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Glory to my Proofreader: Bakenekon. For he is the one who points out mistakes and acts as a good wall to bounce ideas off of.
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Tarnished stared, eyes wide with disbelief, as the round figure of a knight hummed peacefully at the edge of the cliff. The wind carried the low, rhythmic sound of his voice as if it had no place in Caelid—this war-torn, rotting land. Yet there he was, sitting comfortably in armor that looked more like a barrel than a breastplate, sword resting beside him.
"…Onion Bro?" Tarnished whispered, almost to himself.
Marika's voice echoed softly in his mind, her tone laced with confusion.
"Onion… bro? What title is this? And who is this strange creature? I know of no Catarina, nor any knight of such absurd form." Her astral form shimmered into existence beside him, brow furrowed, golden eyes fixed on the knight in question. "Mayhaps a new land born after my imprisonment and flourished under the cover of the Shattering's Chaos?"
Melina stepped forward as well, cautiously approaching the seated figure. Her gaze shifted between the two of them. "Thou knowest this man?"
Tarnished blinked several times, unsure of what to say. The man standing before him was a ghost from another world, one that didn't belong here in the Lands Between.
Lordran was a far cry from Caelid after all…
Siegmeyer tilted his head slightly as he looked at Tarnished and chuckled again. "And what was that you called me? 'Onion Bro'? What a quaint nickname to think of on the spot, my friend! Back home, some called me an Onion Knight because of this… Well, you can see why."
He gestured to his armor, letting out another hearty laugh. "But this 'Onion Bro' is new! I like it."
Tarnished rubbed the back of his head, still trying to process the moment. "Y-Yeah, don't mind that. It's just your armor. I've got a bad habit of saying things without thinking."
Marika chuckled softly in his mind. "A bad habit? That's putting it mildly. Thy thoughts leap from thy lips like water from a shattered chalice."
Tarnished's eye twitched slightly, but he let the jab go. "Anyway… I'm just a Tarnished of no renown, chasing after the Elden Ring. And this is Melina, my companion and, uh… spiritual babysitter."
Melina gave Siegmeyer a small nod and a wave, her expression still cautiously polite. "Well met, Sir Siegmeyer."
"Well met indeed!" Siegmeyer said warmly. "It is truly a pleasure to meet such friendly faces in a place like this."
Tarnished finally allowed himself to laugh, the absurdity of the moment washing over him. "You can say that again. I've been to a lot of horrible places, but Caelid? Caelid is something else. Have you seen those crows? Absolute nightmares in feathered skin."
Siegmeyer laughed louder this time, throwing his head back. "Oh, you're right about that, my friend! Vicious beasts, they are. Quick and relentless!"
Tarnished grinned. "Honestly, when I become Elden Lord, the first thing I'm doing is ordering them all hunted into extinction. Every last one."
Marika sighed, though there was almost a note of reluctant amusement in her voice. "Well… there are worse decrees, I suppose."
Melina, however, simply narrowed her eyes further in suspicion.
Still grinning, Tarnished crouched beside Siegmeyer, shifting his gaze toward the great decaying dragon that lay in the valley below.
"Well then, Onion Bro," he said, voice softening just slightly. "What brings you here?"
Siegmeyer gestured toward the slumbering beast with a sweep of his arm. "That dragon blocks my path. I must get past it for the next leg of my journey, but… Well, I've yet to find a reliable way around. I have no cure for Scarlet Rot, and the beast is steeped in it. I fear a direct assault would end rather poorly. So, I've remained here, thinking, waiting. Hoping for a solution."
Melina nodded, stepping closer. "A wise decision. We had planned to simply ride past it ourselves. There is little glory in battling a rotted beast when survival is our aim."
Siegmeyer chuckled kindly. "You are quite wise indeed. Our friend here is lucky to have such a clever and courageous maiden at his side."
Melina blinked at the compliment, her expression shifting slightly as her cheeks gained a subtle pink hue. She looked away, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I… thank thee."
Tarnished rubbed his chin for a moment, then turned to her. "Hey, Melina… can you cast Golden Vow?"
She raised an eyebrow. "I can. Why?"
He gave her a winning smile. "Mind casting it on us real quick?"
