My name is Godrick, descendant of the golden lineage. And this is my story to becoming a Demigod worthy of respect.
I wasn't that close to the golden family, even if others called me by it and I did nothing to deserve it. Unlike Godfrey who led the charge to create the kingdom, unlike Godwyn who led the charge to defend that kingdom. My relatives and I just sat and didn't do anything. We were truly slothful but it took a while before I figured out what I could do. And I'm regretful to say this but I wasn't even the first to think of grafting to gain power, that was Godefroy, my closes cousin. But when I learned the technique a thought went through my head and I decided to go full throttle with it.
The idea? To be a healer, the battlefield takes lives and leaves others scared so why not use the remains of the dead to save the living? But I didn't tell anyone of my decision, why? Because they were planning a rebellion against the queen.
And that's where we truly start. In my small study in the capital were diagrams of the human body and the muscular structure of it alongside other species. My stature wasn't much to look at either, I was a runt among runts. I stood five feet and three inches and had little muscle on my fragile bones.
"I might be ready for my first real application of it." I stood up from my seat and walked to the door and looked to the left to see Edgar, a knight under my family's flag. "Please go to the infirmary and get him alongside the body." Edgar nodded hesitantly, he was one of the few who knew of my cousin's habit of grafting limbs to himself but what I was doing was difficult and different.
The golden lineage's body took well to all that came into it, even other beings' limbs. And Godefroy used that fact to get stronger, he grafted all the champions in his knights to his body. I won't lie and say the idea to do the same wasn't tempting, of Marika it was tempting, to gain so much power without having to wait, stop, breathe Godrick, you are better than him. You should hold your pride and keep it white.
"You wanted to see me, my lord?" A knight holding crutches hobbled into my study and Edgar brought in a casket. "Yes my knight, I have heard that you have lost use of your right leg. Is that true?" His head went down and I could tell without seeing his eyes that he was looking at his leg and remembering how it became like that. "Yes, my lord."
"Lay on the table, remove your armor before you do so." I laid a cloth over the metal table as I heard the rustling of his armor being removed. "I know you are scared of what you believe is about to happen, don't be, you aren't losing your body or mind. I'm giving you another chance." I opened the casket and slowly cut off the leg of the dead body.
"A second chance my lord?" From his tone I knew he didn't believe me, and he was right to do so. My cousins have given him enough reason not to. "A second chance at being a knight, to achieve greatness. Don't waste it." I finally got the bone separated.
"Now I'll need you to do something for me." The knight looked at me wondering what I was about to do. Then I lifted a jar filled with a purple cream. "Ingest a finger worth of it." He reluctantly did so and as his head hit the prepared pillow I started to get to work.
First I applied the cream to around the leg I was about to remove, as I saw his skin absorbing it u slowly started to remove the leg. Being to leave everything as equal as I can. It took a couple hours but I finally got the easy part done. Now to connect the new leg to him. "Edgar, inquire about the chefs to prepare soups for my meals for the next few days." I didn't need to move to tell he was leaving, I knew he wanted to leave this whole time but only stayed because he believed I'd graft the knight's limbs to myself.
Three days of work, my limbs were sluggish but I have done it. I have done something none of my cousins have ever considered. And as I watched the knight finally open his eyes and stare at his new leg. I was truly proud of my work, sadly the skin tones don't match but that didn't matter here. I informed him that he will need to lower the intensity of his workout and practice so his body can regain its strength. Then I went to sit at my desk and when I closed my eyes I passed out without realizing it. Who needed the Trina pot's cream to sleep when exhaustion works wonders.
When I woke up I had Edgar go and get the knight so I could do a check up and see if the grafting worked. And to my surprise and happiness it did work. He still was using crutches for long distances but the leg was working just fine. I made sure that no knowledge of what happened escaped my camp since my cousins have already killed each other to make sure no one in the capital knew what they were planning. That being said, what I was going to do was either going to get my cousins to kill me or the divinity to kill me for being related to them.
So I waited until night when I knew my cousins were more occupied with gorging their gluttony and grafting. I changed into a set of dark clothes and a cloak and went off to the center of the capital. It took a while before I got to my destination, the dragon cult knights stronghold, or should I say cathedral? I remember being told that there lived an ancient dragon who stood as the priestess of the army.
I made sure that no one saw me before knocking. Once, twice, thrice. Then the large doors opened and I saw a woman draped in black clothes with scales on her arms and under her slit eyes. The priestess. "Oh, and what do I need to have one of the golden lineage to knock on my door?" Her voice sounded smooth but I could feel her holding back a rock like sound from her throat.
I did something most would think the golden lineage would never do, bow. I bowed until my head touched the ground. "Priestess, my relatives are planning something worthy enough to be deemed heresy." This got her attention, I know that because I could feel her move closer to hear. "They plan to attack the capital, they have turned their knights into grafted monsters and desire all the power in the capital. Including yours." The smell of ozone entered my nostrils as I saw red flashes pass my eyes. I didn't raise my head until I felt a soft hand against my shoulder but when I raised my head I was escorted to the heart of the capital. The Erdtree and the one who slept in it, Marika the eternal. The reason my blood is divine sleeps within, Marika the eternal. His ancestor and reason for his family's divinity.
