Elden Ring : a Tarnished of No Renown

[Melina's POV]

"Hey, how am I supposed to get out of here?" Said Sigurd, as he looks around the Roundtable Hold for me.

"The same way we came, by teleporting."

"And how am I supposed to do that?"

"You...."

I went out of my spirit form just to face palm myself. "Sigh.... Your hands, please."

"Mm Hmm."

"Now we are connected."

Sigurd, you should be able to hear my thoughts now.

Wha-?!

This is the secret behind my power to convert runes into strength, I can read your mind and help shape the ideal self of your subconscious.

...What does my ideal self look like?

"Well...."

Why the empty response...?

"Hoo.... Hah...."

Wait, are you deep breathing to clear your head in order to avoid me reading your thoughts?!

...No. Anyway let's stop fooling around and get started.

I pictured in my mind a place just beneath Storm Hill, the gate which rests at the entrance of a valley leading up to the top of the hill. The Site of Grace which sits just before Storm Gate.

Can you see the image clearly now?

Yeah.

Good, focus on the image and bring your spiritual your body there. The power of Grace will do the rest of the heavy lifting for us, you should be able to-

.....

.....

Before I knew it, we were already standing right in front of the Stormgate. It's like going to sleep, you feel like no time has passed at all when in reality you were resting the entire night.

"Woah, it really worked."

"This is the ability that nearly all Tarnished have. I trust you understand how to do it now?"

"Indeed. I'll teleport you instead the next time you're tired, you can count on that."

"I see.... But I could still wait somewhere for your return."

"Well that is an option.... But I'd avoid that if I can help it, it's dangerous for us to seperate afterall."

"True. In that case since you're the one who will lead me to my destination, I will do whatever you desire."

Sigurd gave me a nod, and then took a look around the surrounding scenery.... This Site of Grace was the place we first met, just yesterday.

"The sky is grey but this place is cloudy all the time anyway. Let's get moving, the weather can't get any worse than it already is."

It is a bit reassuring to see that he had not lose his motivation to continue down this path.... He even seemed more eager for a rematch against Margit, it's like pain isn't an issue for him at all.

Still, "...." what drives him to continue down this path?

"What's wrong, are there something on my face?"

"No.... I'll be in my spirit form, call me when you need me again."

Through the three times I've built a connection to his mind I could not see even a glimpse of what motivates him to do the thing he does. What exactly is this man thinking...?

______________

[Sigurd's POV]

(Sometime later....)

With me on Torrent's back, we followed the highway towards the East, which thw road then diverges and lead directly South - to the Weeping Peninsula.

We encountered a few enemies on the way, but our journey was relatively simple.

After half a day of walking, the sun is slowly starting to set and it is about time to find a testing place to spend the night.... preferably near a Grace spot.

With more walking, we came across a bridge which leads from this island to the next - which is the Weeping Peninsula, my destination.

"Hmm, can't see much in this rain.... You got good eyesights buddy, anything at the bridge?"

"Hush...."

I've been here before. This bridge in particular was once the front line of a fierce battle which took place ages ago.

I believe I fought in the battle as well, but it was such a long time ago that I've lost all traces of my memory.

"But still, even after so long it still rained non-stop in here...."

"Does it always rained like this?" Melina spoke, still remaining in her spirit form.

"No. It was said that after the war ended, those long-destroyed tribesman cursed the island with perpetual rain due to their sorrow and grudge. It's a tragedy really."

"I see...."

"Ah, enough about the history of this place. I think I saw some barricades on the bridge itself, but's it's foggy so I can't see clearly...."

There might even be a few guards on the bridge.... I should stay alert and-

"Neigh!" Suddenly, Torrent panicked and turned tails, running away to hide behind one of the hills.

"W-what's wrong bud? Why did you-"

'Boom!!!' It was but a mere moment afterwards, the place we were just standing on was blew up into smithereens.

"Damn!"

"Hush...."

How could I have not seen that one coming?! I've let my guard down!

"Stay put, Torrent and Melina, I'll go check it out myself."

I hopped off the steed and proceeded to peek out of the cover of the hill....

Immediately after I put my head out, an orange colored light came up from the bridge's direction. The light grew to three times the size in a split second, and that's because it flew directly at me.

"Oh crap!"

