Chapter 4 - Memories of Godrick

When I came out of the fog, I was at the ruined gate, but something was wrong, there were two armies facing each other, Godrick's army was positioned to the north, with the ruined gate behind them. 

And to the south, coming towards the gate, there was another army, they all wore golden armor, carried a sword, a spear and a scythe. 

I quickly hid behind some ruins west of the gate.

A voice came out from among the soldiers at the gate "Seriously? Will you do this due to an insult?" 

From among the soldiers at the gate, a person came out. It was Godrick, but he looked younger and didn't have the grafts on his body, he was taller than his soldiers were, he wore golden armor adorned with green fabric, he carried a golden ax in his right hand and wore a golden crown on his head.

From among the soldiers in golden armor, a woman appeared, she was tall, taller than Godrick, the woman wore a brown outfit with golden armor pieces, a golden helmet with wings was on her head, long red hair flowed behind her, and the woman carried a giant golden katana. 

"You should measure the consequence of your actions, Godrick, you insulted my honor, and I won't let it pass that easily." The woman said, approaching Godrick. 

The two armies parted making room for the woman and Godrick to face each other. It looks like this will be decided by a battle of champions.

"Honor?" Godrick scoffed. 

"Honor is just a joke, what matters is the victory! And when I get my victory against you, I will go after Radhan, I am the rightful heir of the golden lineage, I will not let you usurpers take my birthright!" Godrick readied his ax.

The woman let out a laugh "HAHAHA! You!? Defeating Radhan? Don't make me laugh, Godrick, you're nothing but a coward hiding in your castle, you only came to face me because you knew you couldn't run away." The woman prepared her katana.

Looks like the fight was about to start.

"Before we begin, is there anyone else who would like to join our duel? Somebody else? Any brave souls who wish to go down in history as the one who faced two Demigods?" Godrick said looking around arrogantly.

Well, time to go, if I get far enough, I'll be removed from this memory, and I won't get in the middle of a fight between two demigods. 

But before I could turn to leave, I felt the blade of a scythe in my neck.

"Don't do anything you'll regret later." A female voice said seriously.

"Listen, I don't want any trouble, I was about to leave." I said, trying to turn around, but stopped as soon as I felt the blade pressing into my neck.

"That my lady will decide. Start walking!" The woman ordered.

Doing as she said, I was guided to the middle of the two armies, stopping in front of the woman with the golden katana.

The two armies and their leaders stopped what they were doing and stared at me with confusion, curiosity and distrust, the amount of eyes staring at me made me nervous.

"My Lady, I found this stranger hiding among the ruins, spying on us." The woman behind me said respectfully to her leader.

Slowly, the woman with the golden katana lowered her head and faced me, her helmet hiding her eyes, and I heard the whispers of insults and disapproval from the soldiers behind her.

"Well, it looks like we have someone of great bravery here," Godrick said as he studied me too.

"Listen, I believe there was a misunderstanding, I'm just... " I tried to say.

"You, warrior, come closer!" The woman with the katana demanded, I looked around, the golden soldiers moved to surrounded me. It seemed I had no choice, so I did as the woman said. 

"You have courage, I respect that." The woman with the katana said. 

"Thank you..." 

"But don't think I will show mercy. Finlay, you did well, but let him go, join the others. In the meantime, assume your battle stance, stranger, you accepted Godrick's challenge whether you wanted to or not."

"Yes ma'am!" The female knight, now identified as Finlay, spoke, bowing with a hand on her heart, and then walking away.

Damn it, looks like I'll have to fight!

"Hm... What a fool" Godrick scoffed "But enough, let's get started!" Godrick and the woman faced each other.

I was allowed to take some distance; I stood in the middle of the arena between the two demigods. I took a few steps back, keeping both of them in my field of vision.

"I am Godrick, Lord of all that is Golden!" Godrick slammed his ax on the ground.

"I am Malenia, blade of Miquella, and I never knew defeat." Malenia readied her katana.

"I am Alden, Undead, Bearer of the Curse, and True Monarch, I will conquer all adversities in my path!" Darkness swirled around my staff and my flame ignited.