Still confused, she gave a slight nod. "Very well…"
Her hands glowed as she raised them to the sky. A golden wave of light pulsed outward, enveloping them all in a blessing of power and resolve.
Tarnished nodded in satisfaction. "Perfect. Now… Flame, Grant Me Strength?"
Melina frowned. "No. That one only works on the caster."
She looked at him carefully, the gears turning in her head. "Why dost thou ask…"
Then her eyes widened in sudden realization.
"Tarnished, no…"
"Hah… You wouldst think she would expect this by now…"
He grinned back at her. "Tarnished, yes!"
Before she could stop him, he turned on his heel and sprinted toward the cliff's edge.
"Tarnished, wait!"
He didn't.
He jumped.
He soared through the rot-choked air and landed with a heavy thud just a short distance from Decaying Ekzykes. The dragon's massive, sickly frame shifted, groaning as it roused from slumber. The corrupted flesh along its back split open as rot oozed and hissed, its eyes glowing red with fury.
It screeched, a sound that shook the very earth, and its health bar appeared before Tarnished followed by thundering boss music.
[Decaying Ekzykes]
Tarnished reached for his blades, grinning like a madman. Behind him, Melina groaned and began moving down the hill, muttering curses under her breath.
Siegmeyer sprang to his feet, his armor clanking with every step.
"No! You should have waited!" He called out to Tarnished worriedly as he then lifted his massive sword from the ground and pointed it toward the valley. "Very well then! I, Siegmeyer of Catarina, vow to help you against this beast!"
And then with a powerful shout, he charged down the hill. "Hyaaaa!!"
Tarnished reached into the pouch at his belt, pulling free a vial of dark, oily liquid that shimmered with a faint orange glow, it was the Fire Grease. He'd picked it up just a bit ago, almost forgotten in the chaos of his relatively short journey.
But now, as the hulking, rot-infested form of Decaying Ekzykes bore down on them, he remembered one key detail:
Dragons usually love fire. But this one? It despises it, probably on account of the rot that had taken it whole. He specifically took 100% more damage from all flame based attacks.
He popped the cap with a flick of his thumb and smeared the grease across his right Uchigatana, the metal hissing as the blade ignited in a streak of crimson flame. The fire reflected in his eyes—wild, eager.
Melina reached him seconds later, her boots skidding in the dust and rot. She immediately rounded on him, expression tight with exasperation.
"Art thou mad?! That thing is not some common beast—it is rot incarnate! To charge in without a proper plan is suicidal!"
Tarnished turned, still smiling, and rested his burning blade on his shoulder.
"It's gonna be fine. Our friend up there needs passage. So we're gonna give it to him. By killing this thing."
Melina's brows furrowed, lips parting as if to argue, but Siegmeyer arrived before she could. The jolly knight skidded to a halt beside Tarnished, panting lightly beneath the weight of his armor.
"Do you have any plan, my friend?" he asked, voice still cheerful even as Ekzykes' monstrous frame unfurled before them.
Tarnished's grin widened as the dragon screeched and began its slow, thunderous march toward them.
"Yeah. You and I take charge—keep its attention. Melina supports us from the back with fire magic. If we work together, this should be easy!"
Melina folded her arms tightly. "This is still extremely stupid and reckless."
Siegmeyer chuckled heartily. "Well, a plan is better than no plan at all, young maiden!"
She let out a low groan as Ekzykes snarled, its decayed wings rising with a spray of rot and filth. The air itself seemed to wilt around the creature.
Tarnished drew both blades, fire licking up the right one as he stepped forward. "Let us engage in some jolly cooperation!"
"HAHA! Well said, my friend!" Siegmeyer cheered, lifting his zweihander and stomping forward at his side.
Behind them, Melina muttered under her breath, "By the Erdtree, I am surrounded by fools…"
Marika's voice chimed in like a bell of mischief. "Haha~! An apt description, mine dear daughter~!"
And then, the battle began.
Ekzykes lunged forward with startling speed, maw open wide as it spewed forth a cloud of scarlet rot, painting the ground in sizzling, toxic ichor. Tarnished rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the breath, and retaliated with a rapid one-two slash from his katanas, the flaming blade carving deep into the dragon's side.
