I've decided to put all the chapters here, which makes this much more convenient for me! This won't be a story I continue, because I'm currently making a different, revised version!

Regardless, I hope you enjoy!

-----

In a dreary, beaten-down house, ready to fall to pieces, a group of amorphous figures sat around a table. The table was pitch black, with lights flickering all within it. It was a universe, all sitting right there.

The head of the table, a whisp of light, spoke first. Its voice was determined, unflinching.

"Darkness, you still haven't chosen, even after all this time," The Greater Will noted. "Have you given up trying to look for a successor? All of that to hold us back?"

The Darkness, a blob of emptiness, shook its head. "No, I was simply waiting. And I believe... I've found the one."

A yellow flame, twitching and writhing giggled, "Oh? You've finally chosen?! This world must be drenched in chaos! That is the only way forward, surely you understand that!"

A feminine figure, entirely formed of dark red blood, sighed. "Shut up, Frenzied Flame. Surely, he's come to understand that this world must be covered in blood. He'll bless Mohg, and we'll rule happily."

A feminine space of simple... decay, slowly creaked. It was held down by unbreaking chains of hollow light. When she spoke, her voice was creaky, as if unused, "Darkness. Darkness. Please, find a way to get me out of here. I'll rot it all, and you can drown it all in an Age of Darkness. Melania, choose my beloved Melania."

A simple flame, larger than the others, huffed. "Rot, be quiet. We locked you up for a reason, no reason for you to start talking now."

Rot let out a groan but went silent.

A green, serpentine being giggled, "Well, look at you, Fire! You shut Rot right up! Darkness'll probably choose one of my people. Devouring the world is pretty much the best way through this all, y'know?"

The flame continued, "Snake."

Snake rose from his spot, and despite having no features, it was clear he was grinning. "Do you wanna go, Fire?"

Fire rose, slowly. "Do you?"

The two were stopped by a simple tap on the table. A feminine figure, one that looked the most physical, like a darkened moon, clicked her tongue. "Boys, stop that. We all know our fights can't happen up here for long. Things will just unravel further."

Snake let out a defiant huff but sat down. Under his breath, he said, "Well, at least Rykard is down there. He's reliable."

Fire silently sat, gesturing towards the Dark Moon, who looked at Darkness.

"Darkness, Love," she called. He looked at her, and as an amorphous blob of darkness, his expression was unreadable. "Have you finally, truly come to a decision?"

The Darkness was silent for a moment before looking away from the Dark Moon. He glanced over the table before looking down at his body. It wasn't easy to see, but he was beginning to fray, just like everything else.

"Greater Will, I have respected your choices for a millennium. Your vassal, the Elden Beast, is powerful. Queen Marika was a ruler to be proud of, but she chose to betray you. Now, I believe it's time to move on. I will choose my vassal."

The table suddenly erupted with chatter. A series of questions were launched at the Darkness, but it didn't respond. Eventually, the chatter fell to silence again.

The Greater Will spoke quietly and cautiously, "If you choose a vassal instead of sending blessings, you will allow the others to choose too. Are you willing to suffer the consequences of that decision?"

The Darkness looked around before shrugging, "At this rate, if I didn't, we'd all fade into obscurity. Even we, the Outer Gods, aren't immune to the danger of the immaterial realm."

The Greater Will let out a sigh of defeat. "Then, we will see which of the Outer Gods will lead the next age of this world, all starting at the Lands Between. Darkness, you've yet to say who you will choose as your vassal."

Everyone looked at the Darkness in silence, and the Darkness stared at the table.

"Greater Will, your blessings will continue, right? The Erdtree still lives with the Elden Ring's power."

The Greater Will nodded.

"Then, before you choose one of the Tarnished. A nosy one, in fact."

The table suddenly grew tense.

"Nosy? You can't mean...." The Greater Will sat, stunned.

"My, oh my. I never expected us to be watched," The Dark Moon sighed dreamily. "This is quite unprecedented."

"Hey, hey! If you're listening, follow Rykard!" Snake cackled.

"Follow my beloved Melania, hehehehe...!" Rot gasped.

"Be quiet you buffoons! They'll follow chaos and nothing else!" The Frenzied Flame howled.

The Fire sat, silent. "Interesting. I, too, will choose a vassal out of the new Tarnished."

"Fire, you too?" The Greater Will looked at him, perplexed.

The Fire didn't reply.

The table slowly quieted, and the Darkness nodded.

"Now, I think it's about time you wake up, nosy Tarnished."

-----

(Y/n) awoke with a jolt. With a high-strung weariness, he observed his surroundings. He was lying within a simplistic cave, in a puddle of stale water.

"Ugh, gross," he spat. He slowly rose, suddenly very aware of his utter lack of clothing. He made a face at the discovery but shook off the annoyance. "Couldn't even leave me with clothes, huh? I've just gotta have everything hanging out? Dicks. Hah."

As he spoke to himself, (Y/n) slowly skulked through the cave, until he heard a soft pitter-patter behind himself. He froze, not out of fear, but out of interest. He slowly turned his head to see something sailing through the air. With instincts driving him, he took a few steps back, putting a lot of distance between himself and... nothing.

There was a soft plop as a small package hit the ground. (Y/n) looked at where the small bundle came from, but there was no one there. He let out a soft hum before blinking and checking out the package. It wasn't anything special, but it had some clothes and a small dagger inside.

He clothed himself and felt much better, wielding the dagger and moving forward with renewed vigor. The clothes were simple cloth, nothing protective like armor or chainmail. Unfortunately, the clothes didn't have shoes or greaves, leaving (Y/n) barefoot.

"Well, at least someone's looking out for me," (Y/n) continued forward before encountering a... ghost sitting in a chair. The ghost was pointing down into a pit, and when (Y/n) looked down into it, he couldn't easily see the bottom. "Huh. Seeing ghosts, don't remember the Lands Between being like that."

"Young warrior, if you wish to hone your skills, take the plunge," The ghost said, sounding distant.

