"M-Miss Rennala?"
It took me a few seconds to realize the stutter and surprise in my voice, and I couldn't help but take a step back when the queen's head turned toward me, staring with an impassive face.
"Yes, Alden?"
Her voice was soft and emotionless, a serious and severe tone befitting the warrior monarch I had witnessed in her memoirs.
"Do you know my name?"
"It would be strange not to know the name of the person I've traveled with for so long. Besides, your reputation precedes you."
She was still observing me, and I quickly searched my mind for something to say, though when the words finally came out, I made an internal comment that it wasn't the best choice.
"You are…"
I didn't get to finish, as she interrupted me.
"Well? Healed? I suppose so. I understand what's happening around me and I'm not acting like a lovesick damsel. Do you miss being mistaken for my former lover? Do you miss our little adventure together?"
A tense silence filled the room. I glanced at Blaidd and Godwyn, who seemed to share my feelings. Each of us shifted uncomfortably under Rennala's piercing gaze, murmuring some incomprehensible words.
"W-well, forgive me for that, but you didn't see the truth, no matter what was happening around us. Despite everything, I believe I owe you some apologies for not trying more."
I noticed that the various individuals summoned to the mansion pretended not to be listening to our conversation, but I heard some whispers and barely contained laughter.
"That won't be necessary."
It seemed the worst was about to happen. She already had a punishment in mind. What monarch wouldn't? How many offenses had I committed against royalty by bringing her with me.
Rennala clapped her hands, and as she parted them, an intricately designed sword appeared in the air in the space between. It was a straight sword with pebbly pieces on one side, its center bearing a pattern reminiscent of a candelabra, but with openings to see what was on the other side.
Its hilt had a quadruple-handed guard, two smaller ones on top and two larger ones below, all adorned with gold, the handle being a deep red and the pommel resembling an ornament one would see on a king's scepter.
Immediately, the laughter and comments around us ceased, and everyone present realized the seriousness of the situation. But of course, things wouldn't end well. It's never that easy, but it wouldn't be the first time; I was used to it.
I was about to flee, either with a consumable or a miracle. I refused to confront her after everything we'd been through, and also because I didn't want to provoke the wrath of her family and allies.
Godwyn, on the other hand, stepped forward and said something, but his words were cut off by Blaidd, who closed the distance to Rennala in a few steps, raising his hands in supplication.
"Mother, please, this isn't necessary! They…"
Rennala vanished like a ghost, dissolving into blue dots, and reappeared in front of me in an instant with her sword raised. I would have dodged the blow, but to my surprise, she masterfully spun the sword and stopped with the hilt pointing in my direction.
"This is the Sword of Night and Flame, a treasure of the Carian lineage, and now it is yours. A reward too small, considering all you've done for me."
My mouth opened and closed, no words came out, and I blinked repeatedly, trying to understand what was happening. I hesitated, but slowly brought a trembling hand to the weapon, grasping its handle and examining its appearance. It was a majestic piece of smithing.
"You seem surprised? Did you have something else in mind?"
An execution. Those were the words I refused to say.
I soon noticed that Rennala's tone had changed; joy surged in her voice, and the corners of her lips trembled slightly.
"By the Gods, you planned all of this!"
She covered her mouth, and soon laughter erupted, a melodious sound full of life and emotion, unlike the laughter I had heard on our journey.
"You should have seen your face, all of you!"
The disbelief shared by all of us was impossible to describe, not only the outraged looks I exchanged with Godwyn and Blaidd, but also with everyone else watching the recent interaction.
"M-mother, what…"
"Come here, my boy!"
Before Blaidd could even react, Rennala pulled him into a crushing hug, tears welling in her eyes. Soon the half-wolf found himself lifted into the air as the queen swung him from side to side.
"Look at you! You've grown so much! How long has it been since I last saw you?!"
I let out a polite laugh, smiling at the reunion between mother and son. The half-wolf returned the hug, even pleading with Rennala to stop, as everyone was watching.
Then I stepped back, with Godwyn beside me doing the same. Simultaneously, Rennala and Blaidd went inside the mansion, probably to continue their meeting away from prying eyes and ears.