"Shit!" I screamed when Malenia almost cut my head off. She is fast, very fast, in just a moment she was in front of me, her blade ready to kill me, if I hadn't ducked my head would have gone flying. 

I couldn't let Malenia get close again, with just one look I realized that she is superior to me in the use of a blade; I need to focus on my spells.

"Don't ignore me!" Godrick swung his ax towards us; I rolled away, becoming invisible and kept rolling until I was at a considerable distance. 

Malenia, however, simply deflected Godrick's blow using her katana, I cast Dark Fog in their direction, soon after I used Affinity, the shards of darkness floated above me.

I could hear coughs coming from within the fog "You! What sorcery is this?!?" Godrick shouted, I launched a Black Orb towards him, hitting him in the chest.

"ARGH!" Godrick screamed in pain, he didn't have time to recover as Malenia came out of the fog slashing him in the chest. 

"Silence! Don't ruin this duel with your pathetic complaints!" Malenia kicked Godrick away, Godrick tried to strike Malenia, but she gracefully dodged the blow and unleashed a flurry of cuts on Godrick's body. 

Godrick swung his ax, and a tornado surrounded him but did little to stop Malenia, the winds were weaker than the ones I felt in the castle.

Godrick fell to the ground unconscious, with multiple cuts over his body, blood forming a puddle on the floor. Malenia turned to me, her katana pointed in my direction. 

"You! Face me!" Malenia ran towards me, and the Affinities flew towards her.

Malenia did something that scared me, she simply cut the affinities midair, and they were all split in two with quick and accurate blows. Malenia jumped towards me, ready to strike. I used my chime to cast Dark Storm, and a tornado of darkness surrounded me. Malenia didn't have time to dodge, being hit with full force.

"AH!"

Again, the abyss magic did more damage than usual, I didn't stop there. I cast Orb after Orb towards Malenia. She danced between the spells, with light steps, flowing like water, left, right, backward. None of my Orbs hit her. 

"You possess dangerous sorcery; only one attack has wounded me as no one has ever done before. Show me what else you can do!" Malenia attacked again. 

I can't let her get close!

I used the Great Lightning Spear, Malenia tried to block with her blade but ended up being electrocuted, she was paralyzed in place; I took the chance and threw a Black Orb, hitting her precisely. 

"ARGH!" Malenia recovered from the blow and now she looked annoyed. I used Heavenly Thunder, and lightning fell from the sky hitting the area around me.

Malenia dodged the lightning, and as she dodged, I used Fire Snake, watching the flame pillars approaching, Malenia jumped to the right, exactly what I wanted.

I used Flame Swathe; the fireball appeared near Malenia, spinning and exploding right after. Malenia's helm went flying, and I could see her face, one of her eyes was being consumed by some sort of disease. 

I didn't have time to think, Malenia attacked me again, the good news is that she doesn't have any ranged attacks; the bad news is her absurd speed.

 I cast Fire Dance, and an arc of fire appeared in front of me, forcing Malenia to jump back, I used Flame Swathe again, and this time Malenia dodged to the right, avoiding the explosion. 

I cast another Great Lightning Spear, Malenia seeing there was no time to dodge, blocked the miracle with her blade, being paralyzed again.

This time I used a Chaos Fireball, as the fireball approached Malenia, I can't tell exactly what happened. In one moment, Malenia disappeared, in the next I couldn't see with my right eye and I felt a pain in my chest. 

"You fought well undead; I will remember your name." Melania's voice came from behind me. How? I didn't saw her getting close.

I turned quickly and saw Malenia's katana going towards my neck, I used Iron Flesh, and turning my body into iron, the blade bounced off my neck, but Malenia didn't stop her attack. 

I used my hands to protect my face, but I could feel it, slowly Malenia's blows were overcoming my defense, I need to get her away from me.

I managed to grab my chime and cast Wrath of the Gods; Malenia was thrown back by the shock wave. So I decided to start using some heavy spells.

"DAM IT ALL! CHAOS STORM!" I hit the ground with both hands, for a second nothing happened, and then the ground shook. 