"Hey, ghost guy, what's happening here? Are you special or...?"

"If you wish to hone your skills, take the plunge."

"Ah, senile spectral, got it," (Y/n) nodded before taking a firm left and ignoring the hole altogether. "Dealt with too many bastards who would push me down there for gold. No point in doing that. I'd rather use the nice, inviting door."

He walked up a flight of stairs, two at a time, and opened the nice, inviting door. However, he noticed a small golden tree as he did, keeping the sight in mind.

The door opened to more stairs, which he took with a huff, his feet becoming irritated due to his lack of proper footwear. And when he climbed those stairs, he saw an unexpected sight. A little spot of light, a Site of Grace.

"Oh?" And when he sat down there, he felt a warmth flow over him. He took that as a sign of safety and sat for a moment. With peace, he remembered himself.

"Right, right. I'm (Y/n). I'm a Tarnished, and I was just awoken by a blessing of Grace. And that dream... they were... the Outer Gods? I... I don't know much about them. Well, the Greater Will woke me up, so I can't argue with that. And... the Darkness was supposed to bless me, but I don't see any signs of that blessing. Did he just say that to trick the other Outer Gods? No, maybe I shouldn't say that. For all I know, he'll wash me away with Darkness for doubting him."

(Y/n) shrugged, rising from his spot and continuing. A short lift and a sliding door away, and he emerged in the sunlight. It was sweet, familiar, and rewarding. And, in the distance, he could see it.

The illustrious Erdtree. It was truly the centerpiece of the Lands Between. (Y/n) was a bit dumbfounded as he looked at it, so dumbfounded that a masked man with a particularly annoying presence strolled up to him.

"Oh, a Tarnished? Have you come to the Lands Between for the Elden Ring?" The man, Varre, sighed, shaking his head.

"O-Oh, yeah. I think it's kinda my job now to get the Elden Ring. I've just... got a feeling that's what I need to do," (Y/n) admitted, glancing past Varre to see another Site of Grace, and a nearly transparent guiding beam of light. It was pointed forward, although he could hardly tell where it was going.

Varre nodded, "But unfortunately, you sir, are maidenless."

"I, um, wait—"

Varre continued as if (Y/n) never spoke, "Without the power of runes, without an invitation to the Roundtable Hold, I fear you may be destined to die in obscurity. Such a shame."

"W-Wait, going back to the maidenless part—"

"Luckily for you, there is a shining ray of hope, even for the maidenless like you. Me, Varre. I will happily tell you where you need to go, just follow the guidance of Grace. It will lead you to where you need to go, even if that is to your grace," Varre nodded.

"I... I think I could've figured that out without you, honestly."

Varre snickered, "I would be proud if you could, Tarnished. However, I will tell you this. The Grace will probably lead you towards Castle Stormveil. It's the home of Godrick the Grafted, a decrepit demigod."

That caught (Y/n)'s attention. "Demigod, huh?"

Varre nodded, "Yes, that is where you should head, if you wish to progress, maidenless as you are."

(Y/n)'s eyebrow twitched, as he turned away, speaking to himself, "I swear, I really don't like being called maidenless."

He turned back to Varre, clapping him once on the shoulder before strolling past another Site of Grace. "Thanks for the help, Varre."

With a clear path ahead of him, he encountered a menacing individual on a horse. A large knight wielding a golden halberd on an armored horse. With just his tiny dagger in his hand, (Y/n) felt totally underprepared as the knight met his eyes.

In a way he hadn't felt since he awoke, a nervous chill raced through him, and he had a very clear idea of who the enemy before him was.

[Tree Sentinel]

He even knew, just knew how much life the monster had left in it. Unfortunately for (Y/n), having been in combat before didn't mean much when he was so underequipped.

The Tree Sentinel let out a bone chilling laugh, charging towards (Y/n) with his halberd extended. He gripped his dagger tightly, and tried to avoid the attack, but it didn't matter at all. The halberd slammed into (Y/n)'s chest, biting into bone easily.

All the air left his lungs, and he flew backwards, tumbling through the field and stopping as he hit a rock. He stared emptily as pain stifled his actions, blood flowing down his chest. The knight scoffed, turning away and continuing to patrol the area.

(Y/n) couldn't even say a quippy line or stand up as darkness consumed him.

For a brief, flickering instant, there was nothing but darkness, and a terrifying feeling of his body scattering to ash.

And then, he opened his eyes, the feeling of his body flowing back into place, next to the Site of Grace. Varre was gone, with a message carved into the rock. For a moment he just sat there, but the warmth from the Grace Site calmed him.

For a moment, he just sat there in silence, looking at the Site of Grace.

He shook his head, pushing out a long breath. "It's easier after the first time," he admitted.

This wasn't his first time dying, since, as a Tarnished, he'd died once in the past. And he couldn't even focus on that sensation, since a bizarre... thing was floating in the air. It was a black and gold box, with information inside. Despite never having seen it before, (Y/n) knew it was connected to the dream he had.

[You have been chosen as the Vassal of Darkness. You are now known as the Shadow Sovereign, Tarnished.]

[You currently hold no responsibilities as the Vassal of Darkness.]

[Due to the lack of a maiden, you cannot level up.]

"Vassal of Darkness... more like vassal of.... Ugh, I don't even have anything clever," (Y/n) huffed. "At least he didn't suddenly make me want to cloak the world in Eternal Night or something."

(Y/n) swiped the screens away, until something suddenly clicked.

"Wait, I'm... a direct Vassal of an Outer God? That's on the level of the Greater Will? Hasn't the only person who's done that before been... Queen Marika?" (Y/n) peered at the Erdtree, a chill running through him.

"And... did I just get something that could rival her strength?" (Y/n) swallowed, glad to have a stunning understanding of his abilities. He looked down at the Tree Sentinel before clicking his tongue, then, he turned back, and reentered the dungeon he originated from.

He then stopped by the ghost, and as it prattled on and on, (Y/n) studied the cavern before letting out a little, "Hup!" and leaping in. He landed with a whump and felt his feet nearly pierce a rock, causing him to let out a let than manly shriek.