The beast howled, jerking its head to the side and swiping at him with a rotted claw. Tarnished ducked under the strike, Quickstepped behind its leg, and plunged both blades into the joint behind its knee. The damage was good—fire truly was the key—but not enough to stagger it.
Siegmeyer charged with a roar, swinging his massive zweihander in a wide arc and slamming it into Ekzykes' shoulder. The knight fought with surprising speed, using well-timed sidesteps and powerful overhead slashes to keep the dragon occupied.
From afar, Melina raised her hand, a small flame forming in her palm. She launched a fireball, striking the beast in its neck. It didn't stagger, but the impact drew a low, guttural snarl as the rot-slick scales blackened from the blast.
Tarnished darted forward, sliding between the dragon's legs and slashing upward along its stomach. The rot-covered skin split like bark, oozing foul pus and black smoke.
Ekzykes screamed and leapt into the air—not far, but far enough to slam its weight back down with a shockwave that knocked Tarnished off balance and sent Siegmeyer stumbling back.
"Steady!" Siegmeyer called out. "Its weight alone could crush a fortress!"
"I noticed!" Tarnished shouted, rolling to his feet and charging in again. He slashed at its exposed flank, fire trailing from every blow.
The dragon twisted suddenly, its tail sweeping like a scythe. Tarnished ducked under it, but Siegmeyer was mid-swing and couldn't move fast enough. The tail struck his side with a heavy clang, sending him rolling across the ground.
Melina raised both hands and sent out another fireball, then another, covering their retreat as Tarnished reached his ally.
"You good?!" he shouted, panting.
"Never better!" Siegmeyer replied, hauling himself to his feet with a laugh. "This is the thrill of true battle!"
"Glad you're having fun!" Tarnished muttered, spinning to intercept another claw swipe. He parried the limb just enough to redirect the blow, then slashed it twice across the knuckles.
Ekzykes let out another ground-shaking roar, wings flaring wide as it launched itself upward in a burst of putrid wind. The shockwave rippled across the decaying battlefield, kicking up ash and dust thick enough to blur vision.
Tarnished shielded his face with his arm and skidded back a few feet, boots digging trenches into the rot-blackened earth.
"Watch the wings!" he shouted, barely audible over the screeching gale.
Siegmeyer braced himself with both hands on his greatsword, anchoring his weight. "Right! No flying away from us, old lizard!"
Ekzykes came crashing back down like a comet, rot bursting from the point of impact. Tarnished dashed left, avoiding the brunt of the explosion, and circled around the beast's side. He waited for the right moment, then Quickstepped under its arched wing and went to work.
His flame-greased katana hissed as it met decayed scale and sinew, cutting deep. The fire sizzled with every impact, searing through Ekzykes' unnatural flesh, sending plumes of rot-black smoke into the air.
Every strike brought a snarl of pain from the beast, and Tarnished moved like a ghost—rolling, weaving, striking again.
Meanwhile, Siegmeyer charged in with a booming laugh, raising his massive zweihander overhead and slamming it into the creature's left hind leg with a loud clang. The sheer force of it cracked through a layer of rot-crusted scale, drawing a reaction from the dragon as it buckled momentarily.
"Well struck!" Tarnished called over his shoulder.
"Haha! I do try!" Siegmeyer answered, lifting the blade once more.
From her perch atop a small rock formation, Melina raised her hand and launched a searing flame dart, striking Ekzykes just beneath the jaw. It wasn't a devastating hit, but it drew its gaze—and its ire.
The dragon's head twisted in a blur of rage, maw opening to unleash a wide sweeping breath of rot, coating the battlefield in glowing crimson decay. Tarnished dove behind a cracked stone slab as the rot bar surged upward on his system HUD. The ground hissed, melting into a corrupted sludge beneath the cloud.
"Melina, back!" Tarnished shouted. "Don't let that hit you!"
"I know!" she called back, already leaping down from her perch and rolling to safety.
Siegmeyer, still close, raised his blade in one hand and sprinted toward the dragon, somehow avoiding the thickest part of the breath. With a rallying cry, he brought the zweihander down once more—this time on Ekzykes' forearm, where flame damage had weakened the plating.