"You meet with the goddess and her consort to pass on the information yourself." The dragon cult knight said as we were going up a lift. I won't lie, I was scared and second guessing myself about telling them about the planned betrayal. Why wouldn't? Godfrey, Godfrey wouldn't, and in my blood was a part of him. So I can't let myself doubt anymore. I'm here to save my home from war just like he did. Just like Godwyn as well.
I straightened my back even if I could feel my legs feel like lead, a shiver go down my back, sweat fall from my brow. I have to stand tall as I can.
Then we got to her bed chambers, I was told to wait as one of the knights announced our presence to the goddess. Then both her and her consort came through the door but I did notice how in sync they were but after a blink of my eye they shifted. Lord Radagon's steps that seemed divinely measured became more weighted, like those of a soldier and a scholar. Marika's steps stayed the same. But I looked down as I bowed even more than with the ancient dragon.
"What may you have come here for?" Marika's voice was like that of a crystal clear stream of water. "And what does it do with the child of the golden family?" Radagon's voice was sharp yet had a soft touch to it, like a blade covered by silk.
The knights were about to talk before I cut them off. "I have come with grave knows, my cousins of the golden lineage feel as if they deserve to rule the capital. They have already started gathering resources and plan for the segue to begin in three years time. They have even begun to use the act of grafting on their own soldiers turning them into grafted scions." I raised my head to let them see my eyes.
"They have even made it a point to kill the members who wished not to betray and use them as grafting materials. Even the youngest of us if they believed they weren't with them." Tears started to build up in my eyes just for me to close them while remembering some of the members who expressed their feelings about this matter.
"I don't know if there is any one left besides me who doesn't wish to shed blood. I'm sorry, I'm for but a runt of the lineage and had to wait until now to inform you about this matter." My eyes where still closed when they were shot open with I felt a hand wrap around my cheek softly.
"You have still informed us about it before it was to late, you have done a great service to us." Marika held my face as Radagon signaled for one of the knights to make a record of what has been told. "For this service you're statues shall not be revoked until your kin. You are from this day on the only one left of the golden lineage." Radagon's eyes shifted to me.
"Thank you my lord, thank you goddess." My bowed once more and when I stood up and was about to walk away Marika stopped me. "The demigods stay in this castle, unless they have a land to govern like the Carian children." I was confused what that had to do with me until she gave me an item. It was a crystallized piece of sap, sap from the erdtree.
"Queen Marika, why are you giving this to me? Isn't the sap no longer flowing so why bestow apone me it?" She gained a look as if remembering something. "You are the last of the golden lineage so shall be a demigod, absorbing a piece of the sap shall make that process go faster.
I shall admit, it was so tempting, even more so than grafting. To be a demigod means to no longer be a mere mortal but a force of nature. But I know what would happen if I accepted it.
"Queen Marika, I can not accept these gift. I'm not deserving of that title yet, much less the power that comes with it. But if I can, I'd still like to stay here. I have a feeling my cousins have an idea of what I'm doing and might have layed a trap for me." Marika seemed surprised at my refusal at her offer of demi-godhood yet she nodded and let me stay at the palace where only the divine slumber.
Even if I declined her offer she still had me attend the meeting of the demigods. And that is when I realized how small I truly was among these giants. Even miquella who was said to be an eternal child and small enough that he resembled a flower matched my eyes. It was jarring, I knew I was small but for me to be the size of a child still hit my pride. But honestly they accepted me easier than I thought. Radahn was the most welcoming to me.
"Godrick, please explain to the others what you have told me." Marika beckoned me to come forward and so I did. I was in a state of shock but I started to retell what I told her.
"So the golden lineage has decided that they deserve the crown when they use such an act as grafting." Radahn's broad smile has turned into the face a general of legend would be known for. "Yes, all of the golden lineage has resulted to grafting." I admired this fact knowing someone would notice what I revealed.
"That includes you correct? Or do you believe you are not of the golden lineage now?" Rykard, the one most hostile to my presence, spoke up making the others realize what I said. "Yes, I have done the act of grafting." I raise a hand as a knight walks in, the coat of arm of the golden lineage shined bright on his chest plate.
"This knight had lost all feeling in his left leg, so I decided to help give him another chance at achieving greatness." The knight removed the armor covering his legs to reveal his differently colored legs. "I gave him the leg of a knight who had fallen in the same battle. It took three days to properly attach everything but it was done. I'm okay with whatever happens because of this action." I did not wish to have to out myself for what I had done but I knew I would be revealed at some point. "This is currently my only act of grafting and I plan to do similar operations in the future."
At that time I didn't notice the shift in the twins when they had learned what I had done. But I do not regret what I did later on for them. But I would feel regret for what happened to them.