Elden Ring : a Tarnished of No Renown

[Sigurd's POV]

(10 minutes later....)

The cave eventually leads back to the entrance, netting me back to square one.

However, this time I actually remembered my name and relearned a skill that I once had. An Ash of War named Barbaric Roar.

In the cave that I started out there was another door to the left of the Erdtree sapling. Taking that other door in the starting cave room, I found myself on an elevator that leads further up.... Until I arrived at what appears to be a door that leads to this cave.

As I opened the door to this tomb, a ray of bright golden light shone through the gap of the door illuminating the entire elevator room.

"Urgh...." It's very bright....

It was only when my eyes had adapted to the lights then I noticed the gorgeous view before me.

"Woah...."

The scenery before me is a vast and unending canvas of mountains and forests. Amidst the landscape are countless castles and cities, as well as many smaller Erdtrees around these castles.

And of course, standing tall and proud at the middle of the world is a giant tree that reaches to the sky itself....

With a golden hue surrounding it's trunk and leaves, it shines down onto the land illuminating the entire world in it's rays of gold.

That is the Erdtree, the sacred tree which Queen Marika the Eternal dwells in.

"...." I was left speechless by the beautiful sight, it took my minutes just to recompose myself. But once I did, I continued my way out of the tomb.

A small blob of light could be seen on the small hill right after I exited the tomb.... A Site of Grace.

And standing besides the Grace is another man, dressed in full white robe and wearing a creepy mask.

He looks suspicious.

I approached the man with my hands ready on my club.... "Hello there...?"

"Oh yes.... Tarnished are we? Come to the Lands Between for the Elden Ring, hmm?"

"Indeed, but that's none of your business."

"Of course you have, there's no shame in it. All Tarnished comes here for the same thing, it is your destiny after all, haha! But I'm afraid you're quite out of luck...."

"Why is that?"

"Unfortunately for you, you're maidenless."

Uhh.... What?

"Without a Maiden, you won't have the power of runes or the access to the Roundtable Hold. In other words, even a pack of wolves could nibble you up like a midnight snack.

You're useless and weak, feel free to go die off in a ditch somewhere."

"What?!!"

Who the hell starts a conversation like that?!

___________

(10 minutes later....)

This man refused to tell me his name, saying that a Tarnished without a Finger Maiden is bordenline worthless, doomed to fail no matter what they do.

I don't know what a Maiden does, but apparently they are supposed to help me out and connect me to the other Tarnished....

When I woke up in that church, that chapel where I fought the Grafted Scion, there was a dead body of a priestest in the same room. She was slit in the throat, and seems to have been killed relatively recent.

I think it is safe to assume the dead woman is my Finger Maiden.... someone killed her before I woke up, which resulted in this whole predicament I have right now.

While that may be an issue in the long term, that's not what's important right now.

"...."

"...."

What issue that I have right now is this guy is standing right next to this Site of Grace without saying anything. It's awkward, I can't even rest here.

I should move away from here, at least away from this guy, but that poses another trouble.....

At the far side I saw a destroyed building which looks like a church. It might even have another Site of Grace that I can use.

The problem is, there's a guy in golden armor riding on top of a horse guarding the road to it.... I don't know what's his deal, but I don't think he's friendly.

This means that I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. But first let's go check this horse guy out.

I jumped down the hill where the site of grace is on, and walked towards the church.... Sitting right in my way is this golden armored guy, who upon seeing me started charging towards me like a mad man.

"Woah woah, keep your distance!"

His horse caught up to me in seconds.... The rider himself wields a giant halberd almost two times my size, and a round Great shield that covers his entire left. A juggernaut of a guy.

At distant he didn't seemed particularly special... but now that he's this close, he's ridiculously huge!

"Holy shit...."

"Hmm!" The rider raised his Halberd up, flourishing it at the air ready to swing down.

"...!" By instinct I jumped backwards trying to dodge his upcoming attack, but it was too early. Far too early, it left me completely open.

He easily closed the distance on me by steering his horse. "Hah!" The muffled groan of the rider could be heard as he swung the halberd down at me.

"Shit!"

I raised the club and blocked the attack, not very effective. The axe of the halberd chips through my guard, slicing my shoulder as it slams down onto the ground in front of me. 'Thump!'

"Urgh...!" I once again jumped backwards to create space, but the rider chased forward and followed up his swing with another.

'Whoosh!' This time however I was able to barely get out of his attack range, dodging the attack. But just as he was done, he raised his halberd once more and points it at me....

"!" A thrust!

'Whoosh!' Seeing the thrust coming I dived towards him, the halberd misses my head as I landed right next to his horse.

"Sei!" I swung my club at the horse, 'Tink!' but it bounces off dealing no damage. "What?!"

"Hmm!" The rider raised his halberd over his shoulders, and swung it towards me in an arc trying to hit me.

'Whoosh!' I rolled to the left, underneath the swing and ended up to the back of his horse.

If my normal swing doesn't hurt you, then how's Barbaric Roar?!

"Yah!!!" Yelling out a thunder, I followed up my club with a bash to the man's exposed body.

'Tank!' "Urgh!"

This time it dealt damage, as the rider groans out in pain while his armor dents.

But suddenly, the horse raised it's hind legs and kicks me hard in the stomach. 'Thud!' "Oof!"

I was sent flying backwards, landing on my butt.

"Urgh..." Right as I try to get up on my feet, everything suddenly got darker.

That's because the giant horse and the rider had leapt to the air, covering me in their shadow. With his great shield, the rider points it at me as he drops down with the weight of a house.

"Uh oh...."

'Thump!!!'

[You Died]