"The rope is here!"
Two Omens came sprinting over, hauling a large flatbed cart filled with a mountain of hemp rope. A crowd followed behind them, carrying coils that had spilled off the cart.
"We've already checked the strength; it's very sturdy."
"Good, tie it to the tree, quickly!" The old Misbegotten looked toward the crowd. "Now, who is willing to be lowered down to save him?"
The crowd fell silent for a fleeting moment. Raven expected them to hesitate; after all, the waterfall was over a thousand meters high. The immense water pressure alone could crush an ordinary man to death, and the stones and debris mixed in the torrent were lethal threats. If the rope snapped, the outcome went without saying.
"I'll do it!"
"I'm going!"
"I'm the strongest, of course it should be me!"
"Lighter people have the advantage!"
The silence lasted only a heartbeat before it was swallowed by a cacophony of shouts. Many vied for the chance to go down and save him. Tata, without saying a word, simply stepped toward the pile of rope.
But a hand beat Tata to it, seizing the hemp rope and wrapping it around a waist.
"Mohg? You—"
"I'm going to save my brother." Mohg's voice trembled slightly. This was a stout Omen with a dozen curled, tangled horns growing like hair, almost entirely encasing his skull. His Aspect of the Crucible features were far more pronounced than those of the other Omen-born.
He fumbled clumsily with the rope, struggling to tie a knot. He eventually managed a dead knot, but it wasn't tightened at all.
Tata couldn't watch any longer and grabbed the rope. "Mohg, you can't do this. Let me go instead."
Mohg tore away the section with the dead knot and pulled the rope tight around his belly again. This time, he finally managed a slipknot.
"I can do it." He took a deep breath and stepped one foot into the rushing river.
"Wait!" Raven shouted. His voice startled Mohg, causing his foot to slip. The Omen tumbled headlong into the river.
Using Bloodhound's Step, Raven leaned over and caught the rope around Mohg's waist. He drew his sword with his right hand and plunged it into the shore's rock for leverage, then exerted a sudden burst of strength to haul the dripping Mohg back onto the bank.
Mohg lay on the ground, coughing up a mouthful of river water, staring blankly up at Raven's profile.
"Phew." Raven stood up and sheathed his sword. "Don't be in such a hurry. Your brother might not need you to save him."
A powerful surge of magical energy drifted up from beneath the waterfall. Raven closed his eyes to sense it for a moment, then shouted, "Everyone, get back! Move away from the shore! Something is flying up!"
By now, everyone could hear the booming roar rising from below the falls. They scrambled backward. After taking a few steps, Raven saw that only Mohg was still lying there like a fool. He turned back, grabbed the Omen by one arm, and dragged him away.
The sound grew closer, as if something massive was piercing through the cascading torrent, defying gravity and ascending at high speed.
Those carrying weapons drew them, expecting some monster to crawl up from the depths.
Boom!
A stone coffin burst through the surface of the water. It reached its zenith and began to fall. On the side of the casket, a tall Omen-born clung to the edge with one hand, swinging back and forth.
"Big Brother Morgott!" the crowd shouted in excitement.
The surface of the stone coffin shimmered with dense, glowing runes. It traced a parabolic arc and slammed heavily into the water near the shore. Long before the casket fell, Morgott had already leapt onto the bank.
The coffin lid slid open on its own, but it was empty. A moment later, as if triggered by some automatic sequence, the runes on the stone surface dimmed. The entire coffin shifted under the pressure of the current and was swept over the falls.
However, no one cared about the coffin anymore. People swarmed forward, cheering Morgott's name.
Then, a loud shout rang out: "Machno! Are you trying to sneak away?"
Raven looked over. An Omen had blocked Machno and his followers as they prepared to depart.
"We came to help," Machno said. "Since Morgott is safe and sound, our help is no longer needed. What do you mean by 'sneaking away'?"
"I didn't see you doing any helping just now," the Omen snorted. He turned to Morgott. "Big Brother, you don't know—someone cut the rope that was holding you."
"What are you implying?" Machno said angrily. "I wasn't even at the scene when the rope broke."
"You weren't there, but were there no lackeys from the 'Machno Gang' among those who were?"
"Take back those words." Machno suddenly checked his anger, his voice turning cold. "There has never been a 'Machno Gang.' I do not lead anyone. We are simply a group of comrades who happen to share the same ideals, gathered spontaneously with the resolve to defend the independence and freedom of the Deeproot Depths."
"That is enough." Morgott stepped out from the crowd, his voice as heavy and restrained as a mountain range. "Machno is my friend. He would not harm me."
His face, marked by the Aspects of the Crucible, was as hideous as a demon's. A deformed, massive tail protruded from beneath his dripping fur cloak. The cloak looked ancient, seemingly cobbled together from scraps of various animal pelts and looking utterly tattered.
And yet, he possessed the saintly aura of a martyr. His terrifying face might frighten a wicked man to tears, but children could play happily by his side.
"If someone dislikes me, it means I have not done well enough," Morgott said. The surrounding crowd fell silent. "As no one has been injured by this, I see no need to pursue it further."
"Thank you." Machno offered Morgott a deep bow, then walked away quickly without another word. His followers scrambled to keep up.
Morgott turned and walked toward several couples standing on the outskirts of the crowd. He opened his palm to reveal a small, soggy felt hat.
"I am sorry. This is all I found."
"Please, do not say that. We know you did your best," one husband said bitterly. His wife took the hat, burying her face in it as she sobbed quietly. "We are eternally grateful."
Morgott nodded. He seemed to want to offer words of comfort, but in the end, he only said in a low tone, "It is the will of the Erdtree. These children will return to the tree."
"Thank you," the couples whispered, bowing their heads.
Tata approached Morgott and introduced Raven's group.
"Welcome to the Deeproot," Morgott said kindly. "Raven, son of Radagon, may the Erdtree shine upon your path."
"Prince Raven has great influence within the Golden Dynasty and bears no prejudice toward the Deeproot," Tricia said. "With his help, we might be able to win the right to stay here."
"If the Golden Dynasty requires us to leave, then we should leave," Morgott said, shaking his head.
"Mr. Morgott," Raven said, seeing many people watching them, "there are too many eyes and ears here. Perhaps we should find a more private place to talk?"
"Very well. We shall speak as we walk back—Mohg, you were here too?" Morgott only just noticed Mohg, looking at him reprovingly. "How did you get so soaking wet?"
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Elden Ring: The Unborn One's Journey Through Elden Ring(161 Chapter - Ongoing)
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