Raven spun around instantly, his eyes locked on the ground. He had already scanned the perimeter using a blind-strike technique; he hadn't expected someone to elude his senses and remain hidden in such close proximity.
The soil churned as a dark, humanoid figure rose sluggishly, caked from head to toe in earth.
At first, Raven thought the man had simply buried himself, but upon closer inspection, he realized the figure wore no clothes—it was composed entirely of clay.
"Are you... a Clayman?" Raven recalled the brief, scattered descriptions of the Clayman race in the Grand Library, though he couldn't remember much of use. Judging by the two giant ant carcasses nearby, however, these creatures were clearly enemies of the insects. "We did indeed kill two Ant Queens."
The Clayman hunched its back, slowly turning its head toward Raven. Clumps of earth fell from its body with a soft rustle. Its visual organs had completely atrophied, but it clearly possessed some other means of pinpointing Raven's position. The surrounding soil began to heave as more Claymen emerged one after another. Some even unearthed stone harpoons from the dirt, their tips glowing with a spectral blue light—seemingly some form of glintstone weaponry.
"What is the purpose of this ambush?" Raven asked.
"We are at war with the Queen of Ants," the Clayman replied. "We came here to scout the reason for the hive's unusual movements."
"It seems we share a common enemy," the Monitor said, spreading his hands. "A few days ago, we fought a great battle against the swarm. The enemy of my enemy is my friend; we have forged a friendship without even knowing it, have we not?"
The Clayman swayed its body, appearing to ponder this seriously. It took a long moment before it emitted a series of muffled grunts.
"Who is this 'Queen of Ants'? Is she a particularly powerful Queen?" Raven asked.
"It is said she came from the Lake of Rot. Her body is as large as a mountain, and her ambition is greater still. She has seized control of all the ant colonies in the Ainsel River basin," the Clayman said. "To meet this threat, all Clayman settlements have united."
Raven raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected so many changes to have occurred underground after Ranni and her companions had returned.
"Due to our fierce battle with the swarm, we are currently exhausted," the Monitor said, intentionally exaggerating the expedition's plight. "We wish to travel to a Clayman settlement to rest and recover. I wonder if you might grant this request?"
The Clayman appeared hesitant.
"Every giant ant we kill is one less Clayman who has to die," the Monitor added, his tone sharpening. "We are fighting for the Claymen as much as for ourselves. We are your friends."
"Friends?"
"Friends!" the Monitor said with absolute certainty.
"You will help us deal with the ants?"
"Of course. Friends help each other, do they not?"
"Hmm... follow me, then." The Clayman turned, its steps slow and heavy. "You may call me Kueye. I will take you to see the High Priest."
"There is no need for us to meddle in the wars of subterranean races," the beastman Selenzo argued, having listened to the exchange. "The Lake of Rot is our only goal."
"The Uhl Dynasty ruins, where the Claymen reside, is the only path to the Lake of Rot," the Monitor said, spreading out his map. "Dealing with the Claymen is unavoidable. Furthermore, they can provide us with laborers to ensure our logistical transport on the way to the lake."
"From what I know of the Claymen, they are incredibly conservative and xenophobic," Raven noted. "Unless we perform some great service for them—like helping them slay this Queen of Ants—we'll never convince them to provide that level of assistance."
"Perhaps they simply lack the right persuasive techniques," the Monitor remarked. "Regardless, let us find a place to rest first."
After following the Claymen for a short while, the expeditionary force finally emerged from the tunnel network and entered a vast subterranean cavern. It seemed the Monitor's guidance over the past few days had been correct; they had already been nearing the edge of the tunnels.
The sound of rushing water drifted from the darkness. Raven could feel the humidity of the river. The expedition lit their torches, but the light only reached the water near the bank; the opposite shore remained hidden in gloom.
"This must be the Ainsel River," a Cleanrot Knight marveled. "What a massive river! Can we reach the Lake of Rot by following it?"
"No, this is merely a tributary," Loretta said. "The true Ainsel is far wider than this."
A dozen Claymen led the way. Aside from Kueye, the others remained wordless throughout the journey, offering no response even when some of the expedition soldiers tried to strike up a conversation.
"They do not understand your tongue," Kueye explained. "Only the priests speak the common language."
"Are you a priest?" Raven asked. "Legend says you possess a unique magic that allows you to glimpse the future within bubbles."
"I am striving to become a priest. The path of prophecy is the most profound of sorceries, mastered only by the High Priest. I do not yet have the qualifications to learn it," Kueye answered.
"I hope you achieve your goal soon," Raven said. He then looked to the side with curiosity. "Why are they leaving the group?"
In the darkness, supported by two others, one Clayman left the column and walked toward the riverbank. It had a massive wound at its waist that nearly severed it in two. Throughout the journey, it had only been able to walk with the help of its companions.
"He was wounded in the fight against the giant ants. We pray the Ainsel may heal him," Kueye said. "The river water softens the body, giving the wound a chance to close."
The two Claymen supported their injured comrade, carefully submerging him in the water until only his head remained above the surface.
Raven paused, wanting to witness the healing process. Ten seconds later, the injured Clayman's head also slipped beneath the surface, vanishing entirely. The other two Claymen turned back to rejoin the line.
"Is he healed already?" Raven asked uncertainly. "Where did he go?"
"He has returned to the embrace of Mother Ainsel." Kueye lowered his head. "His wounds were too deep. When the river softened his body, he did not mend; he simply dissolved. Let us move on."
"...I'm sorry. My condolences."
"It does not matter. This is the destiny of all Claymen," Kueye said, his voice devoid of sadness. "Every Clayman must enter the river once a year to be washed by the current. Many of the elderly pass away during this process. If Blue Thistle had not entered the water now, he would have stood no chance once his wounds hardened completely."
Raven realized that "Blue Thistle" was the name of the injured Clayman.
"But what if you simply never entered the water again?" Raven asked, frowning. "That wound didn't seem immediately fatal to a Clayman. If you stayed out of the water, you wouldn't have to die—I mean, you wouldn't 'return to the embrace.'"
"If we do not touch the flowing water, our bodies and minds grow rigid. Body, mind, heart... everything becomes as hard as stone," Kueye said, continuing forward. "No Clayman would choose such an immortality. We were born from lifeless, unyielding earth and stone; because of that, we understand all the more what the value of life truly is."
"What a pathetic race," a cleric of the Erdtree whispered contemptuously once Kueye was out of earshot. "No god to save their souls. Perhaps this is an opportunity; we could spread the faith of the Erdtree underground and make these Claymen our subjects."
Raven glanced at the cleric but said nothing, quickening his pace to keep up with Kueye.
"They may not have a god," Malenia said softly, "but they possess faith all the same."
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Elden Ring: The Unborn One's Journey Through Elden Ring(250 Chapter - Ongoing)
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