difficult battle, but you emerged victorious."

Victorious? Right. Malenia, Blade of Miquela, she who did this to me. 

"The fight against Godrick was hard, but I'm here, aren't I? By the way, I have something for you." I handed her the brooch I found in Stormveil, she accepted it and stared at the item for a few seconds.

"Please allow me to express my thanks. For giving me that souvenir of my men. It was as if I was frozen in self-pity. I failed them every time. You have my gratitude. Please take this." Roderika said, giving me some kind of golden seed, best kept it for later.

"Thank you, I would like to continue our conversation but I want to explore this place, it was good to see you again Roderika, I hope that you will be okay." I waved at her.

"I understand, I'm glad to see you again Alden, you don't need to worry about me. It's all a little too much for me, but I'm still looking for my purpose." Roderika spoke, looking away.

So is she looking for a purpose? I can relate to that. Saying one last goodbye, I decided to talk to the other people in the room.

Sitting in a chair was a man; he wore a strange gold and silver armor, with the design of someone coming out of the armor and being hugged.

"I don't believe we've met. I am known as D. I hunt Those Who Live in Death and slay their Death Root. Heed my warning. Those Who Live in Death should be left alone, moreover, if you see a Mariner among them, run. Unless you want to give your life in vain." 

I'm not one to ignore warnings, but something worries me, Those Who Live in Death? Does he hunt the undead? Best not to mention my condition.

"A pleasure D, my name is Alden, a sorcerer, thanks for the warning, but I have to go now." 

I quickly walked away from D, but even so, he repeated his warning.

"Those Who Live in Death should be left well alone. Even more so, if you see a Mariner among them." 

"Don't worry; I'll keep an eye for a Mariner! See you later!" I answered with a fake smile.

Near one of the exits of the room, there was another man. He was well dressed and wearing a fancy armor. A noble perhaps?

"Hello. You must be new here. I'm... Well, just call me Diallos. The honor of a house is of little importance in these lands. By the way, did you meet a young woman named Lanya on your travels? She is my servant, but fickle as the wind. Take your eyes off her for just a moment and she's gone. If you find her, please be sure to let me know."

Hm… He looks decent. 

"Hello! Nice to meet you Diallos, my name is Alden, a humble sorcerer, I'm sorry to say, but I haven't met anyone named Lanya." 

He looked disappointed. 

"Be sure to let me know if you meet a young woman named Lanya. She is a servant of my house. She has been my companion since childhood. I lost count of the number of times I had to find her. Honestly, she's such a tomboy."

"You can count on me, if I find Lanya, I will let you know." A pity he was separated from her friend, maybe I'll meet her on my travels.

"Thanks." Diallos smile.

In one of the corners of the room a man was praying, he was wearing yellow robes, a blindfold and wore a kind of wheel around his neck.

"Oh, I see you just arrived. Welcome to the Roundtable. I'm Corhy. I teach incantations, the strength bestowed upon us by the Two Fingers, and I explore the secrets of the Golden Order. Therefore, that one day, if a Tarnished from the Roundtable becomes Elden Lord, I can advise them, ensuring that order regains its proper form, correcting its hold over men. By the way, do you still see it? The guidance of Grace."

"Yes, I see." Incantations? Is that what they call miracles around here?

"You do! Wonderful news. Most Tarnished are blind to it these days. You are something of a rare breed. Well, what do you say? Want to learn a Two Fingers incantation?" 

Two Fingers again. Why are they so important? "I would love to, but at the moment I can't, I don't have enough runes to pay you."

"Really a pity, but don't worry, I'm not going anywhere, show up again when you're ready." 

Well, now there's only one person left inside this room. That person had been watching me talk to everyone else. The last person was a man wearing old armor with ears and eyes adornments, he was bent and carrying a staff like a cane.

"Well, are you done introducing yourself? This is a rare occasion, I can't remember the last time a new Tarnished arrived at the Round Table. As your superior, I welcome you, it's safe here, and you can let your guard down. However, allow me some advice, as your superior. You are a mere visitor to the Round Table, nothing more. A guest of the house, yet to earn a living. Remember your place, newcomer. There's nothing more to say, so be my guest." 