However, he tried to muffle the shriek under a well-timed cough, pushing forward as if nothing happened. He approached another Site of Grace, then passed it after activating it.

And then, he saw a man, a peasant, standing on his own, in the cave. From a distance, (Y/n) couldn't observe much about the peasant's clothing, but he didn't fret. Even with his mostly lackadaisical nature, he hadn't forgotten how to fight in all the time he spent dead.

Crouching and approaching the peasant, (Y/n) could tell the man was no longer cognizant. He didn't have much of an idea what could've caused that, besides something happening with the Erdtree, which it seems like did end up happening, based on his recollection of the Outer Gods' conversation.

(Y/n) shook his head, focusing on the threat in front of him. He crept behind the peasant, slowly rose to his feet, and, without a sound, plunged his blade into the peasant's back. The peasant let out a small yelp, but (Y/n) tore his dagger back and then in one swift move, grabbed the peasant's forehead and slit his throat.

Without any further struggle, the peasant fell down, dead, tumbling on some boxes. (Y/n) felt something flow into him, but there wasn't much to see, so he ignored the feeling.

(Y/n) turned back, hearing creaking and groaning, to see another half-dead peasant slowly approaching. He wouldn't actually be there to attack (Y/n) for a while, so he didn't worry about it much.

(Y/n) bent down and picked up the peasant's sword, swinging it around the air happily, before he took off the peasant's leather greaves, putting them on happily. They weren't totally protective, but it was far more comfortable than walking with his bare feet.

And then (Y/n) gave his attention to the stuff he actually noticed first. A black whisp of energy was rising from the dead corpse, with the odd screen telling him something.

[Shadow Extraction can be used on the target.]

[Choose an Extraction Phrase.]

As the peasant approached, (Y/n) mused over the idea for a second. However, before he said, "Get up, loser," he had a weird chilling feeling that a mob of enemies would rush him down if he didn't choose another word. So, instead he said:

"Arise."

A black, inky pair of hands grabbed at the corpse from the inside and a completely black version of the corpse — save for the purple eyes — rose. It had dawned a new weapon, despite (Y/n) taking his previous one.

(Y/n) smiled, then pointed at the approaching peasant. The enemy was only about a foot away, raising its sword into the air to hit (Y/n).

The Shadow peasant charged forward, really only moving about half a foot before countering the raised sword with one of his own.

"Ah, I'm about to tear that Tree Sentinel a new one," he chuckled, stepping past the connected blades and slashing the peasant's throat with his sword. Blood spurted from the injury, splattering on (Y/n)'s cheek. He felt the flowing feeling again, but there was still nothing to be seen. (Y/n) called out to the fallen soul again, and a new Shadow joined his army.

[Shadow Extraction | EXP: 0.20% | Lv. 1]
The power of the Vassal of Darkness, the Shadow Sovereign. It is a power able to contest Queen Marika the Eternal's Infinite Reincarnation. There is no cost to using this ability, besides when the Shadows are defeated or destroyed in combat. Then, they are regenerated, at the cost of the user's MP.
Shadow Extraction Limit: 2/100

[Shadow Save | EXP: 0.40% | Lv. 1]
The power to save the Shadows created by the Shadow Extraction skill. With an army by your side, few Vassals can stand against the Shadow Sovereign.
Shadow Save Limit: 2/20

"It's been a little while since I was in Queen Marika's army. It seems like I've still got it," (Y/n) sighed happily, cracking his neck as his eyes glowed purple. He saw another peasant in the distance, and he pointed towards it. "Let's hurry up through this little training session."

-----

(Y/n) let out a little whoop as he emerged from the training, returning to the soft yet unforgiving light of Limgrave. He healed himself up at the Site of Grace before gazing at the roaming Tree Sentinel. It was completely fine, and (Y/n) hated it. A devious smile rose to his face.

[Shadow Extraction: 14/100]

In his little training arc, he'd run into 12 other enemies in the dungeon. Nine were peasants, but three of them were proper Knights of Godrick. And beyond his Shadows, he now had some more armor, taken from the corpses of Godrick's knights. It was a bit heavier than he wanted, but it made him fairly confident that he wouldn't go down in a single hit.

"Now, you damn annoying prick; It's time for payback!" He approached the knight carefully, his Shadows all far underneath his feet. With allies, he knew with an odd certainty that the Tree Sentinel would go down easily.

As soon as the Tree Sentinel laid eyes on him, (Y/n) swallowed. He took his sword in his hands and waited. The Tree Sentinel brandished his halberd and began charging, the clopping of his horse instilling a sense of anxiety in the young Shadow Sovereign.

As the towering knight's halberd closed in, (Y/n) dodged towards the knight, barely avoiding all damage. Now underneath the horse and seeing something he'd rather not have, (Y/n) called them.

"Come on!" His shadow expanded, and all at once, a flurry of black blades shot from the ground and slashed at the horse's legs. The horse let out a cry, but the armor held up. With a neigh, the horse man forward, trampling half of (Y/n)'s Shadows.

(Y/n) felt an odd pull on himself as his soldiers flowed back into place. He immediately could tell he was probably about 50% through his MP, just from the horse trampling over a few of his Shadows.

There was a brief moment of silence as (Y/n) and the Tree Sentinel stared one another down. Then, (Y/n) flipped his sword in his hand, catching it before pointing it at his enemy.

The one course of action was clear to him. He smirked.

"Charge!" He said, as he promptly turned tail and, in his words, "hauled ass."

As his Shadows rushed towards the Sentinel, (Y/n) ran with all his energy towards the nearest place of safety, a set of ruins, the Church of Elleh.

Despite his new abilities and position as a Vassal of Darkness, he didn't feel particularly motivated to keep fighting the Tree Sentinel over and over again when there was no need to. So, he ran, deciding to take that fight at another time.

He entered the ruins tired, his body weakened from all the time he spent dead, doing nothing. Furthermore, he was now moving on an empty tank of Mana, and his Shadows would no longer regenerate.

