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Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, and all rights for characters, plots and settings belong to G.R.R. Martin and FromSoftware. I have no ownership.
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Miquella and Malenia are both the children of a single god. As such they are both Empyreans, but suffered afflictions from birth. One was cursed with eternal childhood, and the other harbored rot within.
Malenia is daughter to Queen Marika and Radagon, and her Great Rune should have been the most sacred of all.
Though born into the accursed rot, when the young girl encountered her mentor and his flowing blade, she gained wings of unparalleled strength.
Malenia's war prosthesis symbolized her victories. Some claim to have seen wings when the weapon was raised aloft; wings of fierce determination that have never known defeat.
The wings symbolize Malenia and her undefeated prowess. Though she never knew relief from the accursed rot she was born into, her blade was forever beautiful - and relentless.
The wings symbolize Malenia and her undefeated prowess. Though she never knew relief from the accursed rot she was born into, her blade was forever beautiful - and relentless.
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Liurnia,
973 year AS (After Shattering of the Elden Ring)
Malenia
Although Malenia didn't have the medallion needed to activate the Grand Lift of Dectus, that didn't mean she didn't have a way to get to Liurnia.
For most, the miles-high wall of the Altus Plateau, rising above the land of lakes, might have been an insurmountable challenge, but not for her.
Leaving aside the fact that she knew more than one path down the cliff walls, she could easily have simply run down, jumping from ledge to ledge. Lorreta, however, couldn't do the same, nor could their mounts.
And so they found themselves on a narrow path running along the southernmost wall of the plateau.
Malenia could tell that because of her curse and the Scarlet Rot within her, which consumed her body, she was extremely sensitive to any presence of the Outer Gods, or whatever these cosmic entities might be called.
It's no wonder, then, that even from the summit of the Altus Plateau, she could sense the presence of the Freznied Flame to the south. If she could imagine anything worse than the Rot, it was the flames of chaos.
Looking down, she sensed the structure of forests growing on a large hill, and among them, a small village nestled at the foot of a slightly higher elevation. It was from this place that she sensed the fetid odor of the Outer God in particular, and its presence lingered there like an invisible shroud.
She knew she should avoid this place; the last thing she wanted was for the Rot that was consuming her to wake up to the presence of one of its hated enemies.
After all, from her earliest years, Malenia had understood the game these entities played with each other for the Lands Between and likely many other realms.
She remembered how the Scarlet Rot churned within her, seething with the powerful presence of the Greater Will, which was felt everywhere in Leyndell. While her mother believed it might help stop the Rot, it was quite the opposite.
These off-world Entities hated each other so much that they tried to gain ground or advantage at all costs. Even if that ground was the body of a young girl who had no say in the matter.
Standing there, Jaże wished her senses were stronger, for she might have sensed something more, but any further shapes were simply a blur.
She could sense one thing perfectly. The vast Lake Rot, deep beneath Liurnia, stretches for hundreds of kilometers. Something that hadn't been here before the Shattering, and something for which she was certainly not responsible.
The Scarlet Rot was expanding inexorably even here.
With a slight sigh, she turned to Loretta and said, "Let's go. I'd prefer you descend while it's still light. Besides, I don't fancy running into Giant Bats that would haunt us on our descents at night."
Lorreta followed her without hesitation with a curt, "Yes, my lady."
She suspected the descent would take them a good few hours, maybe longer, depending on the condition of the paths along the cliff; after all, it had been a very long time since she last traveled this way.
The first signs of something happening to the south came perhaps three hours later in the form of the sound of explosions and the roar of flames. Lorreta spoke of fires that seemed to be consuming the forests on the hill filled with the presence of the Frenzied Flame.
Something, or rather someone, was burning down the forests, and above all, the creatures within them, consumed by madness. She sensed the flames of chaos pulsing with fury, eager to respond to the blasphemy being perpetrated against them.
Malenia would gladly shake hands with whoever was doing this. Outer Gods had no right to exist in the Lands Between, and any attempt to limit their influence was admirable. If only she had stuck to that during her fight with her half-brother.
She sighed slightly, continuing down the path. "I can't change the past, but I can influence the future. I just need to find Miquella."
A few minutes later, another explosion shook the air, even more powerful than the previous ones, and Malenia's senses told her that no trace remained of the village filled with Frienzed Flames.
