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It was beautiful, without a doubt. The Elden Beast, crumbling into a cloud of glimmering, golden stars. But with the source of its power vanquished, the golden veins of the Erdtree flickered, then faded into dark and ash.
All which remained upon the dais within my birthplace was Mother’s shattered corpse, and the Heir of the Frenzied Flame. She was still on the ground, panting from her narrow victory. She looked different from when I left her at the Forge of the Giants. But her new armor could not fully hide the mark, nay, the brand of the Three Fingers.
I approached with my blade drawn, using the soft breeze to mask my footsteps. I hadn’t wished for it to come to this. I prayed that another Tarnished would overtake her. But Torrent had her measure from the very start. She was destined to stand before the Elden Ring and grasp the fate of the world in her hands.
Alas, I could not allow a slave of the Frenzied Flame to become Lord.
I focused on her nape. A single, precise thrust would end this. I drew my arm back. My legs tensed as I prepared to lunge.
Fwwoom! A greatsword of shimmering azure stone bisected my path. I jumped back to avoid the strike.
She followed the momentum of the swing into a defensive stance, holding a simple buckler shield towards me. The frost-clad greatsword hefted against her shoulder in preparation for another swing. Her face was hidden behind a golden visor. That was fine. I had no desire to see the flickering Chaos in her eyes again.
But as I prepared for a second strike, she lowered her shield. “Melina? What are you doing here?”
“I warned you, back at the Forge. I swore to kill you should you attempt to rise as the Lord of Chaos. I intend to fulfill my promise.”
I lunged again, forcing her to dodge. Anticipating it, I channeled my focus into my blade and sent an arc of golden light after her. She rolled just in time to avoid it.
“Melina, please—”
“There is no discussion to be had with a servant of Chaos.”
I jumped in and released a flurry of strikes upon her. A cut from the left. A feint followed by a pirouetting slash from the right. A lunge or another golden arc whenever she tried to create distance. However, she refused to engage with my dance of steel. She chose to avoid my attacks whenever possible. Or stopped my blade with her shield.
However, her mercy would be misplaced. The Frenzied Flame devours life and thought unending. Its Lord would create a lifeless land of burning torment. I would not be persuaded to yield.
And as she rolled away again, I pounced forward, attempting to catch her before she was back on her feet. But she read my attack perfectly. By the time my feet left the ground, she had resumed proper guard. It was too late to stop my lunge.
She caught my blade against her buckler and with a flick of her arm, knocked it from my grasp. Dropping her own greatsword, she grabbed me from midair and, with a spin, flung me to the ground. She followed me down, pinning me to the floor.
With my left arm still free, I drew a dagger from the folds of my dress and stabbed at her face. She tilted her head and avoided the brunt of the blow. It still knocked her helm from her head. But with my final card played, the chance was gone. She twisted the dagger from my grip and pinned my left arm down as well.
And there I laid, with her sitting on top of me, my hands pinned to the floor. We both breathed heavily from the fight. Her braid came loose when I knocked her helm off. Her hair formed an amethyst canopy around my face.
“I will not let a Lord of Chaos arise,” I swore. “I will die before it comes to pass.”
“And it shall not, kindling maiden.” A third voice echoed from beside us.
We both turned to the source of the voice. A witch clad in a snow-white dress. A mantle of fur rested upon her shoulders.
“Ranni?” I could not hide the surprise nor the shock in my voice.
Her blue, porcelain face remained still, but on her phantom half, her lips curled into a gentle, teasing smile. “For a journey as grand as this, faith in thy companions is not simply desired, but vital, is it not?”
Before I could respond, she turned away from me. “Dear consort. It appears thou hast succeeded in thy foolish endeavor.”
“My princess, I…” She paused as she tried to construct an excuse. Only to give up and continue, “I will attend to you shortly.”
“And I shall await thee, patiently. Though I may doubt thy vows should thou tarry too long.” Flashing the same smile, Ranni left us alone once more.
I turned back to my former enemy. She had released my hands upon Ranni’s arrival. And even now, her eyes followed Ranni as she walked towards Marika’s shatter form.
“You chose the Lunar Princess… How?”
She turned back to me with an embarrassed smile. Only then did I notice that her eyes no longer bore the flame of Chaos. They had returned to their original lavender irises. “Would you accept it if I simply said ‘love?’”
I frowned. “If that were possible, Radagon would have never left Rennala. One does not simply ignore the influence of an Outer God.”
“You are correct in that sense,” she agreed. “Finding and defeating Malenia at the Haligtree. Defeating Dragonlord Placidusax in order borrow his domain beyond time. It most certainly was not simple, and also very unlikely to succeed.”
She finally got off me and offered her hand to help me up. “When I informed Ranni of my intentions, she lambasted me for days, trying to convince me to renege on my foolhardy plan.”
I accepted her proffered hand and pulled myself up. Patting the dust from my clothes, I asked, “Then, why? What purpose did accepting the Frenzied Flame serve? What was worth becoming a pawn of Chaos?”
At my words, she eyed me quizzically. “Do you jest, or are you simply this blind?” And hearing my confused silence, she sighed and took my hand. “You, Melina. You are the reason.”
Her words stunned me like a strike from a hammer. My mouth opened and stammered, “It was my role… my duty…my choice to—”
She interrupted me with a shake of her head. Bowing deeply, she brushed her lips against the back of my hand. “Without your accord, I would not have met my princess. I would not stand here before the Elden Ring. Our bond is stronger than that of mere Tarnished and maiden. I would not sacrifice it for anything.” Her eyes locked into my own. “I won’t allow anyone to undervalue our bond. Not even you.”
I broke away from her gaze. And after a brief moment, she released my hand. “I must go now. I’m sure Ranni is becoming impatient.”
“You prevented me from fulfilling my purpose. You intend to simply leave after that? What of your sense of responsibility?” I asked, half in jest, half in annoyance.
“Purpose is not something that can be given to you by another. Not by blood, nor by faith. It is something that can only be chosen by oneself. You’ve realized it yourself, have you not? The Golden Order is broken. We are finally free from the influence of the Greater Will and the Two Fingers. There is no better time to search for your purpose.”
Then, she was gone. Vanished along with her princess after the final remnants of the Golden Order crumbled away. Alone, I left the hollow of the dead tree and entered the ashen capital. The majesty of gold had been extinguished. The divinity of the Order that shone for millennia no longer illuminated the Lands Between.
But in the absence of that pervasive, holy light, I could finally see the gentle, twinkling stars.