"She caught us; for a moment I thought we'd have to fight our way outside the mansion."
"You and I, Godwyn, you and I."
"How do you think she'll react when we bring Radahn back?"
"Probably the same way, although I don't know how she'll react when she finds out about Ranni's situation."
My mood changed immediately at the mention of the witch. My expression fell, and the demigod beside me looked away, letting out an irritated hiss.
"Rennala doesn't deserve what happened to her. In my opinion, we shouldn't tell her about Ranni simply to avoid involving her in the witch's plans, but I feel you wouldn't agree with that."
"No, she deserves to know, and any animosity between the two of them must be resolved."
"Hm… You know, someone else would have just collected the Great Runes and gone to the capital, but you're going to the trouble of fixing the little things, so… I guess I'll pretend I didn't say anything. Just don't ask me to make peace with that damned woman."
"I would never have dreamed of that."
"Thank you."
"So, shall we go get Radahn?"
I thought for a moment, Rennala and Blaidd wouldn't be back for a while. I shrugged, agreeing with his words.
We went to the Grace and teleported to the Castle of the Red Manes, finding Jerren, a sleeping Radahn wrapped in his large cape, Leonard, and some soldiers and knights waiting for us.
The old man waved, a gesture we returned, soon exchanging a firm handshake with him.
"Where are the other participants?"
"They left, most said they had matters to attend to, but that they would stop by Caria Manor to be rewarded. As for the tarnisheds to whom you delivered the Great Rune… It's surprising how such a small object can bounce and roll like a coin at the slightest touch. Don't ask me how, but somehow it was thrown far from the castle in the middle of the fight over who would get it, and now the tarnished are searching for the artifact in the devastated lands of Caelid."
I cringed at the answer, letting out a nervous laugh and making a mental note to search for the rune in case they all died. It would be a shame to lose something so powerful in such a way.
"Leaving these trivial matters aside, are you ready to depart?"
Jerren looked around, exchanging a nod with his men before confirming that everything was ready.
With that done, I raised my chime and conjured Homeward. A golden circle filled with darkness appeared around me, expanding and consuming the group. There was a blinding light, and when our vision returned, we were near the Grace at the Caria Manor's pool.
"Ahhh… This place has changed quite a bit. It seems no one has returned to look after the manor since the attacks ceased. What a shame."
The old man spoke nostalgically, but there was a mixture of joy and sadness in his voice and gaze as he saw the dilapidated state of the place.
The arrival of our group made us the center of attention, something I was already getting used to. This only worsened when Radahn and Leonard's presence was noticed.
Before the situation spiraled out of control and we had to give a lengthy explanation, Jerren struck the ground with the tip of his sword and spoke in a booming voice similar to his festival speech, a sound that reverberated through the area.
"Where are the servants?! The Star Scourge has returned alive and healed, take him to his chambers and relay the message to Her Majesty, she will surely rejoice at the news!"
The sorcerers and knights stood like surprised statues for less than a second before clearing a path for Pidia and a group of servants carrying him.
"Oh, young master Radahn and his faithful steed. This humble man's heart beats with emotion at seeing you again. Come, what are you waiting for?! The chambers haven't been cleaned for a long time, but if we hurry, I believe that…"
Their musings faded into the distance, along with the servants leading Radahn and Leonard into the mansion.
"Well, you did that old man a great favor. I'm eternally grateful for it, but if you'll excuse me, I'd like to catch up with some acquaintances."
Jerren bid us farewell, walking towards a group of knights with some of the Red Manes following him.
A few heads still watched us, although most of those present were busy with their own conversations or duties. I slapped Godwyn on the shoulder, drawing his attention and gesturing away with my head.
He nodded, and together we walked to a corner of the manor gardens. I sat on a piece of ruin, with him standing in front of me, leaning cross-armed against a marble pillar broken in two.
"I think it's time to explain what happened during the festival."
"Yes, I'd like to know why you disappeared in the middle of the fight."
I remained silent, pondering how I should begin, for I would be revealing the existence of a powerful artifact that could change the history of the world as we know it, and which was now in the wrong hands.