However, there was a beautiful sight to see, a new Site of Grace. He sat down and felt his energy recover, as well as his Shadows return to their places under his feet. He recovered himself and noticed a fire, a man in red clothes, and a mule.

He approached casually, getting the feeling the man wouldn't attack him.

"A Tarnished? And one that's not after my throat. That's quite a sore sight," The man nodded towards (Y/n), receiving a nod back. "I am Kale, a merchant around these parts. Why not purchase a little something?"

(Y/n) scratched the side of his face. "Well, Kale, I'm (Y/n). However, I don't think I've got much money."

Kale squinted his eyes, "Your pockets may be empty, but you are not poor. Those runes you have, held deep within, those, are what I wish for."

(Y/n) blinked. He'd noticed something flowing into him as he killed his enemies, but he didn't know they were usable in such a way.

Kale studied (Y/n) a bit closer, noticing something, "You... came from a time before the Shattering."

(Y/n) opened his mouth, but then shut it. He nodded somewhat meekly, laughing awkwardly.

Kale nodded. "After the Shattering, the time of Gold and Silver ended. Now, we live in a time of runes, with madness surrounding every corner, it seems. However, those like you, who still have morals and wishes, those are the ones who make my business thrive."

Now, it was (Y/n)'s turn to nod. He glanced over Kale's goods, picking up a crafting kit, on Kale's suggestion. He even went over to the smithing table and picked up a small smithing stone, using the two to make his sword a little bit sharper. It was far from efficient, but it was good enough.

However, he didn't even notice how long he'd spent just sharpening his blade. Soon enough, it was night, and an odd fog rolled over the Church of Elleh.

"Huh?" (Y/n) spun around.

Kale was now in a deep sleep, laid upside his mule. The fire was completely out, and it left (Y/n) feeling a bit odd. Even in all that time, he hadn't required even a little bit of rest. He pushed those thoughts aside as he noticed a woman with a large white hat and a matching white dress on.

"Tarnished, may I have a word with you?" The woman called, and (Y/n) didn't see much reason to fight against her.

He approached cautiously but didn't wield his weapon. As he approached, he got a better look at the woman. She was fairly gorgeous, although she had blue skin, a second spectral face, and four arms. It was a different sort of beauty, but (Y/n) appreciated it, nonetheless.

'Hey, four-arms,' (Y/n) thought.

As the woman's eyes widened, he suddenly realized those words did not, in fact, stay in his head. He winced, realizing that was an absolutely abysmal way to start a conversation.

However, a small smile rose on the woman's face. (Y/n) relaxed a bit at that.

"I am Renna. I do, indeed, have four arms, however, I have never been addressed by them. I don't suppose your name is Two-Arms?" She asked, her expression becoming somewhat coy.

(Y/n) laughed awkwardly, looking away from Renna. "No, no, I'm sorry. I'm (Y/n). It's nice to meet you, Renna."

He extended a hand to the woman, and she gently took it. There was a brief moment of handholding before (Y/n) realized it was his job to actually shake their hands. He did it as gently and politely as he could, getting a feeling that being rough with this woman would only bring him problems.

"It is a pleasure to meet, (Y/n). There have been whispers of a Tarnished wielding spirits like never seen before. I wished to see if these whispers were truthful. May I see, (Y/n)?" Renna asked, and (Y/n) knew that there was no chance he was going to say no to her. He nodded and his Shadows rose from the ground, all surrounding him before they kneeled at once.

"Oh my. That is quite the sight," Renna noted. She handed him a small black box. The box was radiating a familiar energy, "These are ashes that have failed to return to the Erdtree. For a traditional Tarnished, they'd need a bell to call them forth, but you...."

(Y/n) nodded, taking the box off Renna's hands. He looked down at it, a familiar notification appearing. "Renna, would you like to see it in action?"

Renna leaned forward, her four hands falling into her lap. "I would be honored."

(Y/n) nodded, holding his hands over the ashes and smiling. "Arise."

There was a brief volley of howls before three black wolves rose from the ground, all of them sniffing around before they looked up at (Y/n). The Shadow Sovereign smiled at Renna's widened eyes, petting his newest three Shadows.

"Thank you, Renna."

Renna lightly bowed to (Y/n), seeming to regather herself. "Of course, (Y/n). May we meet again, although I find it rather unlikely."

Renna started to flicker away in blue, radiant light. (Y/n) bowed lightly back, shrugging, "We'll meet again."

Renna sighed as she faded away, her words lingering for just a second longer. "Ah, how I yearn for humor like yours. If we meet again, we should converse, before speaking on serious matters."

(Y/n) looked at the spot where Renna sat as the fog lifted, leaving a familiar night filled with bright stars.

"She seemed... trapped. Hm. Well, there's only one thing to do about it. I'll just have to find her and bring her some humor!" (Y/n) cheered, but he heard some soft murmuring, causing him to turn to see Kale rustling in his sleep.

"Ah. Well, maybe that'll happen if I can even move forward," (Y/n) clicked his tongue.

Then, with everything he could carry on him — his sword, his armor, and now, his toolkit in a satchel — he began trekking forward, outside of the Church of Elleh.

What he didn't know was soon he'd be getting a maiden.

-----

(Y/n) trudged forward for what felt like days. And partially, that was because he was walking for days. However, the other part that made his journey feel so long was how many enemies he encountered. It felt like he couldn't walk ten feet before someone wanted to duke it out with him. It was jarringly noticeable to the young man.

Just as Kale said, the world truly was in a state of madness like never before. Fortunately for him, that meant he'd gained some new Shadows in his adventuring.

(Y/n) stumbled into a forest, exhausted.

"My god, I never expected to have such a bad sense of direction. I really need to start marking checkpoints or something," (Y/n) groaned. To find the nearest Site of Grace, he'd sent his Shadows out in all directions, but he had no idea if they'd find one anytime soon.

