The Reaper was squinting his eyes at Melina, admiring her appearance. He wasn't sure how she grown so tall or endowed, but he could feel her power.

'Maybe she was training, too?' He looked at her claws, talons, the feathers. "You look soft."

Rennala leered at him in confusion. Had he no shame?

Melina only continued to smirk down at him as he continued his investigation. She was amused by his curiosity, raising her chin to tease him. His eyes sparkled as he stepped closer.

He began to scratch her chin, and watched her feathers began to ruffle and flutter. He chuckled in disbelief, using his other hand to caress her cheek as he basked in the fluff.

"I think I can accept you being taller if this is the trade off." He joked.

"You'd have to accept it regardless." Melina returned his gesture and gently ran her talons through his hair. He shivered at the feel, smiling wider at the sensation.

Rennala was disturbed at how intimate the two could get in the company of others, but she just assumed they did whatever like no one was watching.

She had to admit it was cute, so she rolled her eyes and ignored them any further.

Malenia was amused by their reunion, since it was nice seeing a different side to the young warrior aside from rage and bloodlust.

"I see you two aren't trying to refute the allegations any longer."

The two turned to Rennala and saw Ranni seated atop Blaidd, unaware of their arrival. The two were smirking at them, making Melina click her tongue as she removed her hand from The Reaper's head.

"Oh! The gang's all here! Hey guys!" The Reaper refused to stop scratching her chin. Melina grew increasingly embarrassed because of it, softly grabbing his hand to stop him as she avoided everyone's gaze.

"Hello, Tarnished. I feel your astral presence grows ever stronger. You have my gratitude." Ranni smiled, crossing both sets of arms with pride.

"...You really know how to make a guy feel like a tool." The Reaper slouched and waved her off, before taking notice of distinctly more imposing Blaidd.

"Woah! Blaidd you look much..." His fur was a shade lighter, almost an icy white. "...cooler."

Blaidd snorted at the smirk on his face from his awful pun, but nodded his head. "I've further embraced the Cold, yes. We've all seen to come into a bit more power these days."

"Aw, man, the Lands Between are not ready for us." The Reaper ruffled Melina's feathers one last time before crossing his arms.

Clearing her throat, Rennala was beginning to get overwhelmed by the people in her study. "I am glad to see everyone in such high spirits. Your progression is truly remarkable. I am happy to have been of service, my lord."

"Thank you for your kindness. I wouldn't be where I am today without it."

"I'm honored, my lord. Alas..."

•

Gazing up at the Erdtree after a month of seclusion, the Reaper stood before his party with his arms crossed.

"Well, a month of ignorance doesn't beget the looming threat of the Lord of Frenzy." He began.

Melina clicked her tongue, since she herself had been complacent in research of the subject. She had to think more along the lines of their growth meaning they could likely handle whatever Dain had in store.

"Until Dain shows his face, I think it's best I focus on the more important matter: Radahn. He's in Caelid, right?"

"That is correct. Wandering the valley in a mindless frenzy. Your plans?" Ranni asked.

The Reaper shrugged. "Well, aside from acquiring his Rune, I'm going to look for traces of Miquella and see whether or not Radahn is capable of being saved.

I also could use some Runes. I mean, losing nearly 400 times in a row means I'm kinda broke..."

"You didn't pick them back up after dying?" Melina asked with a glare.

The Reaper nervously held up a finger. "In the midst of my anger, such an action was beyond me."

Melina shook her head in disappointment.

"And so!" He turned around before pointing at the rotting lands across the forest. "We make for Caelid, do a bit of chivalry, make a quick buck, and commence the investigation on Miquella's whereabouts!"

He turned to his party with a grin. "Right, team?"

Everyone nodded, making him frown at their lack of energy.

"You geezers gotta have a bit more enthusiasm..." The Reaper muttered in annoyance, unaware the comment irked every one of them.

•

Picking up a the golden chalice at the base of Marika's statue, The Reaper hummed in delight as he poured the Sacred Tear into his flasks.

Swirling the contents, the two flasks began to dimly glow their respective colors.

"I must ask, how do the flasks taste?" Blaidd wondered.

The Reaper smiled and handed him the Cerulean Flask.

Blaidd eyed it skeptically since he wasn't expecting to actually be given a taste. He glanced at the Reaper and saw a rather innocent smile on his face.