Rude!

"What do you mean by visitor?" I said, crossing my arms staring at him.

"Oh, are you aggrieved? In the notion, you are just a visitor here? Then you would do well to remember the first words of grace given to you. Stand before the Elden Ring and become the Elden Lord. If those words had any meaning for you... Follow the guidance of grace, lay low the shard bearers, and claim a Great Rune for yourself. Do this and the doors to the Round Table's inner chamber will open. And you will receive the wisdom of the Two Fingers." 

Great rune?

I put my hand in my bag and took out the rune I got from Godrick "Would that be a Great Rune?" I showed it to him, and the man went silent. 

"So you already have one? Very good. Very good. Tell me Tarnished, where do you come from? What's your name?"

"I am Alden of Drangleic, a sorcerer." 

The man just nodded his head "As soon as the wisdom of the Two Fingers becomes yours, I will welcome you. The Two Fingers await you in a lower chamber. As a true member of the Round Table, I have high hopes for you. I'm sick of them, these namby-pamby Tarnished think of us as no more than a shelter from the rain... We've spoken long enough. I have matters to attend to." 

The man left, and I heard a door slamming in the distance.

Let's continue exploring. While walking through the halls I heard the sound of a hammer, following it, I came to a type of forge, chained to the wall near the forge there was a type of lizard man, who was hammering a sword incessantly.

"You're a new face. No matter, it's all the same. Lay out your arms. Let's get smiting." 

I didn't pay much attention to what he said; I just stared at the chains.

 "I see you've noticed the chains. Nothing special. I'm a prisoner, and these are my chains. I'm trapped by the Hold, undying, smiting for you fools. That's all there is to it".

"Are you a prisoner?" It reminds me of the undead prisons built around Drangleic. 

"Nah, don't read too much into it. I've no grudge against you. I being a prisoner is no fault of yours. Besides, I don't mind smiting. Despite the differences, the weapons get stronger, all the same. Given time, the technique never fails. Besides, it helps me forget. The sheer terror of her..."

"I understand. Can you repair my equipment?" 

He stared at me for a few seconds. 

"But what kind of question is that? I'm a blacksmith, aren't I? Give me your weapons!" 

I handed him the ornate blades and golden halberd, and he began his work. 

"Tell me, do you know how to work with ashes of war?"

"Young people and their stupid questions! Of course, I know! What do you need?" 

I handed him my staff and he analyzed it. 

"Hmm! I've never seen anything like it. Now which ash do you want to use?" 

Hmm! Let me see... That one! I handed the ash. 

"Good choice." 

The blacksmith worked on the weapons and gave them back to me, I paid the runes for the service, now let's see how it works. Walking away of the blacksmith, I grabbed my staff and focused, I could feel the power of the ashes, suddenly staff spun in front of me, magic and darkness surrounding it.

"Very good! Now, look at you. Those eyes tell a story. Of a challenger, who's felled his mark. Fine and well. Now, lay out your arms." The blacksmith applauded.

"I think that's enough for now, it was a pleasure to meet you, my name is Alden." I said while smiling 

"I'm Hewg, Smiting Master, before you go tell me something." 

I stopped midway after hearing that. 

"The girl you brought here... She's crestfallen, and can scarcely swing a blade, but she has a gift for spirit tuning. I saw another one like her, long ago. Their eyes share the same hue."

"Her name is Roderika; she lost her friends to one of the Demigods, and now she looks for a purpose." 

So that means Roderika can work with spirits, I remembered the jellyfish she gave me. Maybe I can help. 

"I'll be right back!" 

I ran to Roderika, she was still there, by the fireplace. 

"Roderika, can you come with me for a minute?" 

She approached with a smile "Nice to see you again. Thank God, you are safe. I'm still looking for my purpose. It's not easy by any means, but it's what I have to do. But leaving that aside, what can I do for you?"