"What have you done?" Malenia shouted at me, several pillars of fire emerged from beneath the earth, bringing chaos fire and lava, Malenia dodged the pillars, but I didn't stop.

Repeatedly I slammed my hands on the ground, an earthquake shook Limgrave, and the two armies were trying to keep their balance, Malenia ran out of room to dodge, and then a pillar appeared just below her.

"AH!"

Malenia screamed in agony, being burned alive is a painful death; I don't want experience that again. I suppose it's over, I tried to catch my breath while watching the pillar of flames, I focused my vision, there seemed to be a silhouette in the middle of the pillar. 

No! Don't tell me… 

Malenia jumped off the pillar, and I could see it in her eyes, she was furious! Her skin was badly burned, to the point where I could see the muscle underneath; her hair had been burned off, and was now at the height of her ears. 

Blood was pouring out of her mouth; her clothes were nothing but rags now. In a burst of speed, Malenia appeared in front of me in a blur, slashing my chest.

I used Fire Dance, and the arc of flames hit Malenia this time, but she withstood the fire and cut me once more. I cast Dark Greatsword, and the blade of darkness slashed Malenia in her chest followed by a blast of darkness. 

She endured the blow and cut my left arm, I dropped the staff. I couldn't move my arm anymore. Now I just have my chime and flame.

Time to end this, I cast Wrath of the Gods once more, Malenia was thrown back, and then I used the Promised Walk of Peace, suddenly Malenia couldn't run anymore. 

"What did you do to me?" Melina approached with heavy and slow steps. 

"Not much. Just matched our speed." I launched several Great Lightning Spears at Malenia, she couldn't dodge so she had to block with her blade.

Spear after spear she was brought to her knees, her body paralyzed by the lightning. Malenia struggled to stay on her feet.

"Time to end our duel Malenia." I pointed my chime at her and said one word.

"Climax!" 

Sacrificing an abundance of souls to get maximum power, a ray of darkness flew towards Malenia.

She was hit in the chest, nothing happened. Malenia stared at me silently. Did the spell not work? Malenia started shaking and breathing heavily, then she spat rivers of blood on the floor, blood came out of her nose and ear too, then Malenia fell to the ground. 

I fell to my knees, this was one of the hardest fights of my life, and the only one I can compare to was the Fume Knight. I felt blood coming out of my mouth and nose, I almost died. This was close, very close.

"Aren't you forgetting someone?!?" Godrick's voice came from behind me, I turned around without looking. I just pointed my flame in the direction of the voice and used Fire Whip.

I heard a scream of pain and my vision was blurred, I think I'm going to pass out, through the blurs, I could see Godrick on the floor with his hands on his face, his soldiers around him, they were saying something, but I couldn't understand what it was.

Looking at Malenia, I saw that she was still moving. She got up on one knee.

"Hahaha! Your strength is worthy of a Monarch. You have my congratulations; I will remember you, Alden, as a worthy opponent and as the first person who made me use the scarlet rot." Malenia said between laughs, with a big smile on her face, she acted as if this was some kind of entertainment.

Rot what?

Malenia got up and shiny orange wings came out of her back, she took her katana and flew towards me. 

I only had enough energy for one more spell, just one more, a pyromancy developed by Aldia, a pyromancy with excessively destructive power. I pointed my flame to Malenia and said two words.

"Forbidden Sun!"

A small fireball appeared, floating just above the palm of my hand, suddenly this small fireball grew, pulling the air around it and increased in size. Now the gigantic fireball in shined an intense orange light, its absurd heat made me sweat profusely, so without wasting time, I threw the pyromacy towards Malenia.

The fireball left a trail of molten earth and stone, incinerating any plants in its path. I saw Malenia eye widen, and due to her speed, she couldn't dodge my attack.

Then the two attacks met.

The destructive flame created by a mad Scholar and whatever Scarlet Rot is.

An explosion of flames and rot engulfed the ruins of the gate, and that was it. I fell to the ground, I couldn't fight anymore, my vision darkened, and I felt the ashen mist envelop me.

END OF THE CHAPTER