What puzzled her, however, was who these powerful fiery incantations belonged to, for she sensed the imprint of a long-fallen god in them. They were similar to those of the Fire Monks, but she had never encountered anyone capable of using them on such a scale.
It couldn't be anyone ordinary. The only one who loved fire and the forbidden who came to mind was Rykard, but he would surely sense his sinister aura from dozens of miles away.
Finally, when they finally reached the ground, leaving the treacherous paths behind, they could let out sighs of relief.
"Frankly, if we're going back this way, I suggest we get the medallion first, my lady," Loretta said, somewhat pleadingly.
Malenia only smiled faintly, but her smile soon faded as she sensed the terrible, dark aura emanating from the south. Even here, she sensed chaotic whispers trying to intrude on her mind, but she dismissed them effortlessly.
"Lady Malenia, is this what I think it is?" came Loretta's voice, who approached and stood beside her.
Malenia didn't need to see to know that the Outer God had manifested himself in the world in a significant way with the help of one of his servants.
However, to be able to even hold a fragment of the god's power within themselves, that person had to have not only an incredibly durable body but also a strong mind, which, even despite madness, had not been completely shattered.
Malenia without hesitation headed in that direction. Although it was risky, and the servant's body probably couldn't sustain the manifestation of the Chaos Flame for long, she couldn't risk it miraculously escaping.
Although shattered, this land was not lost forever and could perhaps be rebuilt. The last thing she wanted was for everything to be consumed by the Frenzied Flame.
Their mounts, sensing the monstrous presence, immediately fled, even though both had faced various opponents more than once.
The only thing left for them to do was to set off on foot. Malenia, of course, was faster even than the mount taken from the slain Night Cavalry, but she couldn't say the same for Loretta.
The dozens of miles still separating them from the scene of the current battle finally forced her to leave her companion behind and rush forward alone.
Malenia had never run so fast, each step covering a dozen meters, until she seemed to glide over the ground rather than run.
Or at least that was until, after covering perhaps 10-15 miles in a few minutes, another explosion so powerful that the ground shook her.
She felt the two flames consuming and clashing, and the Rot within her responded with savage fury, trying to escape. Even a few Aeonia butterflies appeared around her, but gritting her teeth with determination and calming her mind, she pushed the outer god deep within herself.
She broke into a run towards the hill where the fight was taking place but barely made it another few miles before stopping again, sensing a body lying nearby, barely alive but still radiating a powerful, familiar power.
Slowly, she approached, sharpening her senses to distinguish the shapes around her.
She stopped near a man lying gravely injured, though to call him injured didn't convey the dire state he was in; most creatures in his place would have been dead. His bones were shattered, his flesh crushed, and his skin bore numerous burn marks from the chaos's flames.
The man held out his hand, which seemed to have released its grip on the flask lying beside him. Malenia crouched and took it in her hand, recognizing the familiar shape and texture.
"Flask of Crimson Tears? Hmh. I haven't seen that relic since Shattering," she said, quietly surprised. Indeed, the last time she'd seen them was during the battle with Radahn.
She had once owned a complete set of these flasks, having received them from her mother on her fifth birthday. They were meant to help her keep her body and mind stable, slowing the growth of Scarlet Rot.
A sign that her mother, despite all her flaws, still cared for her. Although Malenia felt bitterness at the thought. One would think that the powerful goddess and ruler of these lands would be capable of more.
However, she should remember that her mother was also a slave of the Outer God, like Malenia herself, though with a bit more freedom in that regard.
Sighing, Malenia leaned over the half-dead man and, holding the flask above his lips, slowly tilted it, pouring the crimson liquid into his mouth, a task hampered by the man's shattered jaw.
By the time she had drained the entire flask, the man was almost completely healed; his bones had healed, his wounds had healed, and his skin, disfigured by the Chaos flames, seemed smooth again.
"So what do we have here?" she said, focusing on the powerful presence of the Great Runes but also something more. Now that the stench of the Frenzied Flames had subsided, she saw what had previously clouded her senses.
Not only did this man possess two Great Runes, but both were connected, creating something greater than their sum. The man also emanated the strong presence of Greater Will. A scent she easily recognized.