Diving back into the cover barely got me out of harm's way as the projectile slams into the edge of the hill, blasting away a chunk of the terrain itself. 'Boom!!!'

"Bastards have a ballista!"

_________________

[Third Person POV]

(AN : For convenience's sake, let's just assume the people of the game uses the Metric measuring system like us.)

"Nice shot, that was at least 150 meters away and you were dead center both times. Sadly, the target was able to escape both times."

Said a man who appeared to the leader as he viewed through a monocular telescope.

"Thank you sir. Loading another bolt now!"

Sitting in the middle of the bridge is a group of godrick foot soldiers, guarding the way to the Weeping Peninsula.... But that is not the case.

What is actually happening is that these soldiers were guarding the other way - they were protecting Limgrave from the Weeping Peninsula. But that is another story for another time.

Though their numbers are thin, they manned a a powerful ballista, capable of firing destructive explosive bolts. With this siege engine, they can ensure that no intruders can come in and out of the bridge like they own the place!

"Crap.... Uh sir, the ballista is jammed."

"Now of all times?! Fix that thing then!"

"I'm trying...!"

"Sir, that pervert is coming at us again, and he looks angry!" Yelled one of the soldiers at the front of the bridge.

"I can see him, he's still far away." The leader puts the scope to his eye once more. "Archers, buy us some time!"

"Yes sir!" (?x)

The many soldiers fired their croosbow at the approaching man, but all of the shots were missed. The horse ran at them in a zig-zag pattern, and the rain were pushing their bolts off their mark. Accuracy is not a thing at the moment.

"50 meters away, they're almost by the bridge." Said the commander to the man aiming the ballista....

"Sir, the ballista's ready again."

"Take aim!" The commander said. "20 meters away, they've reached the mouth of the bridge."

Needless to say the bridge was not massive. It is just enough for 2 carriages to fit at the same time, not enough room at all for any dodging to happen.

Sigurd and Torrent's ideal scenario would be to dodge the ballista at a longer distance and close in when it is reloading.... but as luck would have it the ballista had jammed until now.

Odds are heavily stacked against them!

"On my mark.... Fire!"

'Chung!' The bolt fires out of the ballista's mouth, flying in a straight like towards it's target.

The soldiers cleared the middle of the bridge to avoid getting hit by the bolt, it sliced through the droplets of rain as it accurately made it's way towards Sigurd....

"Now!"/"Neigh!"

At a call, Torrent kicked off the ground and leap to the air with a jump, but this was a foolish move!

Torrent's jump still isn't high enough to get out of the explosion's effective radius, they've jumped right into the blasting range of the bolt.

However, as if defying all physics of this world, Torrent kicks off again when mid-air, doing a 'double-jump' while generating a ripple-like effect at the air.

'Boom!!!' Both the bolt and the explosion had completely missed their target.

"What?!" (?x)

And right as the two reaches the apex of their jump, Sigurd leaps off Torrent with a kick of his own, jumping even farther than before while he brings the club overhead.

"Yah!!!"

With a powerful swing, Sigurd slams his club into the commander's head and shattered his skull immediately.

"Sir!" (?x)

"You fools have a lot of nerves to fire that shit at me and Torrent... be prepared to pay for that now!"

"Don't let him breathe, surround him! He can't handle all of us on his own!"

It was a blood bath indeed. A single naked man slaughtered an entire platoon of soldiers by himself, they were no match for his speed and strength despite their greater number. This is the strength difference between a warrior and a soldier.

______________

[Sigurd's POV]

"Hah.... Hah.... Hah...."

When I came to again, the club I held was covered and dripping with blood.

My entire body was painted in red, I almost went berserk there.... a fog of war.

The threat of being burned alive was enough to make me feel the rush of battle again, and made my mind go blank.

"Hah.... Phew...."

This feeling of rush, making my blood boil in my veins.... Like the battles in the past.

"This.... This was the same feeling I felt ages ago...."

I remembered again. The day I marched with my comrades into the Weeping Peninsula.... The battle with the tribesman of this island.... and the champion who stood against Godfrey at Castle Morne.

Ah crap, I'm starting to feel really drowsy....

I placed my left hand on my mouth, and blew into the ring on my ring finger. Torrent materializes between my legs, carrying me on his back.

"Sorry but can you bring me.... to a safe place...."

"Hush...."

"Zzz...."

And Torrent did just as his master requested.

(Chapter End)