"Roderika, I spoke to Hewg the blacksmith, and he told me you have some kind of talent. You're looking for a purpose, aren't you? How about talking to him?"

Roderika seemed to think for a few seconds, a look of doubt appearing on her face.

"Are you telling me I have some kind of gift? I do not believe you. However... If I have this talent, and God knows, it would be my first... I think I should try to improve it. I should not? I'll ask Master Hewg to teach me. Certainly, he looks intimidating and has no love for us, Tarnished... Nevertheless, I know he's stuck here, at the Round Table... So... I can tell. He is a gentle soul, underneath it all."

I put my hand on her shoulder. 

"That's the spirit!" I shuddered after realizing the joke I made. 

Helping someone find their purpose. How many Undead have gone hollow without finding theirs? We walked over to where Hewg was. Roderika right behind me.

"If I have a talent for spirit tuning, and God knows it would be a surprise… I think I should try to improve it. I should not? I'll ask Master Hewg to teach me."

"Don't worry, Hewg will help you for sure; I know he's a good person. You know, one of my magic teachers was a grumpy wizard; I met him on a wharf. At first, he was hesitant to teach me, but then he changed his mind, and said I had potential. I don't know what he saw in me, but I didn't give up, now look where I am, I'm a successful sorcerer. Do not doubt yourself Roderika; you have a talent, so refine it to the fullest." 

Roderika lifted her head and smiled at me "Thanks!"

You know, if my heart was still beating I think I would have a heart attack at this beautiful sight, but as an undead, there are many things I don't understand and don't feel. I know what joy, sadness, and anger are, but sometimes I don't know what to feel. I see people laughing, but should I laugh too? 

Some people get angry at seeing the corpses scattered around Drangleic, I just walk over them and loot the body if they have anything useful. I get the feeling that something is missing, something the curse has taken away from me. Enough of the depressing thoughts, Hewg is just ahead!

"Hey Hewg!" 

He stopped his work and looked at us. 

"Don't tell me you've already broken your weapons?" 

I laughed a little at that.

"This is Roderika, and she would like to talk to you about something." I pushed Roderika forward slightly. 

"You can do it." I whispered.

I left the two of them alone, there's no reason for me to get involved in this conversation. Well, I think I'll keep walking around. I stopped in front of a room, inside there was a woman wearing black robes and lying on a bed.

"Greetings, great champion called by grace. I am Fia. Circumstances have compelled my stay at the Roundtable Hold. Great champion, would you allow me to hold you, but briefly? Perhaps you might share with me some of your lively vigor and your stout-heartedness. Doing so will grant me the warmth of a champion. And you, I am sure, will bear a baldachin's blessing. Do you think it vulgar, perhaps? Where I come from, it is a sacred act."

Hold an undead? Now I'm sure, wherever this place is, they have no idea what an Undead is, but I don't see a problem with what she's asking. I approached Fia, and she opened her arms, embracing me, I felt something different. She was doing something to me.

"Ah, my thanks, great champion. You are... Very cold..." 

From the tone of her voice, she was disconcerted, not surprised, I'm cold as a corpse. I left her hug; there was something different in me.

"What you felt light up inside you was a baldachin's blessing. Though it is only a fleeting thing, I am afraid. Come back to me, should you require another. I will take you in my arms as often as you need." Fia smiled at me.

"Alright, I'll be back if I ever need the blessing again, it was a pleasure meeting you Fia, my name is Alden." I waved at Fia as I walked away; she waved back and returned to her rest.

As I walked I came to a balcony, and on that balcony was Rogier, I waved at him, good to know he managed to get out of the castle. 

"Ah, we meet again after all. I apologize for any offense given by my posture, but I can't move, you know. Only. What do you need?" 

He can't move? I pocked Rogier in his arm, but he didn't move an inch. 

"Please stop, my legs don't move but I can still feel my upper body." He said annoyed.

"Sorry." I said, bowing down.

"Returning to your question, at the moment I don't need anything, I'm just exploring this place, I woke up here after defeating Godrick."

