We came up with a plan to make sure my cousins don't think about me betraying them, and what we came up with was moving my army to a different castle while one of my knights use the mimic veil to pose as me while I stay at the capital to help in anyway I could. Miquella was the first to figure out something I could do.
"You desire me to graft on your sister?" I was shocked because of what he was asking me but even more so because of how he reacted to the acts of grafting I told him, sheer horror. Yet here he was asking me to do it to his own flesh and blood.
"Yes Godrick, me and my sister wish to help in defending the capital and we believe that this grafting procedure will make her able to fight at full capacity." His eyes were steel like, no, they were like a blade of pure gold.
"Are you sure? I haven't been able to research what side-effects the grafting process has on the subject. She also won't be able to train outside of what I say she can, I can't even guarantee that the limb will function properly!" I might have been overreacting to some people but I knew my skills and they were lacking.
"Godrick, please understand. We know there are downsides we don't know but there are upsides as well. We can't remove that advantage without at least trying it. So please" Miquella grabbed my hand forcing me not to walk away. And he was right, we have no idea how this procedure will effect her but i can't let myself be held by the cons.
"… fine. Do you have someone we can get a limb that will fit?" Miquella released my hand as he smiled as one of the knights behind him walked forward and put their arm to the side of themself.
"Malenia's knights, the cleanrot knights. All of them are willing to give up an arm for her to fight at full power." I looked at the knight and the resolve in their green eyes, wait, did I just see gold in them? No, I was just imagining it.
"Are their any knights that have died recently? I'd rather go through the process of rejuvenating the arm instead of harming a knights promising future." I moved my eyes to miquella just to be shocked with the look of admiration mixed with disappointment but then it was gone a second later.
"Yes, one of the clean rot knights pasted recently. I'll take you to there, my sister should be there seeing their merits off." He turned and started to walk and a second later the knight stood up and walked in perfect pace with the young empyrean.
I looked around making sure we were alone before I said what has been on my mind and it seemed we were. "Lord Miquella, I heard you have made your own symbol of divinity. The Haligtree correct?" This seemed to catch him off guard but then he nodded as he looked back at me.
"Yes, I have made the Haligtree. But how do you know of it?" His eyebrow rose as he meet my eyes. "I came across the knowledge of it when I was trying to figure out a place I could run away too. A home for the outcasts, truly a place I'd like to see."
Miquella smiled as he turned back around. I learned the reason why was because we made it to the location where I will do the operation. The doors were opened and I saw the red flower of gold, the blade of Miquella, Malenia. She knelt in a show of prayer and respect.
"-and make it so you are returned to the erdtree's roots." Malenia stood up and met my eyes as she turned. "Ah, Godrick, so you have accepted to do the operation." I looked through the slits in her helmet and even though her face was covered by half rot she still had her eyes. They were a cloudy gold, it seems her eyes were on the way to be done with. But even then it seemed she was trying to look for something in my eyes and was shocked by it.
"Yes, but I'll prefer to use one if your fallen knights as the donor." My eyes went to the laying knight. "If I may." Her eyes lowered to her fallen knight with what I can only say as compassion.
"Yes, they would have taken their own arm off if it meant giving me strength." I chuckle at this as Malenia warls around to look at me. "Sorry, but one of your knights were actually planning to take their own arm for you." I motion to the knight that accompanied me and Miquella here.
"Finley?" Malenia smiled at her knight as she turned to me as some of her knights went to lift her fallen knight. "Let's get started then." Some knights came in with a table and a bunch of different tools but there was something missing.
"We need a Trina pot, a Saint Trina pot." Miquella looked at me with a inquisitive look. "It's to keep her asleep and to numb the pain of the operation." This seemed to make him understand as a knight left to get the pot.
"Malenia, please remove your shirt and roll up your pant leg." I started to get the the right tools out as I hear a rip to see her clothes in taters on the floor.
"Can one of you please bring in a new pair of clothing for her? She has to wear something after the surgery." I looked at the knights as one nodded and walked out to get them.
"Now let's start malenia. Lay down on the table so I can see how far I'll have to cut." Miquella nodded as Malenia layed on the table as the first knight came back in with the pot of cream.
I gave him my thanks as I use a paint brush to paint the surgical lines on her upper thigh and shoulder. "Hmm, might have to completely remove the shoulder… that might be hard to reattach the cartilage but should be doable." I only realized I said that outloud because Miquella let out a heavy sigh.
I rolled up my sleeves and put a cloth around my face. "Let's get this butterfly some new wings."
I was right, the shoulder was hard, but not harder than the smell of rot that came from her stumps. I'm glad Miquella had some herbs on him that I could put in the cloth around my face. It smelled sickly sweet but that was exactly what I needed in that moment.
But once I was done I felt great but tired. "You stayed awake for three days straight yet look like you just finished a book. You truly are interesting." Miquella walked up to me while revealing what I just did, guess I didn't notice the time since there are no windows here.
"Well I'm not done yet, I still have to write down her conditioning routine and that will take a bit. But I will need some information." I pulled out a quil and paper. "Her weight, her exact height, her weapons weight and length." I pointed at miquella and he told me what I needed.
"Okay, give her this note when she wakes up but I'll still tell you what I wrote. She will need to do a mile and a half jog, not a run. She will need to do two sets of 100 for the first week. The second she can do 150. She should do three sets of 45 seconds planks. If she exceeds what I told you then she WILL cause harm to her new limbs and the areas they are connected too." Miquella nodded with a bit of a dazed look but then smiled.
Malenia started to wake up so me and some knights helped her up and to get her in her new clothes. She stared at her new arm with a look of astonishment and awe. "Okay malenia, I gave your brother your conditioning routine for the next three weeks, DO NOT go over what it says. If you follow what is says then you should be in fighting shape after the four weeks, maybe even by the third." She nodded and looked at me with something I never thought I would never see directed at me, respect.
After finally getting into the quarters I was given I sat down and let out a breath I didn't notice I was holding. I was about to close my eyes when I heard a knock only a armored hand can make. "Come in"
A knight opened the door and informed me that queen Marika needed me to discuss something and that it was urgent. So I stood up and made my way through the halls of the palace. In the walls were murals of the heroes and demigods. Godfrey, Godwyn, Radagon, Radahn, Rykard, Ranni, Malenia, and Miquella. But something caught my eye, two spots on the wall seemed to be a different shade than the wall around it, as if there were two other murals there…
Sometimes I wonder if things were left in the shadows because they'ed burn the current world. Will i become like that? Forgot and erased? Just a shade on a wall? No, I shall be as radiant as my forefathers.
With my new conviction I continued to meet queen Marika. And to say what she said to me was a surprise.
"Not to insult your decision my queen but what do you mean you want me to lead the compain against the golden lineage!?" Yes, the eternal goddess decided to have me lead the charge against my cousins.
"Dear little Godrick, you desire to be like your ancestors do you not? Trust me, this will be the perfect beginning for your legacy." Marika softly gripped my face forcing me to lock eyes with her. A radiant gold, so soft that it resembled the leaves of the Erdtree.
And she was right once more, I do want to be like my ancestors and who else would know how to get me onto the path to be like them but her. The wife and mother of both the heroes I want to be like.
"Okay, Marika the eternal." I looked down but she had me look up at her eyes again.
"All demigods are my children one and all. And I plan for you to become one. For being crowned a demigod after defeating an enemy. But I can give you something to you, a tool, a just need to know what you desire to be." Marika's eyes seemed to glow with a glint of mischief.