"This may sound like a fabrication or a story hard to believe, but during my journey in Dranlgiec, the kingdom where I was before arriving in the Lands Between, I came into possession of a powerful artifact known as the Ashen Mist Heart, which was given to me by an Ancient Dragon. No, it is not related to the Ancient Dragons you know; it was an artificial being created by the Scholar I mentioned earlier, a cruel man who conducted numerous inhumane experiments, generating most of the monsters that plagued the kingdom. The Heart was probably another of his creations, given to the dragon to protect until he found someone worthy, and its effect is time travel through powerful memories of people and objects."
There was no immediate response, only the sounds of insects and vegetation blown by the wind. The demigod's empty helmet watched me without emotion before his words left it.
"Alden, I don't see you as a liar. What you said seems impossible, time travel, I mean. So, for the sake of our friendship, be honest. Is what you said true?"
From his tone, I guessed he wanted it all to be a lie. Unfortunately, I would have to dash his hopes.
"Every word. Beings known as Bright Bugs appear in places where I can travel through memories. I did it with Godrick's corpse to travel to his fight against Malenia, in the giant body beneath Stormveil, returning to the night of the Black Knives, and it was thanks to the heart that we met. I also used it to access Rennala's memories and pull her out of her madness, however, something changed at the festival, I was pulled into the past instead of using the heart of my own free will."
"Pulled? By whom?"
I doubt he'll like the answer.
"By your younger brother, Miquella. He's alive somewhere, and he has a plan to win this war, just like all the other demigods did. He and Radahn had an agreement, but the Star Scourge broke the alliance upon discovering Miquella's methods, which remain unknown. With no other option, he sent Malenia to ensure the agreement was upheld, but by healing Radahn, we interfered with his plans. As punishment, he dragged me to the past and tried to do something to me; I almost lost my will to fight, but Miquella meddled with forces beyond his comprehension, choosing to take the Mist Heart instead. So he abandoned me in the war that took place in Caelid, where I had to survive a battle against Malenia and Radahn to return to the future."
"MIQUELLA?! N-NO, HE WOULDN'T DO THAT, HE WAS SO…"
"So what?"
I questioned, my face contorting in anger as I remembered the suffering he had caused me. Godwyn stopped, his voice a whisper.
"Kind. He was so small and frail, cursed to be a child forever, but he had a brilliant mind, creating all sorts of incantations and weapons. Malenia and he were inseparable, and he always had good relations with all of us; I can't imagine him making a plan that would suit Ranni."
"War changes people, Godwyn. If Miquella was so kind, then that's in the past."
"Damn it!"
CRASH!
With one punch, he turned the pillar to dust. I watched as he unleashed his rage, shouting insults, pacing rapidly back and forth, stomping the ground, making the earth tremble, and delivering savage blows with his axe, tearing through the air.
I don't know how much time passed; the area around him was devastated, but I waited for him to calm down. There was no body inside the armor, but even so, he acted as if he could still breathe heavily.
"Alden, could you give me some time alone?"
"Very well, take all the time you need. I'll still be at the mansion if you need me."
"Thank you."
His few moments of emotion still surprised me. It was so difficult to understand that the man in front of me and the proud demigod were the same person. I guess that no matter how powerful they are, divine beings are still human at heart.
We exchanged a nod and farewell, and with that, I returned to the interior of the manor, where a servant awaited me with a message from Rennala.
-XXXXXX-
KNOCK!
KNOCK!
KNOCK!
"Miss Rennala, your guest has arrived."
"Let him in."
The servant opened the door and stepped aside, allowing me to enter the room. It was a modestly sized library, smaller than Raya Lucaria's, dusty and worn, but far from being in ruins.
There was a double glass door on the other side, leading to a marble balcony, and there stood Rennala leaning on the railing, observing the Outer God known as the Full Moon.
"Here I am, Your Majesty."
I closed the distance to the balcony, my footsteps reverberating off the silent walls, but the queen did not shift her position, only replied.
"Call me Rennala, I think we've become familiar enough to set titles aside."
