Early the next morning, Gawain set off with the mercenaries. They hadn't traveled far along the coastline before a massive fragment of Farum Azula ruins appeared before them. In the distance, Gawain could see an island—the location of the Church of Dragon Communion, if he remembered correctly. A sudden thought struck him, and he gripped his broadsword, bracing for combat.
Just as he expected, a swarm of Misbegotten surged from behind the ruins. Among them were two particularly massive Leonine Misbegotten leaders.
"Dammit! Why are there Misbegotten even here? Did they escape from the Weeping Peninsula?" Galvin cursed, his brow furrowed.
When they had descended, they hadn't realized this secluded area held a cave leading to the abandoned Church of Dragon Communion. However, aside from the two hulking leaders, the rest weren't much of a threat. Without a word, the mercenaries instinctively formed a battle array to eliminate the enemy.
"The big one on the left is mine. Can you handle the one on the right? I'd like to see what a Tarnished is truly capable of," Galvin called out.
"No problem. I was looking for a chance to stretch my legs," Gawain replied, rolling his shoulders. He was still adjusting to his significantly weakened body. During the fight with the Grafted Scion, his limbs hadn't quite kept up with his reflexes—otherwise, he wouldn't have had to waste a Black Firebomb.
The mercenaries stepped back to give him space, each picking off the smaller Misbegotten. Armed only with wooden clubs and shattered leather shields, the creatures were no match for the elite Kaiden warriors. A single horizontal slash from a Kaiden sellsword was often enough to shatter both weapon and beast alike.
Galvin engaged his target, suddenly letting out a thunderous roar—a War Cry skill. The veins in his arms bulged, and his movements became noticeably swifter.
As a warrior from the mountaintops, his fighting style mirrored that of Hoarah Loux—bold and overwhelming. Empowered by his skill, he physically overpowered the Misbegotten leader, his heavy blade delivering crushing blows that devastated the creature.
Before long, Galvin's opponent collapsed in a bloody heap, stripped of its ability to resist. He glanced over at Gawain's side, surprised by the lack of noise. It was then he realized the other Misbegotten leader had already been dealt with. The Tarnished was even casually looting the corpse.
Galvin walked over to inspect the body. The leader had been killed almost instantly, but something felt off. The wound on its head showed signs of severe burning, as if it had exploded from the inside out. Yet, he hadn't heard a sound. A sense of unease flickered in his chest.
Gawain finished rummaging through the corpse and pulled out a battered Sewing Needle. He tucked it away and stood up. With their leaders dead, the remaining Misbegotten scattered and fled.
"Where did you come down from? Did you not run into these things earlier?" Gawain asked.
Galvin shook his head. In his experience, these Misbegotten usually kept their distance from armed mercenaries. For them to launch a suicidal ambush today was strange. Perhaps it was related to the rebellion at the Weeping Peninsula—maybe the howls of their kin in the distance had driven them into a frenzy.
"We didn't see a single one on the way down. The path we took is further ahead."
Gawain gave him a knowing look. He had suspected it before, but now he understood why these mercenaries were here.
"Let me guess. Did you come down from the Stranded Graveyard?"
Caught off guard, Galvin coughed awkwardly. Seeing no outsiders around, he lowered his voice.
"Look, you know how it is. Lord Godrick sealed off the Weeping Peninsula, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving. We had to find our own way back. Our budget for the trip went over, so we couldn't even trade with the nomadic merchants. We decided to sneak into the Fringefolk Hero's Grave to try our luck and scavenge some Runes. Godrick is obsessed with his 'grafting' and stays cooped up in the depths of Stormveil anyway; he stopped caring about Limgrave long ago."
Gawain realized why there was a resident's corpse near the Kaiden mercenary in the game's world—they had probably stripped it from the graveyard. He wondered if the very clothes he was wearing had been looted the same way. Feeling perhaps a bit guilty, Galvin pressed a golden object into Gawain's hand.
"You handled that leader fast. I respect your strength. Since you're helping us, consider this a gesture of goodwill."
Gawain looked at the item: a Golden Rune [1]. These things were scattered all over the open graves in Limgrave. It seemed the mercenaries had been "snacking" on offerings when no one was looking. Gawain gave him a look that clearly said Just one?
Galvin hesitated, then gritted his teeth and handed over a Golden Rune [2].
"That's it! Any more would be impolite. Most of the Runes we... salvaged have been traded to merchants. I don't have much left. Besides, you got the biggest share of the kill from that leader, didn't you?"
"Fair enough. Lead the way. I want to see what this Fringefolk Hero's Grave looks like."
"Right. Let's move."
Under Galvin's lead, the group continued until they found a cave entrance hidden among a pile of rubble. Without prior knowledge, it would have been nearly impossible to spot.
As they entered, Gawain saw various stone sarcophagi lining the path, illuminated by the mercenaries' torches. Some were broken from age, revealing withered bones and tattered, once-grand vestments. It seemed many nobles had been interred here alongside the grave's master.
