"You want to see my face? Very well then."
Gawain couldn't quite fathom the reasoning behind such a strange request. Was she trying to determine his race? Given his features, in the world of Dark Souls, he would be considered an Easterner; here in the Lands Between, the closest equivalent would likely be someone from the Land of Reeds. Surely that wasn't something these Nox would care about.
Nevertheless, he removed his helmet. His face was perfectly transmitted to the observer at the rear through the properties of a specialized glintstone.
Watching this unfold, the Black Witch's breathing grew rapid. There was no mistake—this was the man she had awaited for countless ages. It was just as he had told her before he vanished: in the distant future, he would return to find her, bringing with him the Lord of Night.
With a gentle wave of her hand, she dispelled any remaining thoughts of ambush from her subordinates and commanded the Nox Swordstress to lead the guests to the Night's Sacred Ground.
Her thoughts drifted back to the years of her youth. Back then, they were known by another name: Stargazers. Glintstone sorcery had originated and flourished in their hands. Later, through the knowledge they gleaned from the stars, they were able to create their greatest masterpiece: the Moon of Nokstella.
But then, calamity struck. The Black Moon was shattered. Aside from a few large fragments, the rest dissolved into the starlight that now shrouded the Eternal City. From that moment on, the Nox were doomed to linger in this false fate, awaiting the descent of the Lord of Night, while she waited for the fulfillment of a promise.
Ever since that massive meteorite had struck the surface, she knew that fate had begun to flow again. Whether for good or ill, it was at least better than this eternal stagnation.
Stroking the "Cradle" housed within a precious treasure chest beside her, the Black Witch waited silently for the uninvited guests. An ordinary person might not have noticed, but through her observations, she saw far more than just two people.
A maiden of destiny who appeared as a phantom of fire, and a so-called Empyrean with the potential to be a "vessel"? It was a curious combination. In her memories, he had been just like this—never truly alone. Who was it that had appeared alongside him back then?
Having received the command to proceed, the Nox Swordstress set aside her reservations and led the way, guiding the guests toward the defensive lines of the Night's Sacred Ground.
The ruins of Nokron were far more vast and structurally complex than Gawain had imagined. This time, with a local leading the way, there was no need to engage in the acrobatic roof-hopping required in the game. The journey was quite safe.
"We are almost there," Ranni's voice whispered. "I can sense the aura of the treasure drawing near. It is unmistakably the scent of a god's passing."
"You can sense it from this far away? It seems you're quite familiar with this treasure."
"The treasure I seek is a weapon—a blade capable of harming the Two Fingers. According to the records, it was forged from the corpse of a deity in the ancient past."
"A 'deity' is essentially a chosen creature modified into a vessel capable of housing the Elden Ring and its Order," Ranni mused. "In a sense, this is similar to the form of the Greater Will itself. Naturally, one can use this connection to harm the Greater Will's creations through a blade made of its own kind, and with great effect."
Ranni recalled the books she had read in the Royal Capital. As a Carian Princess and a demigod relative living in the capital, she had access to the most hidden histories. This was how she had been able to seize the opportunity on the Night of the Black Knives to cast aside her predestined fate.
"I was once a chosen Empyrean myself, so no one knows better than I the stench that clings to such a body. it makes me sick."
"Well, I've actually been meaning to ask... though it might be a bit rude," Gawain interjected. "If being chosen as an Empyrean allows you to manifest an Order to a certain degree—like how Malenia uses the Scarlet Rot to pollute Caelid—why didn't you just use your own corpse to make a Fingerslayer Blade? I feel like the effect would have been similar."
Ranni gave a small smile. This man certainly dared to ask her anything. But that was exactly what made him interesting.
"Heh. If my useless body could have helped me achieve my goals, I would not have hesitated to use it. But alas, my flesh was utterly slain by Destined Death. The power of the Rune of Death that lingers upon it remains to this day."
Ranni recalled that night. The total destruction of her flesh had affected her even now; though the results were fruitful, the price was steep.
"The Rune of Death is itself a manifestation of an Order, but ever since the Gloam-Eyed Queen was defeated, it has existed in a sealed state. A sealed Order cannot pose a true threat to a being like the Two Fingers."
