"Have you grown taller? You seem... different from what I remember. And..."
Gawain removed his helmet and stepped forward, carefully studying Sirris, who had been reborn through the ritual of rebirth. In his memory, she had always been a head shorter than him, but now they could look each other directly in the eye.
His gaze swept over certain areas; she seemed a bit more well-endowed than he remembered. Indeed, it wasn't just her height; various parts of her had developed further.
"I'm not entirely sure myself. The sorcerers at the Academy mentioned some complex reasons, something about the process of the soul and this body merging. But as long as nothing went wrong with the final result, that's enough for me."
"At first, I wasn't quite used to this new body, but I feel much better now. I'm even stronger than I was before. I don't... look strange, do I?"
Gawain fell silent for a moment as he looked at the transformed Sirris. He had to admit that now that the suffocating weight of their mission was no longer bearing down on them, both he and his former companions had undergone subtle changes in personality.
It was a good thing. They felt more human now. For people like them, their mission in the apocalyptic world of fire had kept them sane, but it had also suppressed their normal human emotions.
"Nothing of the sort. Come, walk with me. Tell me about what you've encountered these past few days. If there's anything you're not used to, just say the word and I'll handle it for you. After all, this is my city."
Looking at the proud Ashen One, Sirris simply shook her head with a smile. She reached out and pointed to the burn scars covering his neck. Even without knowing exactly what had happened, her long experience fighting by his side allowed her to estimate what level of enemy he had faced.
"Before that, let's heal those scars of yours. The King here does not need to become Cinder."
"I'll reserve my opinion on that, but it certainly isn't a good look."
The two chatted as they walked through Stormveil Castle, which remained bustling even at night. Such a scene was impossible to find in the dying world of fire, even if one counted the Hollows.
It was fine for Gawain, but for someone like Sirris, who had seen nothing but monsters and madness for as long as she had memories, this was an unimaginable luxury. No matter how many times she saw it, it felt the same.
She was fortunate to have come to such a beautiful world, though it was a pity that many of her kin and friends, including her grandfather, would never have the chance.
In the middle of the night, Sirris frowned as she dragged a dead-drunk Gawain back, carrying him on her back. In her memory, the last time this fellow had been in such a state was when he was celebrating a victory with that Onion Knight at Firelink Shrine.
She didn't know if he was truly exhausted or if he simply couldn't hold his liquor despite his stubbornness. He had tried to match several rounds with that barbarian warrior woman named Nepheli, only to end up passing out. It was honestly a bit embarrassing.
Following the directions she had asked for earlier, she knocked on the door in front of her. If she remembered correctly, this was the room where the Ashen One stayed in the castle.
Soon, the door opened, and a girl with a single ponytail appeared.
"Sister Sirris? What happened? Did he drink too much?"
"Who knows. Just let him get some good rest. I can tell the intensity of the battles in that Land of Shadow was even higher than I imagined. I'll leave him in your hands."
Irina carefully supported Gawain's shoulder. Moving closer to observe, she could see the scars all over his body that had yet to fade. Every time this happened, it signaled the disappearance of a powerful foe, but the pain involved was something she could feel through their soul bond, even from a great distance.
However, this time the veil of the Land of Shadow had severed that connection. She could only imagine the power of that Lord of Frenzied Flame through Asimi's descriptions.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of him, just as I always have."
Watching the door close and hearing the frantic sounds from within, Sirris touched the door before her, shook her head with a smile, and vanished into the night. Her mission as a Blade of the Darkmoon in the Lands Between had only just begun.
At dawn, Gawain rubbed his head, which was still spinning slightly. He cursed the influence of that damned Frenzied Flame for affecting his state; he was never going to admit that he simply had a low alcohol tolerance.
He slowly opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw were Irina's crystal-clear eyes, shimmering with an enchanting luster under the light of the Erdtree shining through the window. She was lying in bed with him, and it seemed she had been quietly watching him since before he woke.
"Morning, Irina. How long was I out?"
"About a full day. You've been sleeping ever since Sister Sirris dragged you back."
"It seems that Lord of Frenzied Flame was a bit more troublesome than I thought. I haven't seen you need this much time to recover in a while."