"Ah, you defeated Godrick and claimed a Great Rune. Mm looks like we both got what we wanted from Stormveil, doesn't it? Very well friend. Something to mark the occasion. Go, take it." 

Rogier gave me his Rapier; I hesitated to accept "Are you sure?" 

Rogier looked at his legs. "As you may have guessed, I still can't move. My fighting days are behind me. No need to be polite, I have no use for that anymore." 

I nodded and accepted the Rapier, it was a nice weapon, I took a few hits in the air to test it, and I put the weapon in my bag. 

"Before you leave, could you do me a favor?" 

I approached Rogier, signaling him to continue. 

"Thanks! During my visit to Stormveil Castle, I found what I was looking for, below the castle, there is something I would like you to see, the result of a terrible plan executed a long time ago, if it's not too much to ask." 

Hm… It could be a trap, or it could be something important, the urgency in Rogier's voice hints at that.

"Okay, I'll go back to the castle and then I'll tell you what I found." 

Rogier smiled and waved me goodbye.

I walked away from him; well at least now I have a goal, I'll take a break to explore Limgrave now that I've defeated Godrick.

I think it's time to visit these Two Fingers.

-XXXXXX-

I arrived in a dark room, and inside that room were the Two Fingers they were literally two giant fingers. Now whom should I talk to? Maybe with the Two Fingers?

"Hello? Are you the Two Fingers?" I approached it. 

"I was told that I should talk to you, to get some kind of wisdom." Nothing happened.

 "Seriously? You will ignore me?" The fingers just stood still. 

"Listen here you idiot finger..."

"HAHAHAHA!" Someone laughed. 

I turned to the side and came face-to-face with an old woman carrying a giant staff.

"Don't mind me, keep talking, I haven't had a good laugh in a while." The old woman continued to laugh.

"If you're done having fun, can you tell me how I speak with the Two Fingers? I was told that I should get some kind of wisdom from them." 

After I said that, the old woman stopped laughing and became serious.

"Are you the new Tarnished? You did well. I'm Enia, the finger reader. I interpret the words of the Fingers, envoy of the Greater Will." 

Then it is with her that I must speak.

"Look there. The Fingers tremble, to welcome you, shardbearer. Let their wisdom wash over you. Great Elden Ring, the root of the Golden Order, Anchor of all lands, Giver of the grave, Source of all joy. Until it was torn apart, The Order's tragic corruption has taken its toll. Across the realm, life is in ruins. Falling to pieces. Curses and misery spread, unshakable. Nevertheless, the Greater Will has not abandoned the realm, or the life that inhabits it. So is that the Tarnished are guided by grace. Called to action. Bravo Tarnished, your Great Rune is a beautiful shard of the Elden Ring. Look for another of its kind. To become Elden Lord and restore the Golden Order. Let the words of the Fingers guide you."

As Enia said this, the fingers moved, I didn't feel anything different, and since I'm here better ask some questions. 

"Do you know what this is?" I showed Enia the thing I got from Godrick.

"Well, well… I see… A golden souvenir found its way into your possession. Erdtree carves demigods, and even the greatest of champions, at their end, in remembrance. They are... valuable indeed. These memories still harbor the power of their former masters. Moreover, if you wish to wield that same power, well... I'll lend you the strength of the Fingers. Heh... Don't back down from my offer. The Fingers guide us all. And you, Tarnished, are here to get it, aren't you?" 

A remembrance? Therefore, this is the equivalent of Strong Souls in this place.

"What can you do with that remembrance?" I handed it to Enia. She closed her eyes and focused. 

"I can make one of two weapons, the Godrick Axe or the Grafted Dragon, which weapons do you wants?" 

I stopped to think, I think I'll choose the ax; I don't want to have a dragon grafted onto my arm.

"I choose the ax."

"Very well, let the power of the Two Fingers guide you."

A white light formed and in the place of the remembrance, there was a golden ax, Godrick's Axe. I took the weapon, it was heavy, but it was nothing I could not use, I it in my bag. 

"What can you tell me about the Great Runes?" I showed her the rune I got from Godrick.