"Who are you?" she asked, surprise evident in her voice. The man before her was an enigma to her, though a growing premonition at the back of her mind made her guess who she was dealing with.
She felt his gaze on her, but for the next few seconds, he remained silent, as if recovering. Which didn't surprise her in the slightest; after all, the wounds he had sustained, even healed, must have affected his mind as well.
"I am..." he began but fell silent as if trying to remember something. "I am Aerion. That's my name. I am Tarnished."
Malenia was now certain that she was the specific Tarnished she was looking for. However, the momentary excitement at having found him so quickly was tempered by cold realization.
Greater Will clearly had her hand on him, leaving no chance that he had anything to do with the Formless Mother. The Begetter of Mercy would never allow such a thing.
So that bastard Morgott was lying? What else had she expected? She had sensed it from the very beginning. But she knew she had to be sure.
"You don't happen to know anything about someone called the Formless Mother or Mogh?" she asked, but she sensed him shaking his head and replying in a firmer, stronger voice.
"Forgive me, my lady, but I don't have the information you seek. I know who both are, the god and his servant, but nothing more."
Malenia felt bitterness burn through her throat, but it wasn't the usual Rot that permeated her body. She hadn't sensed he was lying, and her keen senses would surely have picked up on it. With Morgott, she was only lying to herself.
"That's nothing," she replied, pulling herself together. She simply had to keep looking. "You're the Tarnished? The one who slew Godrick and the new ruler of Limgrave, right?"
"Yes, you're right. I thank you for your help; without it, I would undoubtedly have perished," he replied with a clear note of gratitude in his voice.
She had to admit his voice was pleasant to the ear, a bit rough, as if accustomed to giving orders, but also calm and even somewhat melodic.
Frankly, she was surprised by his overall stature. Having heard of his successes, she had expected a giant the size of Lord Godfrey, but this Tarnished seemed more than a head shorter than her.
She wanted to ask him about his Great Runes. What had happened to them and where had he obtained the second one? But before she could say anything, he spoke.
"If you'll excuse me, my lady. However, I clearly have a very dangerous enemy to defeat," he said, nodding toward a hilltop a few miles away, where the glowing figure of the Vessel of Frenzied Flame lay, even to her senses.
He then began to rise to his feet, and Malenia did the same.
"If you could just step aside. I don't want anything to happen to you after the help you gave me."
Malenia didn't take his words personally, but she replied somewhat provocatively, as this was the first time in a long time, even before her fight with Radahn, that anyone had doubted her ability to fight.
"If it's because of my lack of sight, then don't worry, I know perfectly well how to fight."
She felt him just shake his head. "It's not that. Because of your helmet, I didn't even know you were blind, and judging by your prosthetic with the blade attached to it, you're no stranger to fighting." He replied apologetically, then added, "I just don't think this is an opponent anyone would want to fight. " Perhaps only someone like a demigod."
Malenia smiled faintly at his words, stretching to her full height, her blade pointed slightly to the side. "Well, it's a good thing I'm a so-called demigod. Forgive me for not telling you my name earlier. I am Malenia, Blade of Miquella. And I have never known defeat."
She heard his head, which had been gazing at the hillside, turn toward her so quickly that something cracked. But before he could utter a word, their opponent was right in front of them, landing with a tremendous thud, apparently having jumped from the very top of the cliff.
Although Malenia couldn't see him with her eyes, her senses told her enough. She sensed a human-like figure, but where her head should have been, there was a massive ball of concentrated malevolence.
The Rot within her awoke again with renewed vigor, as if challenged, and Malenia had to admit to herself that they were dealing with something truly terrifying.
The power this entity exuded was truly terrifying, ready to bring most of the mighty warriors she knew to their knees. Even for her, it might prove a challenge, for Malenia had no idea how her Rot-weakened body and mind would react to contact with the Frenzied Flame.
"MALENIA, PLAYTHING OF THIS ANNOYING ROT. DO YOU ALSO SEEK PURIFICATION IN MY FLAMES?"
The being spoke in a voice that sent shivers down her spine. There was nothing natural about it, nothing a human body should be able to utter. She felt the very air into which the sound of that voice rose quiver with revulsion.
But the same could be said of the entire being, for the entire world around it seemed to stretch, to move as far away from the Freznied Flame as possible.