I nodded and stepped forward. I would have leaned on the railing, but I noticed it almost reached my neck. At that moment, I realized that everything in the mansion was built with Rennala, Radagon, and their children as the height of reference. High ceilings and entrance arches, spacious corridors and massive, sturdy furniture, and much more.
"If that's how you wish it, but I shouldn't refer to royalty in that way."
A laugh escaped her lips, a mixture of sadness and sarcasm, which was confirmed when she turned towards me, allowing me to analyze her appearance and new attire.
Her strange crown and queenly robes were gone, replaced by a large, spacious white shirt with long sleeves and a vertical slit in the center, displaying much of her neck, décolletage, and the middle of her chest, her skin pale and gleaming like porcelain.
Her long legs were accentuated by black trousers that revealed the softness and curves beneath, all held together by a brown belt. Her long, dark hair was left in a large cascade that cascaded down her back, and the faded makeup and grime of combat had been removed from her face, revealing her feminine features and mature beauty in its purest form.
I found myself mesmerized by such beauty, whose nearby moonlight revealed everything to me. My heart might be dead, but that didn't change the fact that I felt something.
"Is something wrong, Alden?"
Her voice snapped me out of my trance. I stammered something incoherent, feeling my face heat up, but I quickly took a deep breath, trying to calm myself and regain my composure.
"N-no, just… You look beautiful tonight."
Is it strange that I find her more attractive in casual attire?
Immediately, I realized what I'd said and intended to apologize for the brazen comment, but the reaction wasn't what I expected. Rennala smiled, a wonderful sight after a second of surprise, and replied.
"Thank you. I must admit, getting out of those old robes after so long is liberating. And I see you've changed your appearance too; it suits you. I could hardly see your face behind all that hair and beard. You're handsome, if I may say so."
"Oh…"
Honestly, I had no answer for that. Never in a million years did I imagine I would receive such praise from such a person.
"Putting the niceties aside, you must be wondering why I called you."
I nodded, allowing her to continue.
"To be direct, I would like to talk to you. About the situation in the Lands, what happened after my isolation, your journey during this war, and above all, who you are."
Unexpected, but far from being a bad thing.
"I would love that, but first of all, are you aware of Radahn's arrival?"
"Yes, Jerren told me everything. Words cannot describe what I felt upon hearing the news and seeing his sleeping face. However, now I will have to think about how to reward the Tarnished for their participation in the festival."
I looked in any direction but at her face, feeling shame burning in my chest.
"Forgive me, but I had to convince the other participants to help me somehow. I have no other explanation to give."
The touch of her comforting hand on my shoulder made me jump in surprise. I had to raise my head to return her gaze, which was free of any anger or resentment.
"I understand, it's a small price to pay for my son's return."
"In that case, there's something else you should know, Ranni is alive."
I clenched my teeth, holding back a cry of pain as the gentle touch became a crushing squeeze. The queen apologized and snapped her fingers; two sigils appeared on the floor near us, manifesting two padded chairs, too large for me, but perfect for her.
"Tell me everything from the beginning, don't spare a single detail."
A mother's plea made me feel terrible, for there were secrets I dared not reveal, especially concerning Godwyn and the Heart. But aside from the sensitive matters, I did as she asked: I told her my story and my journey in the Lands Between, what I had learned, with Rennala correcting some points, and what happened during her imprisonment in the library.
She showed herself fascinated by the magic of other realms, offered her condolences for my situation as an undead and my lost past, and expressed her disgust at learning how my kind was treated, as well as the decay I witnessed in Drangleic and neighboring kingdoms caused by their rulers or forces beyond their control.
However, I admitted that it wasn't all bad, for I found beauty amidst so much destruction, whether in the locations that survived the ruin, or in the wonderful people I met.
Her academic curiosity generated question after question about gods from other lands, the undead, the curse, souls, magic, miracles, pyromancies, history in general. I took advantage of the moment to satisfy my curiosity, learning even more about the mysterious land where I found myself.