Reluctantly taking a sip, Blaidd licked his lips. Ranni, Melina, and Malenia stared at the two expectantly, immersed in the discovery of the sacred flasks flavors.

"Blueberry..." Blaidd mumbled, answering the question. "Cherry." The Reaper added, gesturing to the Crimson flask before he took a sip.

The girls nodded at this information, no matter how irrelevant it may be.

•

The Reaper stood on a low stone wall overlooking a ruined town at the bottom of a cliff. He noticed walking corpses, skin bubbling with rot and disease.

Malenia stoically gazed down at the same beside him. She wasn't sure whether to regret her actions, or relish the fact she'd lived another day. It was a complicated matter. A question she'd never be able to answer.

For as far as the eye could see, the land it self was ailed by rot. Flora and fauna all covered in its bubbling corrosion.

"Was it beautiful?" The Reaper asked her.

"It was." Malenia replied.

•

Walking along the stone path that led further into Caelid, the five suddenly felt a tense presence behind them. The Reaper turned around and saw a few Tarnished approaching foolishly.

Rolling his arm, The Reaper began to smile at the familiar feeling of the thrill of battle.

"N-No... no way! He's... He's back! Oh god, he's back!" The one leading the pack seemed appalled to see—

"Me?" The Reaper asked in confusion.

In a sudden panic and frenzy, the five scrambled around in either fear or excitement, but soon disappeared, likely to the Roundtable Guild to relay the news.

"What... the hell was that?"

"It seems your fable has yet to leave the minds of Tarnished. Your song is still sung it seems." Blaidd mused.

"He has a cult." Melina revealed.

"Huh?!"

"The Cult of Calamity. Thank Ranni." Melina nodded.

Ranni jerked her head in denial. "I've taken no such part in their foolishness. To think those mindless buffoons follow you and not the Lunar Princess herself..."

"You're a recluse. Most think you're dead." Melina commented with a smirk.

Ranni squinted her eyes, clearly struggling to keep her composure since those same eyes were twitching.

"As the first Tarnished to claim shards of the Elden Ring, three at that, it's to be expected that those who lack motivation would find drive in seeing you so easily defeat a Demi-God."

The Reaper looked at his hand. He remembered his words to the Deathwalker. He assumed he told them loud and clear of his achievements.

The Reaper smiled as he shifted his gaze to his left hand, bringing up the translucent image of the Runes he held.

Godrick's, Rennala's, and Malenia's.

There weren't many left to go, surprisingly enough.

Radahn's, Morgott's, Rykard's, and apparently someone named Mohg.

Three of seven in a mere month.

"Impressive indeed, my friend. Especially for such a young chap like yourself. The vigor of youth is impressive indeed..."

The five turned to the odd arrival that was leaving down beside The Reaper with a grin. He wore a bag over his head where a single eye could be seen through a hole. He was six foot even, wearing light armor under a dark cloak.

Beside him was a caravan littered with items, weapons, potions— you name it. A merchant clearly.

However, despite his harmless appearance, he suddenly had two blades to his neck, and two orbs of magic aimed at his head.

Melina, Ranni, Malenia, and Blaidd all waited for the man to address himself and his intentions without word, ready to end him in a moment's notice.

"Well..." The man slowly raised his hands. "The rumors are true, I suppose." He cleared his throat nervously.

"You guys can drop the weapons," The Reaper chuckled, lightly bringing Blaidd and Malenia's swords down. "You're a merchant, clearly. Normally around these parts?"

Ranni dropped the literal moon she was forming, but Melina only reduced the orb to a kindling flame in her hand.

"Name's Boe. And can't say I frequent these lands. Not the most favorable traction as you can see. I simply spotted the legend himself trotting about and came to offer my wares, good buddy."

He gestured to the cart, where a plethora of goods reside. The caravan's shop was set up by wooden shelves and boards on the exterior, so The Reaper assumed that the inside was his home.

"Well, kinda broke at the moment..."

Boe snorted smugly. "Ah, quite the predicament. Well then I've got just the job for you, chum. What say you, huh?"

The Reaper turned to his party, but no one disapproved.

"Sure. How can I help?"

"Rather simple task, pal, simple information grab." Boe pat his shoulder before handing him a blank piece of parchment and a feather pen. "There's a mine 'round the outskirts of 'ere Caelid, rumored to behold a very powerful dragon. Aside from the resources huddled up inside, dragons are very valuable for the courageous enough to face them."