"Sigh, has it been that long? It was mostly the influence of that Frenzied Flame. I absorbed too much of it at once and ended up with a bit of 'indigestion'."
A smile crept into the corners of Irina's eyes. She reached out and pulled Gawain's shoulder close in a gesture of intimacy until their foreheads gently touched, the air filling with a tender atmosphere.
"I heard everything from Asimi. Burning an area the size of the entire Abyssal Woods... I imagine that wasn't easy even for you."
"As for that 'indigestion'... my father always told me that getting some exercise is the best cure. You've been lying in bed for quite a while; it's time for some long-overdue exercise."
Inside the Roundtable Hold, Sir Gideon Ofnir stared at the intelligence before him, his gaze shifting uncertainly. Beside him stood the spirit of a beautiful woman in male attire—it was Dolores the Sleeping Arrow, who had regained her consciousness.
For some reason, the atmosphere in the room was subtle, as if the two were deliberately avoiding eye contact.
Following a soft knock on the door, a scout sent by Gideon to gather intelligence walked in, looking somewhat nervous.
"Still no sign of the Storm King?"
"My apologies, but the Storm King's last public appearance was two days ago. For some reason, he appeared somewhat weak. At least until the moment I left, the guards at Stormveil told me he was still resting."
"Still resting?"
Gideon frowned. What could have happened to make that man require so much time to recover?
However, the news he had received this time was truly significant. No matter what, he had to warn him; he had to be prepared.
"Very well. You may hand my letter to Nepheli instead. It doesn't matter if she knows. She will convey the message."
On the training grounds of Stormveil Castle, Nepheli's expression turned solemn as she tucked away the letter. She repeatedly confirmed with the messenger she had met a few times before.
"Did my adopt... did Sir Gideon really send this?"
"Indeed. The All-Knowing requested that you convey the contents of the letter to the Storm King. If possible, please ask that lord to come to the Roundtable Hold in person."
"I understand. This matter is indeed a bit..."
Nepheli sighed, then walked quickly to the door of Gawain's room and knocked urgently.
After a long wait, Gawain slowly opened the door a crack. Seeing who it was, he immediately stepped out and closed the door behind him. He coughed twice and asked:
"Nepheli? You look like you're in a hurry. Is something wrong?"
Nepheli's eyes twitched. If she hadn't seen wrong through the crack in the door just now, not only was the room a mess, but the bed had even collapsed.
Ignoring those details, she organized her words and explained the matter of Gideon's letter.
"Come with me to the Roundtable Hold at once. Sir Gideon told me he has found evidence that the First Elden Lord—Godfrey—is about to return to the Lands Between."
"What did you say?! Godfrey is coming back?"
Before long, the two arrived at the long-absent Roundtable Hold. At this time, most of the members were out busy, so they didn't run into anyone they knew before reaching Gideon's door. Just as they were about to knock, they heard voices arguing inside.
"Gideon, I will never agree to such an idea. It will only tear the Roundtable Hold apart!"
"Silence, Dolores! This is a decision I made long ago."
Gideon's tone sounded annoyed, but it was the annoyance of a friend being misunderstood rather than a rift in their relationship.
"Gideon, you will regret this."
"Dolores, I am the current leader of the Roundtable Hold!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Dolores rushed out of the room in a rage. She didn't even notice the two standing at the door as she slammed it shut and vanished.
Bang! Following the loud noise, silence returned to the room.
"The way those two interact is truly..."
Gawain couldn't help but tsk at the rare sight. Although the lore mentioned that Dolores, the beauty in male attire, was Gideon's friend who frequently opposed his decisions, he hadn't expected them to fight to this extent.
Opening the closed door with Nepheli, he felt Gideon's fuming emotions even through the man's helmet. Was this the same "All-Knowing" enigma he knew?
"Oh, you've finally arrived. My apologies for subjecting you to that unsightly scene."
"It's always best for friends to communicate more when they have disagreements. If you keep arguing like that, I'm afraid this door won't last much longer."
"Communicate? But this matter is clearly..."
Gideon forced himself to hold back his emotions, taking a deep breath to calm himself down.
"Never mind that. Let us speak of the news regarding King Godfrey. I presume that is why you have come, is it not?"
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Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash
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