The Vassal slid against a tree, attempting to catch his breath. He sat his sword on the ground, making a mental note to pick it up. He was positive he'd be safe from the aggression of any Godrick Soldiers. However, those thoughts quickly faded when he heard something like a bird's chirping.

He had less than a second to quickly yelp and dive out of the way of a Giant Bat, who swooped down into the forest specifically for (Y/n)'s head. For a moment, he stared at the bat, just dumbfounded.

He was far from useless, but right now, he was so tired, fighting sounded like an awful idea. Furthermore, with the hefty number of runes he'd garnered, he didn't want to get into a losing battle if it could be avoided.

And then, two more bats chirped before joining their ally. All of them flapped menacingly, and (Y/n) spoke blankly.

"This is some bullshi— AH!" (Y/n) ducked and rolled as the Giant Bats all began flying towards him, their actions clear. He ran, and rolled, and fled like his life depended on it, mainly because it did.

And after fleeing for about thirty seconds, (Y/n) got clear of the forest, with plenty of Giant Bats chasing him down. However, in the distance, near a large, open gate, he saw a welcome image.

It was a heavenly, undeniable Site of Grace.

(Y/n) ran as fast as he could, but he could feel the Giant Bats gaining on him. He ducked down, letting out a yelp as one swiped at his head, and then he rolled to the right as another one tried to bite at his midsection. However, he rolled directly into the last bat's line of attack, earning him a face full of disgusting bat saliva.

He rolled around with the winged creature before he got his knees underneath it and heaved, pushing it into the other bats. The three bats fell together in a pile of tangled limbs, and (Y/n) got up from his spot, huffing it with all his might.

He was only a dozen steps away, and then he reached out to the Grace and tumbled to the ground as the warmth washed over him. The sound of the Giant Bats entirely disappeared, pushed away and reset by the incredible power of the Grace Site.

He just sat there, with his face on the ground. Physically, his body was restored, but such a stressful situation really killed him mentally. Even when he got the vague feeling of a nearby person, he didn't move.

"What the hell am I supposed to do with all these runes, it's not worth it to go back to Kale if I can't even carry what I'd buy from him. Ughhhh," (Y/n) groaned. He sat there moaning and groaning for a second, before lifting his head up easily. "Well, there's not much point in complaining about it, right, lady?"

(Y/n) spent a moment staring at a hooded woman who wasn't there before. He blinked, and his brain very, very slowly caught up with reality.

"Oh, great heavens!" He yelped, stumbling back. The woman tilted her head, seeming a bit confused. "God, lady, when did you get here?"

"I have only been present for a mere moment, Traveler," The woman bowed her head slightly, and (Y/n) relaxed, falling back down to the ground. The woman looked back up to the Vassal, properly pulling her hood off.

(Y/n) was not ashamed to admit that he was immediately floored by the woman. She was a redheaded beauty with a serious aura to her. (Y/n) really couldn't tell what she was thinking, and something about that made him want to know more about her.

"I am Melina. I wish to offer you an accord," Melina began, meeting (Y/n)'s eyes with her single eye. One of her eyes was covered by a symbol (Y/n) couldn't recognize.

"An accord? For what?" (Y/n) asked, and Melina leaned forward, causing him to shut his mouth.

"Have you heard of the Finger Maidens?" Melina questioned, causing (Y/n) to shake his head. She squinted, continuing. "They are maidens who serve the Two Fingers. They offer aid and guidance to the Tarnished. However, you...."

"...are maidenless," (Y/n) finished sourly, looking away from the attractive woman.

Melina nodded. "However, I can play the role of a maiden, allowing you to turn runes into strength. I will aid you in your search for the Elden Ring, all you must do is take me with you, to the base of the Erdtree."

(Y/n)'s eyes widened, and his face became reddened. "That's the accord? You become my maiden and I bring you to the base of the Erdtree?"

Melina nodded, "I believe it would be quite beneficial to you, Traveler."

(Y/n) nearly said yes before extending a curious hand to Melina. Without a word, she took his hand. Her hand was warm, but something was off about her. She had a proper pulse, as far as (Y/n) could tell but....

And (Y/n) felt clamminess on her palm. She was nervous, but why?

'Well, if this accord forces her to give something of herself up, then why would she make it? With me of all people too? Was it just circumstance, since I'm coincidentally maidenless?' (Y/n) thought, looking at Melina as she looked down at their conjoined hands. 'Or maybe...?'

"Why can't you travel to the Erdtree on your own?" (Y/n) asked, curious.

Melina squeezed his hand, seemingly unconsciously. "I... lack a physical body fit for fighting. And there are barriers of power that stop a being like me from travelling freely."

'That's it,' (Y/n) thought. 'She's about as physical as my Shadows. With enough force, she'll probably just scatter away.'

"So, you're stuck with me?"

Melina looked down at their connected hands. "Only for a while, until the accord is finished."

Something about that left a bitter taste in (Y/n)'s mouth.

"Nope," (Y/n) pulled his hand away from Melina's, leaving her hand there for a moment, holding nothing.

"Pardon?" Her hand retreated, back under her robes.

"I don't like an accord. Instead, let's do something else," (Y/n) stood from his spot, dusting himself off and spitting out something that got into his mouth. He gestured for Melina to rise, and she did so, confusion painting her features.

"'Something else?'" Melina repeated.

(Y/n) nodded, "Firstly, I'm (Y/n). If we go with my idea instead, that much at least should be known."

"(Y/n)," Melina repeated again, as if to make sure she heard him right. "Would you share your idea?"

(Y/n) nodded, smiling. "My idea is simple. Let's get rid of the accord. Everything will be the same, you'll help me turn runes into strength, but I wish for you to accompany me around the Lands Between too. It's awfully dull on my own."

Melina blinked her one eye silently. "But why would we do away with the accord?"

(Y/n) shrugged, "I don't think I want a relationship based on a contract. Instead, let's mutually agree to help one another out. And this way, if things don't work out, we could just leave."

Melina's one eye opened wide. "I see. Then it's settled. We shall be bound by choice, rather than by accord. Now, to turn those runes into strength, I suppose a different method must be applied, if our souls are not bound."