The beast screeched in pain, wings flapping wildly as it reared back.
Tarnished surged forward. Both his katanas sang as he slashed in tandem—first across the flank, then the hamstring, and finally a spinning cut across its snout as it lunged. His movement was fluid, precise, a blend of controlled aggression and nimble footwork.
With the fire coating, each cut drew more smoke, more blood, more burning. Ekzykes thrashed in place, rot-infested wings lashing outward and nearly clipping Tarnished as he ducked low, pivoted, and struck again. The dragon's health bar steadily dropped 75%… 70%…
Melina's voice rang out again as she cast another fireball, this one catching Ekzykes along its neck. It staggered, briefly turning toward her—but Siegmeyer saw the moment and took it.
With a mighty roar, the knight of Catarina charged, his greatsword glowing faintly golden in the sun's light.
"For honor, and for victory!"
He leapt, his blade cutting downward in a perfect arc that slammed into the dragon's right shoulder. The sheer impact caused Ekzykes to stumble, claws digging furrows in the ground as it struggled to stay upright.
"Good hit!" Tarnished called out, catching his breath.
"Didn't even scratch the paint!" Siegmeyer replied cheerfully, twirling his sword once before setting his stance again.
Tarnished lunged in from the opposite side, slicing at Ekzykes' exposed ribs. The beast turned too slow to stop him, and the fire katana plunged into the gap between two plates of necrotic scale. He twisted the blade, pulled it free, and rolled back just as the tail came swinging.
He heard the air shift before it came, and ducked in time—but barely.
Ekzykes was faltering, wounded, and angry. Its growl deepened to a low rumble as it crouched down, wings folding in tightly. Tarnished's HUD showed the health bar dipping just past 60%.
Then the dragon's chest began to expand.
Tarnished's eyes widened.
"No, no! Shit, Siegmeyer! MOVE!"
But the warning came too late.
Ekzykes opened its jaws wide and expelled a torrent of rot breath, not in a sweeping arc this time—but focused, like a lance of pestilence.
The cloud hit Siegmeyer full-on.
The knight screamed—not in fear, but in pain—as the rotted air poured over him. His armor hissed, steaming as the infection seeped into every crevice, corroding flesh and steel alike.
He staggered, coughing violently, sword slipping from his grip as he fell to one knee.
Tarnished's HUD lit up with a red status warning:
[Siegmeyer: Scarlet Rot – Critical]
Tarnished felt something sharp twist in his gut.
"ONION BRO!"
The moment Siegmeyer collapsed, Tarnished's eyes flared wide with something sharp—rage, panic, resolve. Without hesitation, he threw himself forward, sprinting straight through the lingering cloud of rot breath. Scarlet mist clung to his skin, burning his lungs, but he didn't falter. He didn't care.
He only had one target.
Boots struck the earth with brutal rhythm until he spotted a jagged boulder near Ekzykes' flank. He angled his body, leapt onto the stone, and kicked off with explosive force—launched into the air like a war-hardened meteor.
He soared upward just as Ekzykes turned to face him, wounded eye glaring with molten hatred. Tarnished drew back his right flaming katana, the fire grease still hissing along the blade's edge.
And then he slammed it down with both hands—straight through the dragon's eye.
There was a wet, sickening crunch. A shriek of pain ripped through the valley like a thunderclap. Ekzykes staggered backwards, the force of the blow piercing deep into its skull, the fire now burning from inside.
The bleed proc detonated, a geyser of rotted blood and steam bursting from the wound as 30% of the dragon's healthbar vanished in an instant.
Tarnished leapt away mid-fall, landing and rolling across the rot-slick ground. His katana still jutted from the dragon's eye, flames licking the beast's face as it thrashed and screamed.
He didn't wait to admire the damage.
He turned and sprinted, ignoring the way his skin blistered and burned under the effect of the Scarlet Rot, now ticking relentlessly through his veins. His vision flickered slightly at the edges, but he focused only on Siegmeyer.
Melina was already there, hands glowing with gold as she knelt beside the fallen knight. Tarnished skidded into place beside her, heart pounding, rot gnawing at his healthbar with every second.