"The master of this Fringefolk Hero's Grave was the famous Oleg, one of the two wings of the Storm Lord," Galvin explained. "Legend says that after surrendering to the Erdtree, he served the Grace-Given King during the Shattering, hunting down countless traitors. His soul was eventually laid to rest here, granted the honor of a hero's burial."
Gawain suppressed the urge to laugh. The "black comedy" of the situation was that after Marika shattered the Ring, the cycle of "returning to the roots" had been broken. The poor Oleg was likely still trapped down there in the depths of the grave.
Gawain had no desire to explore the core of the dungeon yet. Whether it was the Ulcerated Tree Spirit or the Chariots, he couldn't be bothered to deal with them right now. Before long, they reached the end of the path—a high ledge overlooking the game's starting point. The "Cave of Knowledge" from the game mechanics was nowhere to be seen in this reality.
Before jumping down, Gawain felt around based on his memory and found a golden charm. Galvin was stunned when he saw the markings on it.
"The Haligdrake Talisman! I didn't think Oleg would leave behind the symbol of his former identity—the 'impenetrable wall' of the Storm Lord—before his burial."
"Since you found it, it's yours," Galvin continued. "If you have a talisman pouch, you can use its power. But I should warn you, it might not be as useful as you think; it's only the most basic version."
Gawain nodded. He knew the game effect was a mere 5% Holy damage negation. Back when the Storm Lord fought Godfrey, these were likely mass-produced; the high-tier versions could only be found in Farum Azula.
Still, it was better than nothing. He tucked the talisman into his pocket and saw a familiar glow ahead. It was the first Site of Grace.
He jumped down from the ledge and walked forward to touch the light. Instantly, it felt exactly like sitting before a bonfire. Looking back, the flow of time seemed to slow down; the mercenaries moved in comical slow-motion behind him.
Gawain could feel the power of Grace swirling around him. The bruises from his fall and the shallow scratches from the Misbegotten leader began to mend. Like a bonfire, it wasn't an instantaneous full recovery, but the visible healing speed combined with the slowed time made the process feel brief.
At the same time, the "Inventory" he had been waiting for finally appeared. Upon touching the Grace, a mental interface similar to the game's menu manifested. It shifted according to his will—a manifestation of the Grace acting upon his consciousness.
He moved the two Spirit Ashes and the talisman into the storage, no longer worrying about losing them. While Gawain was preoccupied with the effects of the Grace, the mercenaries watched him sit on the ground, staring into space. Galvin waved his companions to stay calm.
"If I'm not mistaken," Galvin whispered, "he's seeing it. The legendary Grace."
The other mercenaries were shocked. One hesitated, asking, "Should we... turn him over to Lord Godrick? An ordinary Tarnished is one thing, but a warrior who can see Grace is a different story."
Galvin shook his head helplessly. "With just the few of us? Forget it. We're lucky he's willing to help us with the rebellion. Don't think about the impossible."
Gawain snapped out of his trance, having figured out the Grace's functions. He saw the mercenaries looking at him with strange expressions.
"Did you... see the Grace?" Galvin asked tentatively.
Gawain nodded, seeing no reason to deny it. "Yeah. Just a Site of Grace. I know it's rare among Tarnished, but you don't need to overreact."
Galvin rubbed his temples. This man must have just arrived from the outside world and didn't understand the current state of things.
"If you know what seeing Grace means, then you should also know that almost everyone with that gift was a legendary hero in history. Lord Godrick has standing orders to hunt down heroes like you for his grafting. If this were any other time, I might have felt obligated to capture you."
Gawain finally realized his mistake. He was so used to being an Ashen One that he'd forgotten that in the Lands Between, Tarnished were treated like stray dogs. Since they were a group returned specifically to seize Great Runes and become Lords, every Shardbearer wanted them dead. They were essentially "stinking outsiders" coming to the Lands Between to beg for a throne.
(Except for quasi-lords like Vyke, of course—the elite of Leyndell who could ignore the Two Fingers' seals and fly straight to the capital.)
"So, what now?" Gawain asked.
An aura of fire began to radiate from his body. His tattered resident's clothes were scorched, revealing glowing red veins of flame.
"The past is the past," Galvin said firmly. "Since Lord Godrick left Castle Morne to rot, we have no reason to serve him. Who knows when he'd treat us like discarded pawns too? To be honest, I'm glad to have a powerhouse like you willing to lend a hand. Castle Morne might actually have a chance now."
Galvin extended his right hand in a gesture of peace.
Gawain nodded and suppressed the leaking Ember. He liked these mercenaries well enough and didn't want to make enemies of them. Peace was preferable.
Putting the small friction behind them, the group continued their journey. In Galvin's eyes, Gawain was now a "big shot" who could see Grace and possessed strange powers. It was best not to provoke him. After all, Godrick didn't pay enough Runes for them to throw their lives away; for them, Castle Morne was their true home.
Gawain searched the Stranded Graveyard but found no sign of a Sacred Flask. He realized that, in the game's lore, the flask was a gift from Melina, not something found lying around.
He lamented that without his "maiden," nothing was going smoothly. Before he knew it, the lift reached the top. He stepped forward and pushed open the massive doors.
Finally, he had officially set foot upon the Lands Between.
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