"Ahh, Great Runes are the stuff of the demigods. The children of the goddess, Queen Marika. She is the recipient of the Elden Ring. Stained by the strength of their runes, their children warred, but none could become Elden Lord. Therefore, grace was extended, to your kind, the Tarnished. Listen, the Fingers talk. "The Greater Will has long since renounced the demigods. Tarnished, show no mercy. Take their heads. Take what's left... Indeed. Nevertheless, remember one thing. The demigods are every direct descendant of Queen Marika; Godrick the Grafted was only a distant relative… The runt of the little, his divine blood extremely diluted."

Well, I think that's enough for now. 

"Thanks for the information, Enia, but now I need to go."

"Now, go ahead. Let the words of the Fingers guide you."

-XXXXXX-

A door opened inside the Round Table, and on the side of that door there was a man, he didn't say anything, he just watched me. I went through the door and came to a kind of office; the man with the armor adorned with eyes and ears was there. Bent over a book, my arrival caught his attention.

"You have received the wisdom of the Two Fingers, have you not? Therefore, as promised, I welcome you, as a true member of the Round Table. I am known as Gideon Ofnir. As a Tarnished One who wishes to stand before the Elden Ring and become Elden Lord, I am accumulating knowledge. To be All-Knowing. You now belong to a select group of companions. As such, I ask that you remain constant."

Looks like I'm an official member of the Roundtable now. "I'm glad to be a part of your group. My name is Alden, nice to meet you, Gideon; since you call yourself All-Knowing I hope you don't mind answering some of my questions."

This seemed to get his attention "Not at all, but in return I want you to answer some of my questions."

"Fair." I took one of the chairs inside the office and placed it in front of him.

"For starters, I'm a layman regarding the history of the Lands Between and their current situation; if you don't mind I'd like a summary of events, what is the Elden Ring, the Greater Will, Marika, the Demigods, that kind of thing." 

Gideon stared at me silently, I heard him taking a deep breath.

"Very well, apparently your knowledge of the current situation is that of a child, I don't know how you managed to acquire a Great Rune, so let's get started."

"The name of this land is Lands Between, a great realm ruled by demigods and blessed by the power of the Elden Ring and the Erdtree. This continent is surrounded by water and fog on all sides." 

I've never heard of this place before. So he means that I crossed the ocean? Then I will need a ship to return to Drangleic.

"What is the Elden Ring? A ring, literally?" 

Gideon shuddered.

"The Elden Ring is a magical artifact that dictates the rules of the Lands Between and changes them at will, life, and death, light, and dark; everything is decided by the Elden Ring." 

Isn't that the equivalent of the Drangleic throne? Deciding the fate of the land and all that?

"Continuing, the Elden Ring was seeded in the Lands Between by the Greater Will, no one knows exactly what the Greater Will is. It just appeared one day, created the Erdtree, and blessed the selected inhabitants with Grace, and currently the Elden Ring is inside the Erdtree, so an age of Order has arisen." 

Did it just show up one day like that? I don't like where this is going.

"The Lands Between was ruled by Queen Marika the Eternal, a being chosen by the Greater Will, who acted as guardian of the Elden Ring and had several children. She also altered the Elden Ring by removing the Rune of Death, making anyone under the Grace of the Elden Ring immortal." 

It doesn't look that bad.

"All the people were affected, but the Elden Ring and Erdtree rejected some of them, marking them as tarnished, like you, who have been sent into exile but cannot die yet." 

I take back what I said; this place has its version of the undead.

"Marika had two husbands at different times, Godfrey, who became tarnished and was exiled, and later Radagon. Both men became Elden Lords and gained much divine power through this union with Marika." 

So does that mean if I become Elden Lord, I'll have to marry Marika? I have no interest in that.

"She shattered the Elden Ring and then disappeared; the result of this was a war between the Demigods, each of them possessing a shard of the Elden Ring. The war came to a stalemate and none of the Demigods became Elden Lord, due to this the Demigods lost the blessing of the Elden Ring, so as a last resort the Greater Will called back the exiled tarnished."