Eventually we arrived at the topic of Ranni, Radahn, Malenia, and Miquella. I didn't lie; I was sincere and told her everything I had learned. All the demigods, mentioned or not, had plans, and this spread death and destruction throughout the Lands.
Her initial reaction was denial, but the more I explained, especially when I got to the subject of the Eternal City, she began to believe my words, because what she saw matched the knowledge passed down by the Carian lineage.
Tears came, and I didn't dare leave the room. I stayed as long as necessary, offering the little comfort I could give. Then the night continued, where we exchanged words and stories until we lost track of time.
-Caelid, Recent Past-
"Hey, girl, I'm talking to you! Have you seen my father or not?"
The strange young man who crawled out of the abyss demanded, pointing his large, dark stone staff at Milicent. His voice grew harsher due to her lack of reaction. Eventually, it came; the young woman trembled like a leaf, her breathing quickened, and then…
"BLEGH!"
She vomited a mixture of blood and decay near the stranger's feet, who recoiled in disgust, muttering an insult in an unknown language. His mouth opened to protest, but quickly closed upon seeing Milicent's condition.
Her pale skin was covered in pulsating red veins, her eyes a sickly yellow, her hair dry and disheveled, her form frail. A sigh escaped her lips before her eyes closed and she fell backward.
He clicked his tongue, looking around and realizing he had no idea where he was. Muttering, he slung the young woman over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and walked along the edge of the great chasm that divided Caelid, searching for a landmark or civilization.
"You're lucky I need a guide."
The journey was slow and tedious, with Milicent occasionally letting out coughs worthy of a dying animal. The young man carrying her did his best to ignore the liquid running down his back and continued walking.
The giant birds and dogs were a nuisance, but nothing a few bursts of abyssal magic couldn't fix. Then he headed south, taking his time to admire the devastated landscape.
Eventually, he found a group of people and considered asking for help, immediately changing his mind when he realized they were fighting, almost killing each other over something called the Great Rune.
Whether by fate or pure coincidence, the artifact was thrown like a ball at his feet by a stray blow, to the obliviousness of the combatants focused on the conflict. He held the object, which exuded power, before his face, analyzing its flaming appearance that burned away the rot that tried to consume it.
Looking around, he realized he was being ignored by the fighters, so he hid the object in his pants pocket and left as if nothing had happened.
Out of the drained swamp whose rot fell into the abyss, he passed by a ruined tower, spotting a hut in the distance, which hopefully would be inhabited. And he was right, for there was an old man dressed in red sitting in a chair inside.
"Hello, could you help me?"
The old man raised his head and turned towards the source of the river mouth, his face contorting in surprise at seeing Milicent on a stranger's shoulders.
"You brute, what have you done to her?!"
The man in red demanded, his voice full of fury and his staff in hand with a spell ready. The stranger bent down without taking his eyes off the old man, carefully placing the young woman on the ground before taking a step back.
"I did her no harm. She fainted in the middle of the swamp, vomiting blood and rot. I've been walking for who knows how long searching for help ever since. If possible, I'd appreciate some information as payment."
The old man fell silent, his gaze shifting between the stranger and the young woman on the ground before lowering his staff.
"Very well, I think we've started off on the wrong foot, young man…"
"Albert."
"Young Albert. My name is Gowry. If possible, could I request your assistance? I would like your help in easing my daughter's suffering."
Albert sighed, his frown softening before gesturing for Gowry to continue.
"Thank you very much. You see, there's a needle in the nearby swamp; I can use it to suppress the rot affecting Milicent. I'd like you to fetch it for me."
"You mean that? It was in the hands of a man who fell into the chasm splitting this land."
Gowry's mouth dropped open as he saw a broken golden needle being pulled from the newcomer's pocket, nodding quickly before receiving the desired artifact. Then he began his work while Albert sat on the ground, arms crossed and observing the distant horizon, occasionally focusing on Milicent whenever she let out a pained groan.
He muttered something incoherent and removed a bell from inside his robes, conjuring a healing miracle to ease the young woman's pain. Soon her breathing returned to normal, and with that done, he returned to staring into nothingness, thinking about the person he sought and what he would do upon finding him.
END OF CHAPTER