(Y/n) was thoroughly confused when Melina began approaching him and just got closer and closer, until her chest was touching his own. His face became flushed, as she grabbed the sides of his face gently and pulled him close to her. Then, just when their lips were inches apart from one another, she spoke calmly and quietly.

"Please, share everything with me. Your hopes, your fears, your dreams, everything that makes you who you are. Share... this moment," And then, she closed the distance, gently and patiently kissing the Vassal of Darkness.

In that moment, (Y/n)'s absolute first reaction was confusion, but then that flew away when he realized what was happening in front of him. It'd been a really, really long time since he'd last kissed a woman.

So, he felt rusty. Rusty enough to feel like no matter what he did, he was going to embarrass himself. However, Melina's words rung through his mind, and he simply relaxed. If he was gonna feel dumb about it no matter what, he might as well enjoy it, that was his mentality.

He leaned into the kiss, cautiously wrapping his hands around Melina's waist and holding her close. That was it, he simply held the redheaded woman.

The kiss lasted for only a few short moments, but those moments were enough for (Y/n) to think everything through just enough to realize he was kissing a woman. That only made his face hotter.

They broke the kiss, but Melina didn't step back. They spent a pregnant moment staring into one another's eyes, and (Y/n) felt a new feeling settle deep within him.

"Now, it is done," Melina gave (Y/n) a very minute smile, and he let her go, noticing a faint blush on her face. "With that, you should be able to use runes for strength."

(Y/n) nodded, seeing some new screens in his peripheral vision.

[Through a maiden, you have gained the power to Level Up, use the Inventory, and Access the Map.]

"And... some other things?" (Y/n) coughed into his hand, trying to hide his reddened face.

Melina tilted her head. She seemed to recover from the kiss must faster than (Y/n) did. "That wouldn't be normal, for a Tarnished."

(Y/n) let out a low hum and scrolled through his new options. The Map was... somewhat useful, highlighting a few of the areas where he'd been. However, it had a marker that looked promising, so he kept it in mind for the future.

When (Y/n) checked his Inventory, a screen of boxes appeared, and his sword — which he only now realized he'd left behind in the forest — was there. (Y/n) stuck his hand inside and pulled it out, and Melina immediately let out a gasp.

(Y/n) looked up to her, and she stared at his sword. "I... am stunned."

"What? Why?"

Melina gestured to (Y/n)'s sword, as if it was obvious. "You've pulled that out of thin air. I've... never seen a phenomenon like that. Except...."

"Except...?"

Melinia spoke very carefully, "Queen Marika was a woman of many talents. Her ability to summon weapons at will was one of them."

"So, you're saying I'm...."

Melina nodded, "You may be connected to her."

(Y/n) let out a shallow breath, "I didn't hate my time under Queen Marika. But... to be held at the same caliber of her, it feels quite odd."

(Y/n) shook his head, focusing on the last of his new abilities. When he thought about using his runes, a screen with himself appeared. The armor on the screen was exactly what he was wearing, the Godrick Soldier set, save for the helmet.

He wasn't wearing any rings or necklaces, which did reflect reality. However, what he ended up staring at was his stats, numbers associated with his various abilities. But something struck him as odd, there was a message above it all.

[Due to your position as the Vassal of Darkness, stats have been combined for more effective and quickened growth.]

[Level: 1]
[Runes Held: 4,972]
[Runes Needed: 673]
[Levels Possible: 7]

[Vitality: 10]
[Sorcery: 10]
[Body: 10]
[Ethereal: 10]

"Huh." (Y/n) hummed.

"Have you made a discovery?" Melina asked, causing (Y/n) to shrug.

"Maybe? Well, I learned something. Don't really know what yet, but it's something," (Y/n) used his runes and put all the points into Sorcery, getting a feeling that it'd help his Shadows the most. He finalized the changes and felt new energy flow into him, a change he wasn't against.

(Y/n) swiped away all the screens and nodded. Through something he didn't quite understand, he understood his abilities immaculately. All his attributes would be useful, so he'd just need to gain enough runes to make proper use of his ability to grow.

Melina noticed his finishing-up, and she extended something to him. "Another matter, (Y/n)."

He furrowed his brows but took a small ring from the woman. "What's this?"

"It is a ring to summon the spectral steed, Torrent. He has chosen you, so it shall be," Melina bowed. (Y/n) put the ring on his finger, and then snapped, causing a steed to appear in a similar fashion to Melina, just appearing out of thin air.

This time, however, (Y/n) didn't jump, approaching Torrent and rubbing his head happily. The steed enjoyed this, leaning more into (Y/n)'s hands.

"I like him. He seems like such a good boy," (Y/n) smiled, which in turn caused Melina to smile. She nodded lightly, another minute smile settling on her face again.

After a minute or two of patting Torrent, the bestest boy, (Y/n) gestured for Melina to climb onto the horned creature. She tilted her head, causing (Y/n) to sigh.

"Right now, I've got a few places to go right around here. Doesn't mean I'll make you walk too," (Y/n) shrugged, gesturing to Torrent once more. "So, get on, girlie!"

Melina nodded once, saddling up on Torrent. "Where to?"

(Y/n) simply turned around, looking at a stone monument. He grinned. "I've got a Map piece to get, and some new Shadows too. Come out, and let's wreck some havoc."

His shadow expanded out from underneath him, causing Melina's eye to widen and Torrent to buck lightly in place. However, the Shadows all made no effort to injure them, allowing them to calm down.

(Y/n) took his weapon from his Inventory, giggling to himself. "Can't look bad in front of Melina now, can I?"

A Godrick Knight noticed (Y/n) and the incoming Shadow militia and warned the others with a call from a horn. The group came together admirably fast, and Melina let out a little gasp as (Y/n) continued approaching.

The Godrick knight camp had no idea what they were getting into.

It was a massacre.