She wondered only how the influence of the Chaos Flame must have seeped into the Lands Between for it to manifest in this way, or what else could be the reason.
Unlike her use of Scarlet Rot even in Caelid, the Outer God was here in person, descending and taking control of his vessel. She didn't know such a thing was even possible.
"YOU'RE SILENT, CHILD OF ROT? I'M NOT GOING TO PUSH. FINALLY, WHEN THIS CHAMPION OF MY BENEVOLENT FLAMES IS BELOW YOU, EVERYTHING WILL BE PURIFICATED!"
Malenia didn't answer, but instead, her attention shifted to Tarnished. So Frenzied Flame had chosen him as their champion. What was it with all these Outer Gods that made them so fond of him? Maybe he'd want to take that damned Scarlet Rot away from her?
But instead of that, she asked another question: "What are you good at? Those fancy fire incantations, were they your doing? Do you have anything else in store?"
She just sensed him shrug, his gaze also fixed on their enemy, who also seemed to be enjoying the momentary tension.
"I'm quite versatile: melee, ranged, and magic," Aerion replied honestly, "though I suspect incantations are indeed my strongest suit."
Malenia would have raised an eyebrow at that if Rot hadn't already devoured it. She sincerely doubted he'd be bragging in such a dangerous situation, but nothing could be certain. But if he were telling the truth, he could prove to be a good backup when she took on the melee.
Without hesitation, Malenia launched herself into the attack, appearing before the Vessel of Frenzied Flame in a blink of an eye. Her blade was already aiming for her opponent's chest, but suddenly a wall of flames rose between them, and they voraciously charged towards her.
She jumped back without hesitation, creating a distance of several metres between them. She felt a powerful concentration of familiar power, and a powerful spear of lightning struck the flames, which, if she could see, would have been golden.
Her older brother Godwyn's favourite incantation, Lightning Spear, though at the moment all it managed to do was stop the flames from rushing towards her.
The incantation was indeed quite powerful, more powerful than she had expected, to be honest, but if they wanted to harm or even kill this creature, it would have to be cast by Godwyn himself.
The fact was, however, that she had to find a way to break through Frenzy's flames or hold it until the vessel itself collapsed. The last thing she wanted was to be forced to use Rot, who desperately wanted to escape her body at that moment.
As all these thoughts raced through her mind, her companion didn't stand idly by. Lightning struck their enemy from the heavens, another of the Dragon Cult's incantations. However, the creature enveloped itself in flames like a tight cocoon, absorbing attack after attack.
Malenia tried to seize this opportunity, leaping at the enemy again within a second and attempting to pierce it through with her blade, blessed with Miquella's Light.
Dozens of tentacles separated from the wall of flames and began attacking her, forcing her to dodge and destroy them with her blade, which turned into a blur around her.
She sensed her fellow combatant charging at their enemy, now switching to the Carian Sorcery incantation, attempting to cleave the wall of flames, which he succeeded in doing, but before he could capitalise on it, it had already closed.
Irritated, Malenia dispatched the remaining tendrils of flame following her, then stopped in her tracks, adopting a forward-leaning pose for a brief moment, her right hand holding the blade pointed back at her left waist.
Concentrating the energy around her, as her master had taught her, she shot forward a moment later like a fired crossbow bolt, stopping about three metres from their flame-enveloped opponent.
Then she swung, unleashing all the accumulated energy from the blade in a palpable, visible slash that flew forward. It was her master's technique: the Winged Sword. Wind Slash.
The attack struck the wall of flames, cleaving it in half and then striking the enemy hidden behind it. The flames ceased, and the upper half of her body slid to the ground just above her waist.
Malenia straightened, taking a deep breath of relief, yet also a bit disappointed that it was already over. She hadn't expected this attack to be so effective.
"That's it?" Tarnished's voice echoed with a similar sense of relief, and she nodded.
"It seems so," she replied, relaxing slightly, but the words seemed to have been spoken hastily, as their opponent's body suddenly burst into flames, towering dozens of meters high, and the sensation became even more sinister.
"Apparently, this isn't the end," she added with quiet resolve.
The fight wasn't over, but sensing Loretta approaching, she thought maybe the three of them could force the damned creature to make a mistake. Or at least she hoped so. She still had a few tricks up her sleeve. And Tarnished probably hadn't shown his full potential either.