"What I require is an ancient god completely independent of the Golden Order. The weapon forged from its corpse and the Order contained within have not been sealed; only then can it be used as intended."
Listening to Ranni's explanation, Gawain finally understood why the Fingerslayer Blade was so unique. The Two Fingers were merely spokesmen for an Order, while the corpse of a god contained the Order itself.
The Great Runes that manifested the power of Order were themselves fragments of the Elden Ring, and the Ring came directly from the Greater Will. This was several tiers above a mere "minor player" like the Two Fingers. Naturally, it could kill them.
Moreover, this was something the Nox had created before they were sundered, in an era before the Golden Lineage even existed as a shadow.
Who knows what kind of reality-defying stunts the Nox pulled with this blade to provoke the Greater Will into personally dealing out punishment? At the very least, they had shattered the Elden Ring once before. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many Great Runes representing different Orders later on. The complete Ring of the Dragonlord's era in Farum Azula was far larger than the one from the Golden Order period.
Later, during the era of the Golden Order, the Empyreans who opposed Marika were either killed or crippled. Many fragments of the Ring, such as the Rune of Death, were co-opted and sealed under the Golden Order. Thus, Ranni could only pin her hopes on the ancient Eternal City to find the means to defy the Fingers.
Considering Marika's own origins, it was hard to say if the Fingerslayer Blade in the Eternal City had been intentionally left there by her. While Marika likely started out truly believing in the words of the Fingers, it didn't mean she wouldn't take precautions.
Later, when she realized the Golden Order was not what she imagined and decided to break ties, she organized the Fallen Hawks. However, the Nox below likely viewed Marika as nothing more than a traitor who had defected to the enemy. Thus, she could only attempt to reclaim the weapon of rebellion from her former kin by force.
Puzzling it out, Gawain suddenly thought of the two Crucible Knights at the aqueduct. Perhaps they weren't the type to be loyal to the Two Fingers either; otherwise, Marika wouldn't have asked them to lead such a legion.
The true purpose of the legion's mission to Nokron wasn't something one could casually tell others—especially not Radagon, the loyal hound of the Golden Order. At the time, Marika and Radagon were essentially in a state of readying to strike one another down.
It seemed he could pay a visit to those two Crucible Knights later. They likely wouldn't fight him to the death on sight.
Furthermore, he wanted to hold the path leading directly to the Deeproot Depths in his own hands. God knows to what extent the Prince of Death's corpse had bloated in reality. His previous experience was still fresh in his mind; just fighting a "Godwyn-spawn" (Godrick) had nearly leveled Stormveil. The actual corpse of the Prince of Death would likely be even more troublesome.
After navigating turn after turn, Gawain's party finally arrived at the heart of Nokron—the Night's Sacred Ground.
Before them stood a Great Chair Sanctuary, several times larger than the one in Sellia. From within the relatively intact buildings on either side, faces began to emerge. A rough scan, including those hiding in the corners, suggested there were about four or five hundred people.
Each looked like a living fossil that had survived for ages. These were likely the final remnants residing in Nokron, guarding the last heritage of the Nox.
As he scrutinized the silver-skinned Nox, Gawain walked toward the central Sanctuary. The onlookers didn't seem surprised by his arrival.
Given the previous ambush, it was clear that the Nox in this underground city still possessed a strong degree of control and organization. This put his mind at ease. In such a vast underground area, if the Nox themselves couldn't find their way around, the difficulty of reconstruction would be immense. Seeing the place smashed to bits, he was actually a bit worried that moving a single foundation stone might cause the whole place to collapse.
Finally, under the collective gaze of the Nox remnants, he arrived at the very center of Nokron—the Great Chair Sanctuary. Both the Fingerslayer Blade and the Great Cup were kept here.
Of course, this was only one of two Great Cups. For Asimi to reach her true, complete form, she would need the other Great Cup located in Nokstella.
Waiting at the entrance of the Sanctuary to greet him was a high-ranking cleric in a Black Witch set. Flanked by a contingent of Nox Swordstresses, she was clearly the leader he had heard of.
Gawain gave a slight nod to show his goodwill, but he suddenly noticed the look in the woman's eyes beneath her white hood. It felt... strange. It was as if she were looking at a friend she hadn't seen in a long time—a look of heat and intensity mixed with a touch of distance.
