"I remember that when you departed, Mother had prepared everything for you—the gifts, the dowry, even that attendant, Moonrithyll. Has there truly been no progress at all after all this time?"
Ranni truly couldn't wrap her head around it. Although she had been very young back then, she and her two brothers had all attended the farewell ceremony Mother held for her aunt. Even Rellana's lustrous, long black hair had been a gift personally bestowed by Mother.
To meet again after so long and find that there hadn't been a single step forward... it was truly... she didn't even know what to say.
Rellana shot Ranni a helpless look. This child had been outspoken since she was little, but looking at her now, Rellana couldn't bring herself to say a word of reproach. It was hard to imagine the price Ranni had paid to reach her current state.
Walking to a nearby weapon rack, Rellana gently stroked the golden fire carvings on her blade and let out a soft sigh.
"After everything that happened, I understood. The brilliance of the moon cannot heal that man. Neither can this Land of Shadow, filled with nothing but death and despair."
Realizing she might have said too much, Rellana immediately shifted the topic, looking at the man standing beside her niece.
"So, how exactly did you enter this severed Land of Shadow? And how is your mother? I heard that after Radagon became the consort, my sister lost her heart. But shortly after, the Land of Shadow was hidden, and I could no longer return to the Lands Between."
"We entered the Land of Shadow by relying on Miquella's ability, naturally," Ranni replied. "As for Mother's situation... I can only say much has happened in the years since you left. She remains alone in the Grand Library, immersed in her own thoughts, unable to extricate herself. But she is safe. Both Moongrum and the Carian Knights who remain loyal to the family will protect her with their lives."
Rellana breathed a sigh of relief. Although her sister's condition was still cause for concern, she was at least out of harm's way. In this long and brutal war, even high-and-mighty gods and demigods were never truly safe.
Thinking of this, she turned her attention to the man her niece had chosen. Earlier, her mind had been a whirlwind of thoughts, but now she had to admit that even under the suppression of the Land of Shadow, this man's combat prowess was terrifyingly strong.
"So, you are the Tarnished Miquella spoke of—the one endowed with the mission of lordship by Queen Marika? No, I suppose 'Tarnished' is the correct term now. That massive storm over Belurat the other day must have been your doing. Messmer sent word of a specific message... what exactly did you mean by the words you had the Fire Knight deliver?"
Gawain, having had his fill of the family gossip, saw that the focus had finally turned to him. He had no intention of hiding anything; he sought the aid of Castle Ensis, after all. Besides, his aunt had been chasing Messmer for years without success—it was a bit tragic. Perhaps he could help a little.
"Messmer's sister, Melina. You should know who she is, right?"
Rellana did not deny it. As the current second-in-command of the Crusade, she was well aware of Queen Marika's most mysterious child. She had even visited the village Messmer had hidden away.
"It seems you know more than I anticipated. I am indeed familiar with that name. What of it?"
"Melina is also my Maiden. She accompanied me to the Land of Shadow. In the Belurat Gaol, we found many... survivors. She is currently staying there to tend to them. I want to move those people to a place with better conditions. I think Castle Ensis would be perfect."
Rellana froze, for a moment thinking she had misheard. Messmer's sister is his Maiden? And he found survivors in the Belurat Gaol? She knew the state of the Shamans; those who could still be saved should have been secretly moved to the Shadow Keep by Messmer long ago. Cruel as it was, the remaining Shamans had been tortured into madness—they were supposed to be beyond saving.
She cast a questioning look at Ranni. Ranni's cheeks puffed out slightly, her minor annoyance written all over her face, yet she didn't hesitate to nod, confirming the fact.
"Is she tending to those... patients alone? No, that's too dangerous. I'm going with you right now."
Seeing the anxiety on Rellana's face, Gawain understood the reason. Whether it was the surviving Shamans or the fact that Melina had returned to the Land of Shadow, these were matters Messmer could not ignore.
"There's no need for such haste. She is my Maiden; I will ensure her safety. She isn't tending to them alone—some members of the Crusade are helping her. If there's any danger, I can sense it through our soul-link and return to her side instantly. It's better to devise the most stable plan for this, don't you think?"
Though Rellana still had doubts, she agreed. If the existence of the Shamans was exposed, it would be something Messmer would hate to see. Only the few who knew the inner truth, like her, could understand the real reasons behind it all.
However, she suddenly realized a key fact in his words.
"Members of the Crusade! Where did you find such help? Don't tell me..."
"Exactly what you're thinking. I've learned the basic situation of the Land of Shadow from them, including the rebellion. Don't worry; though I don't understand why you're keeping these things hidden, I can guess well enough. I promise not to leak the matter for now."
Rellana nodded with satisfaction. For the first time, she felt that the King her niece had chosen had some modicum of foresight. Of course, she would still need to observe him further.
"Very well. I will make the appropriate arrangements to move those patients into the city. You have done well. I thank you on Messmer's behalf."
Gawain waved her off with a smile. "After seeing what happened in that gaol, I don't think anyone could remain indifferent. Melina also wishes to see her long-lost brother. Since the moon's brilliance cannot heal that man, then perhaps gentleness without Order can."
"Gentleness without Order... I hope so."
A trace of a smile appeared in Rellana's weary eyes. Melina's arrival was indeed an unexpected piece of good news.