"Lord Heal!" Melina whispered, her voice calm but urgent.
A soft, brilliant wave of light burst outward from her palms, enveloping both him and Siegmeyer. The rot hissed and recoiled, but did not vanish. Their bodies shone for a moment as the incantation restored them from the brink of death, the pain dulling into a distant throb.
Siegmeyer coughed, then looked up with wide eyes, his breathing heavy but stable. "Ahh! You've my sincerest thanks, my lady!"
"Thank you…" Tarnished echoed, still panting.
But Melina shook her head, her voice firm. "There's no time. That was the last of my mana. I cannot cure the rot—you're still infected, and the dragon will recover within seconds!"
Tarnished didn't hesitate. He reached to his side, pulling out his blue Flask of Cerulean Tears, and handed it to her. "Then use mine. I don't need it. You're more important here."
She blinked in surprise, then—sensing the urgency—nodded and drank.
Mana flooded back into her system like fresh breath after drowning. She pressed her palms to the ground and whispered the next incantation.
"Lord's Aid."
A flash of golden magic rippled outward again, cleansing. Tarnished's lungs finally loosened as the rot vanished from his system, and Siegmeyer let out a deep sigh of relief as the disease melted away from his skin.
Melina rose, fire suddenly blooming in her hands.
"I'm not done yet."
She snapped her fingers forward, and flame danced across Tarnished's outstretched uchigatana, his surviving blade now wreathed in golden-red flame. She turned to Siegmeyer and did the same to his zweihander, the fire licking up the blade in graceful arcs.
"Now, finish it!"
A fresh screech cut through the air. Ekzykes had found his footing again, his wings stretching wide, blood and smoke billowing from his shattered eye socket. He bellowed a war cry and charged, claws digging into the earth as the ground trembled underfoot.
Tarnished looked back at Melina with a wild grin.
"Remind me to kiss you after we kill this dragon!"
Melina's face exploded into a deep crimson. She recoiled a step, hands clenching into fists that shook up and down with every flustered word.
"I-I will do no such thing, d-dumbass!"
Siegmeyer roared with laughter as he stood tall beside Tarnished, greatsword flaming in his grip.
"You two are such adorable partners!"
"I- That is- We are- Silence!" Melina sputtered, her voice jumping an octave as her heart pounded in her chest, faster than she could control.
She pressed a hand over it, blinking. Why was it doing that?
Why did her face feel so warm?
But the two men didn't wait. They charged as one, fire-wreathed weapons raised high, laughter and fury on their lips.
Melina stood frozen for a moment, cheeks burning, then exhaled slowly and watched them rush headlong into a clash with a dragon.
Ekzykes roared, flame-burned flesh hissing with every movement as he lunged again, wings flailing in fury. But Tarnished and Siegmeyer didn't falter. They danced around the beast like twin flames, blades flashing and steps seamlessly.
Siegmeyer moved with surprising speed and control for someone clad in such heavy armor—his greatsword sweeping wide to push the dragon back while Tarnished rolled in from the opposite side, landing precision strikes with his blazing katana.
Melina, watching from a safe distance now, couldn't help but be impressed. Their rhythm was undeniable. Reckless, yes—but their timing, their coordination, their trust in one another... It was flawless.
"Push it!" Tarnished shouted, sliding under Ekzykes' tail and slicing across the back of its leg. The dragon howled, staggering under its own weight.
Siegmeyer responded with a mighty two-handed overhead slash to the wing joint, sending the beast toppling with a thunderous crash.
"Now!" Tarnished shouted, pointing toward the head as Ekzykes collapsed in a tangle of wings and rot. "Together, friend!"
"Right!" Siegmeyer called, eyes shining behind his visor.
Tarnished sprinted toward the dragon's face, leaping onto its snout and running up the slope of its scaled head until he reached the eye—the same one he'd stabbed before. His flaming uchigatana was still lodged deep in the socket, but he drew his second and drove it home, right beside the first.
At the same time, Siegmeyer reached the other eye and thrust his fire-wreathed zweihander straight into the socket with a shout.
There was a brief pause, a heartbeat of silence.
SHHRRRRIP.