-----

(Y/n) sat on the corpse of his enemies, after pulling their spirits under his service. He let out a few heavy breaths, but overall, didn't have much to worry about. Unfortunately, the camp didn't even give him enough runes to level up, although he could tell with his Shadow Sovereign abilities, levels meant far from everything.

Melina got off Torrent and stared at the destruction the camp was subjected to in awe. She was speechless for quite a while, and (Y/n) spoke up first.

"So, where do you recommend heading to?" (Y/n) questioned, restoring his sword into his Inventory.

Melina gestured back to the open gate with a hand, "To Stormveil castle, home of Godrick. While I do not have the insight of a true maiden, I believe that would be quite helpful to you, especially... with such an astonishing gift."

(Y/n) nodded to himself, "So, Varre was right. Godrick first."

Melina then shook her head, "However, there is power in searching this land, for new equipment, allies, or more. No matter what you choose, I will be here to assist you."

(Y/n) clenched his hand in subdued satisfaction. He regained himself and smiled at Melina, clapping his hands. "Well, let's continue then. How about... here!"

(Y/n) marked on his Map a lake, completely unaware of the challenge he'd be encountering.

It would be his first time truly hitting a wall.

It was Lake Agheel, home to the Flying Dragon, Agheel.

-----

The day was beginning to shift to night, and the cool breeze of the air flowed over the Lands Between, bringing sleep to the day, and life to the night. Melina and (Y/n) traveled without anything more than momentary rest, neither growing tired for more than minutes at a time.

"So, Melina, what's with Godrick?" (Y/n) wiped some sweat from his brow, bringing a group of 14 wolves into his service. One of them was larger and a fair bit stronger, turning out to be another Elite. The other wolves were just Normal Shadows, which was fine as their effectiveness was still quite large.

"Pardon?" Melina reappeared by (Y/n)'s side.

She and Torrent would either stand back or entirely disappear in moments of combat, at (Y/n)'s recommendation. Now, however, with all the wolves dead, she was happy to rejoin (Y/n).

"Sorry to ask out of nowhere, but I just... don't know anything, really. Is he actually a bad guy? What does he want? Is he just in my way? Questions like that keep going through my mind, and I'd like to have an idea before I stroll up to his castle filled with people who want me dead," (Y/n) shrugged, taking several wolf claws and pelts that his Shadows retrieved and storing them in his Inventory.

"Godrick the Grafted is one of Godfrey, the First Elden Lord's descendants. As such, this makes him a demigod under Queen Marika, though quite distant. He's known as one of the weakest demigods, but that does not mean he is weak," Melina began, as (Y/n) walked and summoned Torrent, allowing her to mount it. "He obtains power through grafting, taking limbs of soldiers and warriors and adding them to his body."

Something about that caused (Y/n) to pause. "And he can sometimes put those pieces onto other people, right?"

Melina nodded solemnly, "Yes. For his soldiers, it is seen as an honor to be granted a grafting, and even more honorable to be used in the grafting."

(Y/n) tsked, "All for what? Why would it be worth it?"

Melina looked out into the distance. "For... power, I believe."

The two traversed in silence, an ominous figure on horseback appearing in the dead of night. It was the Night's Cavalry, but (Y/n) didn't react to its presence at all. Instead, he sent his Shadows to lead it around in circles, never once approaching the boss himself.

As his Shadows weaved in and out, he gestured for Melina to continue talking. She stared a bit dumbfoundedly but managed to regain herself.

"He is one of Godfrey's descendants, yet only holds a flickering ember of power. He insulted and threatened Melania, another of the demigods, but he was defeated easily. Furthermore, instead of dying by her hand, he licked her boots and begged for his life. He ran from Radahn, cowered in Stormveil, and hid amongst the innocent to preserve himself," Melina rubbed her hand over Torrent's head soothingly. "He's —"

(Y/n) began walking forward, pulling his sword from his Inventory. "Hold that thought."

Before Melina could reply, (Y/n) dashed forward, rolling underneath the monster's mount and slashing at its legs. The horse buckled and fell, and the remaining Shadows all lunged forward. The wolves tore into the horse's flesh while the peasants and knights all went for the rider.

With so much happening, the Night's Cavalry didn't notice (Y/n) climbing on the horse's back. Wordlessly, (Y/n) plunged his sword into the knight's head, killing it — and the horse — immediately. As he yanked his sword back out, blood spurt onto his armor, but he didn't give it his attention.

As (Y/n) felt runes flow into him, he looked back at Melina, as if the blood meant nothing to him.

"You don't have to say much else. He seems quite detestable already," he sighed. He shook his head, jumping down from the Cavalry's corpse. "But it's not fair for me to interrupt you. What was that last thought of yours?"

Melina stared at (Y/n) silently before gesturing to the nearby area. "Do you know what this place is called?"

"The... Lands Between?"

Melina shook her head, "You're correct. But not specific enough. This land we're standing on, it's called Limgrave."

(Y/n) furrowed his brow, nodding slowly. "Yeah?"

Melina sighed, approaching (Y/n). "This place is the Grave of Limbs. A place for those who were unfit for grafting. That, is Limgrave."

(Y/n)'s eyes darkened. He looked around, and the feeling slowly sunk in. "So, he's a bastard."

"Unquestionably."

(Y/n) nodded, relaxing his body and smiling softly at Melina. "Well, I guess we know what my job is. There's not much else to do."

Melina carefully, cautiously extended a hand to (Y/n), touching his cheek ever-so gently. "This responsibility can wait. There is no rush. The Erdtree will not falter easily."

(Y/n) couldn't stop a blush from rising to his face. He held her hand softly before shrugging, "Maybe, but... this place was my home. I hate to see it in this condition. Everyone I knew is gone, but that doesn't mean I have to give up on this all."

Melina smiled. Unlike most of her smiles, it was something that hit her eyes and gave her small dimples. "Then we shall succeed."

The two spent a moment there, in a peaceful silence before (Y/n) pulled away, turning to his enemy's corpse and extending his hand.