The Reaper nodded in understanding. "Got it. Just plot out the details up here?" He asked as he received the parchment and pen.

"Atta boy! Now, of course, it's overseen by Radahn's soldiers. The guys are nothing if not loyal. Do with that what you will, friend." Boe snickered and returned to his caravan.

He hopped on the ledge where he'd direct his horse, but slid behind it to slip into the caravan instead.

"Finally something simple..."

•

The trek through the mines was less difficult than The Reaper anticipated. Malenia was practically a ward for all humane challengers, which was what the mine was full of.

They knew better than to defy a Demi-god.

Ranni was slightly jealous by the effect she had, since she too was a Demi-god, but she understood that she looked nothing like her empyrean form.

The soldiers in red surcoats all continued about their business under the pressure of Malenia. It wasn't as if she ever bat an eye them an eye, but her ethereal presence fooled them into thinking so.

The Reaper and Blaidd strut through the mines, since it seemed the two were accustomed to having to fight their way through.

To lighten the load on the lifts down, Melina and Ranni would float down after the three.

They arrived at a set of massive, wooden double doors that were splotched with ash and soot. There was a clear heat emanating from the room that made Blaidd frown.

"So, a bunch of smithing stones, crystals, Glintstone, and even some somber smithing stones. About 10 soldiers and 8 miners." He scribbled the notes down. "Seems rather easy until we figure out what's in there."

Blaidd tried to peek inside through the small crack in the door, but there was no sight of light inside.

"Whatever it is seems awfully quiet—"

A low growl echoed from the room and out into the cave. Blaidd and The Reaper peeked back in to see a single full orange eye leering at them from the back of the cave. The eye began to glow before an oddly playful snarl came from the beast.

The two looked at each other, and then others, before looking back into the doorway.

The Reaper and Blaidd pushed open the doors and saw the room slowly get illuminated by the torches and lanterns from the passage they were in.

Sure enough, a Magma Wrym was slowly crawling over in surprisingly docile nature.

"Woah! Look at this big guy!" The Reaper saw the grin on its face as it head towards him. It sluggishly laid its head down on The Reaper as he jogged forward, causing him to nearly fall, but hold its chin up and scratch it with grin just as big as its own.

Melina burned the scene into her mind in silence, ignorant to Ranni smirking at her.

Malenia was curious as to why the creature was acting familiar with him. "This is odd behavior for a wrym. They are normally very territorial and attack any intruders on sight."

"It must have to do with the shape of his constellation," Ranni stepped beside her and observed the scene as well. "After all, it is that of a dragon."

Malenia remembered the sucker punch the dragon claw he summoned had hit her with. The Gauntlets at full form resembled a dragon's claws, sure, but the claw he summoned clearly held a different look.

"Am I like part dragon?" The Reaper asked.

"I have no foot in forensics, Tarnished. I've no clue of your origin aside from what it spells for your future. There is a possibility you may become one..." Ranni's reply still gave him hope.

"Well, it'd be cool if I was a dragon and Melina was a Phoenix. That would be sick." The Reaper turned to his partner and saw her approaching him and the Magma Wrym.

"It'd be quite the pair, indeed." She ruffled his hair as the Magma Wrym lowered its head and snuggled into his chest. "Would you like me to note the Wrym?"

"Oh, no, no, I've got it. I wanna try and draw it." The Reaper held up his pen and parchment, taking steps back to get a better look at the Magma Wrym.

It reluctantly let him pace back and turned to Blaidd curiously. Blaidd chuckled awkwardly and began to pet it very cautiously.

The Reaper took a seat and summoned a medium wooden shield he had acquired from long ago. He set it on the ground and shifted his gauntlets into his claws, carefully carving the shield to outline the parchment.

Soon enough, using string, bone scraps, and a Glintstone shard to create a makeshift clipboard.

"Fascinating." Ranni and Malenia mumbled.

"What is this?" Melina asked in confusion.

"Well, it's something from where I come from. It creates a hard surface to write on when a table isn't present. It's called a clipboard. It's a bit crude, but it should work." He stood up and held the board against his arm.

He began to draw as Blaidd began to warm up to the Magma Wrym, petting with much more affection than before.

The three women watched as The Reaper sketched the form of the Magma Wrym, its craggy blade, and even Blaidd petting it. Deciding that he didn't need to work too hard on shading, he just gave basic details to save time for the actual notes on the creature.

In a few minutes time, he had a rather impressive depiction of the scene along with the notes of the mine.