Excellent! So that means I was dragged to a land I've never heard of, got involved in a war between Demigods, and now I have one of the Great Runes and I can see the grace. 

I'm going to have to follow the path to becoming Elden Lord, but maybe I don't have to. I have to take Melina to Erdtree don't I? She helps me find my stuff, I take her to Erdtree and then I leave, and maybe I'll find a ship that takes me out of the Lands Between.

"Now that I've answered your questions, I hope you answer mine." 

That was the deal, wasn't it?

"Very well, you can ask." 

I crossed my arms and leaned back in my chair.

"Let's start with the basics. Where did you say you were from?"

"Drangleic."

 "Right, Drangleic. Tell me about Drangleic, its history, rulers, magic..." Gideon nodded.

Let's see, where to start? I'm not a native of Drangleic, everything I know is based on information I've acquired from other people and observation.

"Drangleic is a kingdom beyond the ocean, mountains surround Drangleic on three sides, with the coast stretching north, it is said that beyond the northern sea, there is an unexplored continent, home to inhuman things." 

Gideon listened intently while writing down everything I said on parchment.

"Drangleic was built by King Vendrick with the help of his older brother Aldia; together they made Drangleic a prosperous and powerful nation. One day a woman appeared before the King, her name was Nashandra, and she warned the King about an imminent threat that was coming towards the kingdom. Giants." 

That seemed to get Gideon's attention.

"So Drangleic fought giants?"

"Yes." 

He wrote frantically on paper.

"Nashandra convinced Vendrick to attack the giant's lands, and he emerged victorious, when he returned to Drangleic, Vendrick brought something, captured giants, and with the knowledge he gained from the giants Vendrick built Golems and further developed Drangleic, with the power of the Golems Vendrick built his castle. Together Vendrick and Nashandra ushered in an era of peace."

"From the tone of your voice, I assume that peace didn't last long?" Gideon said.

"You are right. The peace was soon broken, with the arrival of the giants, who came to avenge their brothers. The Giants besieged Drangleic in a war that would last generations, but they would finally be defeated when an unsung hero defeated the Giant Lord. The Giants retreated, crossing the sea to return home, but the damage was done, and Drangleic was reduced to ruins." 

Gideon looked disappointed.

"Then I believe the Drangleic kingdom is in pieces." 

I nodded.

"A pity, so much knowledge lost, especially in a realm I've never heard of. Now answer me another question. The Elden Ring, the Greater Will and Grace? How the people of Drangleic react to this."

"There is no grace in Drangleic, the Elden Ring and the Greater Will has no influence there." 

Gideon slammed both hands on the table.

"How is this possible? A kingdom of tarnished who don't see grace! No influence of the Elden Ring! How did you prosper?"

"Souls."

"What?"

"Souls, we survive by manipulating souls, they are used as currency, and a way to strengthen ourselves." 

Gideon was silent.

"A kingdom that thrives on the manipulation of souls, this is heresy to the Elden Ring and Erdtree, if Queen Marika knew of Drangleic existence when she ruled, Godfrey and his armies would be at the kingdom's gates."

"I'm telling the truth, and I can prove it." 

I took the Soul of a Great Hero from my bag, the great sphere of white light glowed in my hand, and handed it to Gideon. He carefully took the soul.

"Impressive, a realm that manipulates souls." He said, analyzing the soul in his hands.

"Souls are also used in spells as soul arrow, or as a sacrifice to make certain spells stronger." 

Gideon gave me my soul back.

"How did Drangleic not become known?" Gideon asked himself.

"I have no idea. Any more questions?"

"Just two. What magic does Drangleic use?"

"In Drangleic there are four types of magic, soul magic, which as the name says, uses the power of souls, and requires intelligence and staff to perform correctly. Miracles, that use faith and need a chime, can be used to heal wounds, poisons; the strongest miracles can deal damage in combat." 

Gideon continued to take notes.

"Pyromancy uses fire; pyromancy is not very accepted because, unlike the other types that I mentioned, pyromancy does not require years of study, but instinct, it is something that comes from within the caster, a pyromantic flame is needed, the fourth type of magic was lost long ago during the war against the giants." 