She then signaled to her guards, who promptly cordoned off the area around the Sanctuary to ensure no outsiders could peek in. Several Silver Tears transformed into the shapes of trolls to stand guard at the entrance.
Gawain understood the signal and led Lillian inside. Unlike the cramped single room in the game, the interior structure was quite complex. Various murals and intricate patterns on the walls spoke silently of the city's past glory.
"Let it be here," the Black Witch said. "I have long known of your intent. But before that, I require a space for a private conversation. Therefore, the others shall wait here for a moment."
Lillian nodded and moved back of her own accord. But the Black Witch turned to look at a seemingly empty space.
"And for the two other guests—I apologize, but could you also remain outside for a moment?"
Melina and Ranni were both startled to realize she was referring to them. They were surprised by the sharp intuition of the Black Witch before them. Ranni, in particular, had thought her concealment was masterful, but she had been seen through instantly. She could only hope her "shameful" current appearance wouldn't be leaked.
Ranni remained in the room like Melina, watching thoughtfully as an aura emanated from a partition deeper inside. She could feel that the object of her true desire was within, but she possessed enough patience to wait.
Seeing that there were no further interruptions, the Black Witch opened the door to the inner chamber and led Gawain inside.
The decorations in the room were simple. In the center sat an exquisitely crafted, massive treasure chest, surrounded by Grave Glovewort. It appeared that this was indeed where the Great Cup he was looking for was kept.
Beyond that, the massive mural he had seen outside appeared here as well. However, this time, the mural included a figure holding a long blade—a woman of heroic stature, fighting side-by-side with the knight wielding the spiral sword against the enemies before them.
Before he could properly appreciate the mural, the Black Witch locked the door behind them. Numerous glintstones decorating the walls emitted a blue light as a magical barrier of some sort began to operate.
Having finished her preparations, the Black Witch let out a breath and removed her white mask. The face revealed was somewhat aged; it was hard to imagine how many long ages she had survived to maintain her watch until now.
"You have finally returned," she said softly. "Just as we agreed. The Great Cup was split into two parts, kept in separate locations. But do not worry, you only need to—"
"Uh, wait a minute," Gawain interrupted, somewhat taken aback. "Are you sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else? Surely this is the first time we've met?"
Gawain was bewildered by her familiar tone. When had he ever made an agreement with her?
The excitement in the Black Witch's eyes faded instantly. It seemed she had been too impetuous. Even though the man before her had told her exactly what he would look like when they met again in the future, she hadn't been able to restrain herself.
"I apologize. It was my error. For you, it seems today is indeed a first meeting. But for us, this is a reunion we have long awaited."
"A reunion? You mean..."
Gawain suddenly realized what was happening, and the way he looked at the mural changed. No way... is it really going to be that kind of plot development? For him, such a thing was only the stuff of legends. Had he truly returned to such a distant past at some point in his future?
As if to prove her point, the Black Witch softly recited a phrase from her memory.
"When the ashes are two, a flame alighteth."
"That is the phrase you told me I could use to prove my identity. Is that enough?"
"Very well... that is indeed enough."
Hearing those words, Gawain knew he must have been the one to tell her. Though he wasn't quite adjusted to suddenly having an old friend from the Eternal City, he accepted the explanation.
Seeing that he believed her, the Black Witch finally allowed a smile to grace her face after a very long time. In truth, she had several other phrases memorized—some she didn't even understand. Things like "Fear not the dark, and let the feast begin" sounded quite profound.
"So, can you tell me your name? Though I have no memory of you now, I suspect that if I told you those words, I must have trusted you a great deal."
"My name is Yavanna, Lord of Cinder. That is the name you bestowed upon me."
"That name, eh? Well, it's certainly a name I would pick."
Gawain could only hope he hadn't told her where that name originated in his future. He looked back up at the mural.
"Is that a depiction of me from back then? I saw similar murals outside. But who is the woman standing beside me? Is she someone you know?"
Yavanna shook her head.
"No. She appeared alongside you. She called herself the Valkyrie, and she was your blade."
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Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash (201 chapter - Ongoing)
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