Another bleed proc detonated. Rot-tainted blood sprayed into the sky like a geyser, and Ekzykes let out one final, deafening screech before its head sagged low and collapsed into the dirt.
The world slowed.
The system chimed.
[GREAT ENEMY FELLED]
[Rotten Dragon Ekzyke's Heart Acquired]
[Runes +46,000]
Tarnished dropped from the dragon's snout and landed in a crouch, panting, covered in blood, soot, and dragon ichor. Siegmeyer stumbled toward him, grinning beneath his helmet.
The two clasped hands with a loud metal clack, both of them laughing.
Siegmeyer dropped to all fours a second later with an exaggerated groan. "Ahhh! What a battle! After such an encounter, I dare say… we've earned a bit of rest. And perhaps a celebration!"
From beneath his armor, he produced three small, familiar-looking bottles. "A special brew, passed down in Catarina. A little something to warm the soul, Siegbräu!"
Tarnished's eyes lit up, he had always wanted to try it for the longest time. "Hell yes."
Melina had just arrived beside them, and blinked down at the bottle handed to her. "...I do not drink with fools."
Tarnished waggled his eyebrows at her. "You just fought beside two of them. Might as well commit."
She sighed, deeply, and accepted the drink with narrowed eyes.
Siegmeyer raised his bottle. "To dragon-slaying! And jolly cooperation!"
They clinked bottles. Even Melina, albeit begrudgingly, touched hers to theirs.
They drank.
Tarnished wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "So… where to next, friend?"
Siegmeyer hummed thoughtfully. "Hmm… I believe I'll be heading toward that swamp of rot—Aeonia, I believe it's called. I made a promise, long ago. One I intend to keep."
"I promise to be there when you need me, friend." Tarnished nodded solemnly. "Till then, stay safe. And don't you dare go hollow."
Siegmeyer laughed his deep, hearty laugh. "You as well, my friend."
Melina and Tarnished began walking with a wave, making their way toward the Cathedral of Dragon Communion. Its shattered tower loomed in the distance, half-crushed, yet still standing against the storm.
Marika's voice returned in a thoughtful hum. "A fine battle. I did not expect thee to win so cleanly. And… that man. Another of thy 'friends' from a parallel world?"
Tarnished nodded subtly. 'Yeah… that's him.'
Inside the cathedral, the wind seemed to still. Rot lingered in the air, but here, it felt muted—as if the cathedral was separated from the rest of the lands.
He touched the glowing Site of Grace.
[Grace Discovered]
Then he turned toward the blackened altar.
A massive, pulsating dragon heart sat in his inventory, Greyoll's. It was heavy. Too large to hold comfortably in his hands, yet he did. It thumped once, like a dying echo, before he raised it toward the altar.
A pale mist rose around it. Tendrils of unseen force began to wrap around the heart, pulling it forward.
Tarnished blinked. "Guess I'm supposed to… eat it?"
Marika was silent.
He shrugged and he bit in.
The texture was somewhere between raw beef and burning oil. The taste—metallic and ancient and distinctly wrong. It slid down his throat like swallowing living coals. He gagged, but finished it.
A system panel bloomed in his vision:
[Commune with the Dragons]
[Choose Gifts: Rot Breath | Dragon Fire | Dragon Ice | Dragon Claw]
[Confirm?]
"Yeah," he muttered hoarsely. "Let's go with the full set…"
The rest of the immortal heart dissolved into light. Power crackled through his veins, gold and crimson entwining as he stumbled back from the altar.
His muscles twitched.
His skin shimmered.
He opened his mouth to speak but immediately collapsed.
"Oh. Goodbye, muscle control…"
Melina's scream cut through the void as he fell.
"TARNISHED!"
Marika's voice overlapped, panicked and divine. "My champion-!"
His eyes fluttered as his limbs went numb, his vision blurring to white.
And then, the system whispered to him.
[An Ancient Draconic Bloodline Stirs Within You.]
[The Essence of your Existence is being Rewritten.]
All faded to black.
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Author's Note:
I wonder what this could mean? Hmm…
Dissect the next chapter's title for a fun easter egg and a big hint :3
Also, give me Stones.
…
Next Chapter Title: Dracúl Aeternum.
…
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