"Time is of the essence. I shall make the arrangements. As for you two, stay here for now. And Ranni—I'll be back shortly to have a proper chat with you about what we discussed earlier."
As Rellana prepared to depart, the three of them suddenly sensed something unusual. Looking toward the sky, they saw two figures using a spiritspring to fly into the air, seemingly attempting to bypass the castle via a side path to reach Scadu Altus.
"More Hornsent trying to launch a sneak attack?"
Rellana gripped her twin swords, her expression souring. She wasn't particularly surprised; this had happened before. Such side paths were hard to guard, but they also didn't allow for many people to pass through at once. They were too conspicuous; even if a crossing was successful, the intruders would be found and eliminated quickly.
She had finally reunited with her niece, only to have her mood spoiled by these pests. As power gathered around her, two overlapping moons began to condense in the open moongazing grounds.
"Wait! Don't strike yet. I know those two. They are Miquella's followers who entered with me. They helped me kill a Divine Beast Dancing Lion."
Gawain watched the two familiar figures with a dark expression. There was no mistake: one was Leda, and the other was Freyja. He had no idea what they were thinking, but they seemed in quite a hurry to reach Scadu Altus.
Hearing this, Rellana halted the gathering of the Twin Moons. More outsiders let in by Miquella? Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't care who they were; anyone trying to force a crossing would be treated as an enemy. But since they had helped kill a Divine Beast, she wouldn't bother with them. She had more important things to do, and she could consider it a favor returned.
Just then, Moonrithyll appeared in a hurry. She looked up at the two figures vanishing from sight and asked for instructions.
"Lady Rellana, shall I send men to hunt down those two strangers?"
"No, let them go. Follow me; there are more important things to attend to."
Though Moonrithyll was puzzled, she followed her lady's lead, casting a few curious glances at Ranni before leaving the moongazing grounds.
"So, you met those two when I wasn't around? And they hunted a Divine Beast with you? It seems much has happened."
Gawain immediately caught the subtle tone in Ranni's voice. "It's not what you think. You should remember them—they were warriors who participated in the Radahn Festival. One is a member of Miquella's Needle Knights, and the other is Freyja, who used to be your brother's personal guard. Honestly, my arrival in the Land of Shadow wouldn't have been possible without Leda's guidance. She was a big help when I dealt with Mohg."
"Followers of Miquella... and they all participated in the festival? Any other information?"
Ranni recalled the "vow" between her brother and Miquella. She was determined to find an answer in this Land of Shadow.
"There is one noteworthy piece of intel. Miquella intends to use some 'Divine Gate' to become a god. And becoming a god requires a Lord. I'm not entirely certain, but the answer seems quite obvious now."
Ranni's expression—both on the doll's face and her true soul's features—became quite vivid. An Empyrean could not... or at least, should not do such a thing. But as she recalled details from her memory, she realized the possibility was alarmingly high.
"That Miquella... I felt something was off about him back at the capital. He wouldn't have gone behind my back to say something to Brother Radahn, would he? No wonder Brother was in such a hurry to return to Caelid from the capital."
Gawain shrugged. In his eyes, whatever the demigods of the Golden Lineage were brewing was par for the course. He had come from the world of Dark Souls; the things the gods there did to keep the Age of Fire going were far more transgressive. Ethical concerns always took a backseat to the First Flame.
"Who knows? Regardless, I plan to handle the situation in the Land of Shadow step-by-step. I'll find Miquella eventually. Maintaining good relations with his followers will save us some time."
"Is it truly just 'maintaining good relations'? Fine. Regardless, I will reclaim my brother's soul from Miquella's hands. You know how to reach me."
Ranni clenched her fist and then relaxed it. The situation here was more complex than she had imagined; caution was the right choice. Miquella's plan was just one of many threats. He wasn't going anywhere, so she could afford to wait a little.
Inside the Belurat Gaol, Melina was carefully removing shattered horn fragments from the body of a Shaman, cutting away blackened, necrotic flesh. The patient struggled violently from the pain, but with the help of the Black Knight soldiers, the minor surgery was completed successfully.
Wiping the sweat from her brow, Melina stopped. This was all she could do for today. She was attempting to peel away the flesh that did not belong to the Shamans—a conservative treatment that at least reduced their constant agony.
"Lady Melina, you've worked hard. Please, rest. Leave the rest to us."
Carian directed his subordinates to disperse and carry out their duties according to their training.
"Very well. But report any anomalies to me immediately. The Shamans' spirits are fragile; they cannot endure further shock."
He nodded in agreement. Looking at Melina, he hesitated for a moment before asking:
"Lord Gawain... can he truly find aid at Castle Ensis?"
"Rest assured. He gave me his word, so he will see it done. Do you have concerns?"
Carian looked at the subordinates who had followed him for so long, sighed, and decided to speak the truth.
"I understand Lord Messmer's thoughts now. Though his choice to hide the nature of the Base Serpent was still an error, I believe his loyalty to Queen Marika is beyond doubt."
"Do you wish to return to the Crusade?"
"If possible, we would naturally wish to rejoin the campaign against the Hornsent. For such atrocities, being burned by fire is only a just dessert. However... I suspect his lordship would not want the matter of the Shamans to spread. Only you can resolve the knot in his heart."
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Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash
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