The magic of the abyss is my biggest advantage; I prefer to keep it hidden. Gideon finished taking his notes and put away his papers.

"Now that we're done with our conversation you'll be after more Great Runes, now huh? So, as your companion, allow me to spread a little knowledge. The heirs of the Great Runes; the Shardbearers. We at the Round Table know the location of five of them, including the one you defeated. Godrick the Grafted, Lord of Stormveil. General Radahn fought against Malenia and its rot until he landed in Caelid Wilds. Praetor Rykard, Lord of the Mt. Gelmir. Morgott, King of Grace, Veiled Monarch, and Lord of Leyndell. And Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, ruler of Raya Lucaria's Academy."

So does that mean I'll have to fight them all and face Malenia again? I've seen that this is not going to be easy. 

"Tell me more about the Shardbearers."

"Right, Godrick the Grafted, Lord of Stormveil. Despite having the blood of Godfrey, the first Elden Lord, he is a grotesque old fool, greedy for power. His castle is on the cliff northwest of Limgrave, but I suspect you already know that very well." 

"General Radahn, the famous Red Lion and scourge of the stars is a fierce warrior. He battled Malenia and her rot until he came to a stop in the Caelid Wilds, east of Limgrave. Now Caelid has been engulfed in scarlet rot, even approaching the region is no easy feat. I've heard that survivors of Radahn's army are still in the wild, warding off the rot with fire. Moreover, if true, I suspect Radahn is still there, on Caelid. Though I doubt he looks much like his old self…" 

Has anyone else fought Malenia? This Radahn guy is going to be a problem.

"Praetor Rykard is Lord of the Volcano Manor on Mount Gelmir. He is a ruthless judge who commands a company of inquisitors, insulted by his serpentine behavior. The volcano, Mt. Gelmir, is west of the Altus Plateau; the kingdom of Erdtree. It was the scene of the most terrible battle in the entire War. Rykard committed the grave sin of blasphemy. Branding himself as an enemy, never to be forgiven." 

What do you mean by serpentine behavior?

"Morgott is Lord of Leyndell, the capital. It lies at the foot of the Erdtree, east of the Altus Plateau. However, the Two Fingers forbid us to venture there. Until we acquire enough Great Runes to repair the Elden Ring. Set your sights elsewhere for now. The Veiled Monarch can wait." 

Leyndell. Therefore, that's where I should go.

"The Academy of Raya Lucaria is north of Limgrave, towering over the misty lands of Liurnia. Rennala is the queen of Carian royalty, who rules the academy. However, Rennala herself is no demigod. Her beloved, Radagon, left her to become Queen Marika's second husband, taking the title of King Consort. The Great Rune dwells within the amber egg that was Radagon's gift to her." 

North of Limgrave. After I'm done exploring Limgrave, I think I'll pay a visit to Raya Lucaria.

"Thanks for all the information Gideon, but I think I've been at the Roundtable long enough. If it's not a bother, could you tell me how I get out of here? I didn't see any exit doors in the Roundtable." 

Gideon sighed.

"You can transport yourself out using the grace at the center of the table." 

So I can transport myself using Grace? When I find Melina, I will ask her to answer some of my questions. She seems to understand more about it.

Leaving Gideon's office I found the man still standing by the door. 

"Hello!" I greeted the man, he didn't answer, just stared at me. Strange…

I touched the grace in the center of the table, I concentrated, and I suddenly felt my body disappear. When I opened my eyes, I was in the church in ruins. Kalé was still there. Well, time to explore. I blew the whistle and Torrent appeared.

"Hello Torrent, let's go for a walk."

"HA!"

Torrent shot forward, I'm starting to get used to riding.

-XXXXXX-

Crossing the ocean, approaching the Lands Between, a giant bird carried something in its talons. A huge man, wearing black armor adorned with screaming faces, on his back he carried various weapons acquired from his victims, if anyone was there to see, would have noticed a red light coming out of the knight's helmet.

END OF CHAPTER