"You're probably the strongest guy I've fought yet, save for that Tree Sentinel, but it seemed awfully easily. Well, I guess getting jumped by 78 semi-immortal enemies would do that. Well, both of you, arise."

At once, both the horse and the knight's shadows rose from their bodies, and (Y/n) received two notifications. They were just their information, and (Y/n) instinctively knew it all anyway.

They were Noble-Ranked Shadows, a rank higher than Elites. That meant they were the strongest Shadows in his army, and he trusted that their abilities would reflect that.

He dismissed the knight and mounted the horse, which ended up putting him a fair bit taller than Melina. He looked down at her before clicking his tongue. "Well, at least we both have an easier way to travel. Let's go!"

-----

(Y/n) and Melina slowed down as they approached their destination, Lake Agheel. It was a large lake, and (Y/n) could see several different creatures in the lake. There were giant insects, bulbous... things, and little crabs.

(Y/n) wordlessly sent his Shadows out, and they took care of many of the bulbous things — that he suddenly realized were named Land Squirts — and they destroyed quite a few of the small crabs, but then they began encountering problems.

The giant insects tended to stay in the air, so they could attack the Shadows while the Shadows could barely hit them back, and the small crabs were often protected by much, much larger crabs. Those Giant Crabs were only taken down by the combined efforts of ten Elite Shadows or by the one halberd-wielding Noble.

(Y/n) recalled his Normal Shadows and left his Elites and Noble to fight.

On one side of the fight, three Giant Crabs were barely being pushed back by 27 Elites. The few Elite wolves would tear into the crabs' legs, but their hard exoskeletons dulled most of the damage. The Elites who used to be Godrick Soldiers would stab at the crabs as best as they could.

It was a painfully slow process, and just one swing from the mighty crabs would destroy the bunch, draining (Y/n)'s MP brutally. Still, despite how slow the process was, it was still a process that was moving forward, as long as (Y/n) could maintain it.

On the other hand, (Y/n)'s Noble was quite astonishing. It would dive under and around attacks with deceptive ease, all while continually slamming its halberd into the crabs' joints. Soon enough, it'd kill them entirely.

(Y/n) let out a relaxed sigh. And maybe that was his biggest mistake.

All at once, there was a humbling rumble. (Y/n) observed the area to see a rock spread wings and begin go move. No, more accurately, he thought it was a rock. Instead, it was a mighty creature. It was a dragon, spreading its wings and preparing to take flight.

(Y/n) turned to tell Melina to flee, but by the time he was looking at where she once was, he could only see the flickers of her presence. He smiled as nervous sweat ran down his face.

Then, he turned back to the dragon, giving it his full attention.

[Flying Dragon Agheel]

The dragon let out an eardrum-shattering roar, taking off into the air before (Y/n) could even react. Then, he let out a large roar and began spewing fire towards the surrounding creatures who awoke him from his slumber.

Namely, (Y/n)'s Shadows.

Regardless of their rank, when introduced to Agheel's draconic flames, they were destroyed. And furthermore, (Y/n) noticed something he never had before.

In the past, the Shadows would regenerate very easily, all because they already had forms to flow back into place. This time, however, that was not the case. Being entirely destroyed from their heads to their toes was different than anything they'd been subjected to.

And Agheel did it casually and ruthlessly.

"You're really pissing me off," (Y/n) sighed before preparing himself. "Let's go."

At once, he and his steed charged into battle, just as Agheel landed. The mighty dragon took a deep breath in before spewing more flames towards the charging Vassal.

(Y/n) closed his eyes, bent down, and bared the flames as best he could, urging his Shadow to take a left out of the flames. They escaped but were thoroughly marred by injuries. While the Shadow regenerated easily enough, (Y/n) was left in scorching pain.

He bit down and pushed through the pain, but when he opened his eyes again, he saw a blur moving towards him. One of Agheel's paws slammed into him, and he was sent sprawling across the ground.

Before he could even move, he got the feeling the massive creature was moving, then he felt an unbearable weight pressing down on him. Then... nothing.

And he woke up by the Site of Grace.

He spent a moment letting that sink in, and in that moment, Melina reappeared by his side. She laid her hand on his face, forcing him to look into her eyes.

"Are you okay?" She asked, sounding... genuinely scared.

He had yet to see that from her, and something about it seemed personal. Because of that, he spent a moment just observing her before putting on his best smile. It was forced, but it was something.

"Yeah, I'm okay, I think. Just a bit discombobulated by how fast that happened. I couldn't even touch it," he remembered, looking away from Melina and down to his hands, clenching them. "Am I really this weak?"

Melina shook her head, "No, (Y/n). Agheel shouldn't be trifled with. This combat can be avoided quite easily, if we don't return."

(Y/n) was quiet for a moment before smiling and rising from his spot, taking Melina's hands from his cheeks. "No, this one... this one I won't let get away.".

He grabbed her hands and nodded once towards her. "Stay here. If I lose again, I'll need some motivation."

As (Y/n) began walking away, towards the lake, Melina called out.

"(Y/n), why? Why do you choose to fight here when you could leave this battle for another time?" She asked, and (Y/n) looked back at her, his expression solemnly serious.

"With the Tree Sentinel and Agheel, I could imagine my enemies beginning to rack up. And... simply put, I'm not that willing to run away. So, with the Grace of the Greater Will, and the power of Darkness, I'm conquering it, right here and now," (Y/n) gave Melina a small smile. "Sorry, I'm just not the biggest fan of running when I feel like I can do something."

(Y/n) turned away and continued walking before stopping once more. "Trust me, this is just the beginning of my journey. I'm not giving up now."

Melina stared at (Y/n)'s back as he got further and further, sighing to herself. "As long as you are not destroyed by it, like she was. Like... Mother was. Be strong, (Y/n), please."

-----

Agheel was tough.

(Y/n) had to close the distance while focusing on his MP. He had to choose when to force his Shadows to retreat and when to encourage them to attack.

He died.

A lot.

Sometimes he went down in a burning blaze of glory, other times he went down anticlimactically. However, he didn't lose his determination.