"You are well versed with a pen." Malenia exclaimed.

The three were incredibly impressed by the accuracy in such a short amount of time. Blaidd grew intrigued, walking over with the Magma Wrym behind him.

"I'll be... It really is me." Blaidd chuckled and admired it with a smirk.

The Reaper saw the Magma Wrym staring at him affectionately, so he assumed it was asking to be pet.

However, it suddenly stuck out its tongue. Not to lick him, but to present him with a weapon. Melina took the clipboard and pen from The Reaper so he could grab the weapon it had dropped.

The Reaper picked up the blade as the bright light it had emerged from died down.

It was a foggy dark blue katana with a blade that gleamed like gemstones. Ranni and The Reaper could immediately sense the astral power from it, but everyone's attention was brought to the sudden change of the weapon's colors.

As if claimed by his power, the blade grew a deep purple, the handle black, and the hilt gold.

"No way! You can make weapons?!" The Reaper shouted in disbelief.

The Reaper dispersed the katana into his inventory and hugged the Magma Wrym. It growled happily, closing its eyes and releasing a puff of the smoke it took to make the blade.

The exhaust was dispelled by Melina's wave as the Reaper laughed at his new blade.

He brought it back out and closed his eyes. "Moonveil Katana. The power of Transient Moonlight." He swung the blade towards the farthest wall, shooting a deep blue blade of magic.

Swinging it several more times, the magic slowly began to form a blue and purple gradient.

"There we go. I think it's fully acclimated to me. That makes four weapon types now." The Reaper grinned at the sword, but ultimately put it away again.

"Every day you're more formidable." Malenia mused.

"Not enough unfortunately— but besides that, let's get this info back to that merchant." The Reaper gave one last scratch to Magma Wrym, who gave a weird bark to the five as they left.

•

"Well, look at you. Quite the artist on our hands here. This is certainly an efficient product. Now, to make copies..."

Boe held out the parchment and snapped his free hand's fingers underneath it. In that same instant, nine more copies were in the same hand as the original parchment. Boe nodded his head in approval.

With another snap, The Reaper looked at his runes and gave a fist pump.

"16,500. This spot has been a hot commodity, bud, so these will sell like crazy back at the Guild." Boe held out his hand, so The Reaper shook it with a grin. "Pleasure doing Business, O' Great Dragon of Calamity."

"Huh?"

"Your little cult is rather creative. Not sure about that dragon part, but I guess they're pretty cool." Boe shrugged and began strutting back to his caravan.

Boe laughed and parted with, "Hope to do business again soon, my stupendous friend!" as he rode off further into Caelid somewhere.

"Rather eccentric fellow, that one." Blaidd mused. "Wouldn't you... say..." Blaidd slowly looked down at the shadow beginning to loom over them.

Melina looked down at it, causing Ranni and Malenia too as well.

The Reaper was incredibly confused why they'd look down at the shadow, and not up at what was causing it.

The Reaper began to look up, but as soon as he did, something snatched him from the ground. In a shocked stupor, the Reaper hadn't struggled in the slightest, simply astonished that a dragon had just abducted him from his friends.

The Reaper looked around seeing he was higher off the ground than when he even fought Godrick. Beside the dragon seemed to be its whole pack, screeching and cawing as they flew around him.

Crossing his arms in annoyance, he looked down to see if his friends were even coming to his rescue. "Three. Two."

The Reaper was suddenly flung upward as something crashed into the neck of the dragon. "ONE!" He shouted in shock at the force.

Unable to fly like the women in his party, the Reaper could only correct his posture and analyze the situation.

He was much farther away from the outskirts of Caelid, overlooking a massive lake of boiling rot and a large wilting tree at the end of it.

Jerking his head to the left, he summoned his twinblade and spun it out, slashing a dragon's jaw and stabbing into its side.

With his new ride jerking around in pain, the Reaper tried to get a look for his friends, but he didn't need to look much further.

Melina shred through the dragon's wing and slapped it away with a tail of feathers. She grabbed The Reaper by his waist and flew downward faster than he had been abducted.

As fast as he could blink, he was set down at the base of a hill beside Malenia and Blaidd.

The screeches and cries of the dragons overhead began to harmonize as the party looked at the humongous abundance of white scales resting in front of them.

"So it lives..." Malenia hummed.

The Elder Dragon Greyoll awoke in The Reaper's Presence.