The Light Scorned in Darkness: An Elden Ring Story

Mitranis watched the battle before charging in. The soldiers were trying to hold back a girl. She had red hair, with a braided ponytail that moved all around with every movement she made to attack, defend herself or avoid her rivals' attacks. It was hard not to notice her fair, almost pale skin, something unusual considering how merciless the sun was in Caelid when it wasn't cloudy.

However, what Mitranis was paying more attention to was those blue eyes, like sapphires, as beautiful as they were expressive. It was crazy. A fiery woman with red hair, like that of the ancient and extinct Fire Giants, the eyes of a princess and the fierceness and grace of a Nox Swordswoman.

But she was outmatched, for obvious reasons. She had many rivals. And while the foot soldiers and higher-ranking soldiers might be enemies the girl could easily defeat; the arrival of the Red Mane Knights was something different.

These knights were very strong, skilled, with a defense that was difficult to overcome, and massive attacks, like those of Lion's Claw, which she was not able to completely avoid, having to defend herself with her shield. This was large, shaped like the shields of the Cuckoo Knights from Lurnia.

Seeing the girl outmatched, Mitranis decided to appear. It was not often that he fought knights, but he seemed to know how to do it effectively. He went for the soldiers. He used the hilt of his dagger, with the stinger retracted, to knock out the infantrymen and the others in heavier armor. His movements were silent, fluid. Mitranis appeared unexpectedly, almost blending into the shadow of his rivals.

Then, Mitranis came up behind one of the Red Mane knights, and calmly stepped on the knight's right popliteal fossa, causing him to lose his stance and fall to his knees, just before he jumped to do a Lion Claw attack, which would be the final blow against the woman.

"Hey, hey!" Mitranis exclaimed, now facing the second Red-Maned Knight. "Is it necessary to slaughter a knight who comes to Radahn's festival? Perhaps it would be better to challenge her more fairly."

The Knight paused for a moment, holding his large sword with more fury than before. He looked back, noticing that there were some unconscious soldiers, and others approaching, somewhat confused by the damage caused by the boy. The other Knight was getting up and approaching his companion who did not seem to want to talk to Mitranis.

"Fuck you," the knight replied, spitting on the ground. "As if some vile contract killer could tell me what to do. You don't know the word dignity. Jerren told us where you came from."

"I don't think it's Jerren's fault that you guys aren't showing much dignity either. Is it part of your code to win by sheer numbers alone?" Mitranis replied.

The tension was palpable, but the battle had not yet begun. For the soldiers of Red Mane Castle, fighting someone who seemed to be a somewhat inexperienced Lightless was not the same as facing a recusant. Jerren himself told them that it was not in their best interest to bother the boy. Not only would they regret the outcome of a confrontation, but the damage to their morale would be greater than the physical damage.

"Damn it!" the Knight who had faced Mitranis exclaimed, kicking an infantryman lying unconscious on the ground. "Perfect! Escort this… Woman to the courtyard, where the other festival participants are. Or go fuck her. That's up to you. Now get out of my sight before I change my mind."

Mitranis smiled and bowed politely to the knight. Then he gestured to the woman, who didn't seem all that pleased with Mitranis' appearance and help, but who couldn't deny that she had already been cornered during that battle. That comment about being fucked by a stranger sparked a flame of pure rage in her eyes, but it was best not to anger that knight again. There would be time to make him pay.

"Thank you, my friend. I knew we could understand each other," Mitranis said, a broad smile on his face.

"I am not your friend," the Knight concluded, turning his back on Mitranis.

Immediately, the Redmane Knight motioned with a nod to the rest of his group to retreat, presumably to stand guard near the castle entrance. Mitranis sighed, and looked towards the group, confirming that they were indeed retreating. Then, he saw an Abductor Virgin lying on the ground in the distance, in the courtyard that adjoined the castle entrance.

"Oh," Mitranis said, his gaze darting to the woman. "I can't believe you defeated that Abductor Virgin by yourself. You're strong, girl."

"Don't call me a girl," she replied, sheathing her sword, one that looked like one of those swords from Lurnia. "And yes, I defeated that thing by myself. I'm not weak just because I'm a 'girl.'"

"I never said that," Mitranis replied, letting out a somewhat sarcastic laugh. "But you did charge into a group of experienced and angry soldiers without checking the terrain or your capabilities, it seems."

After these words, Mitranis motioned with his hand for the woman to follow him and began to walk. He was going towards the same room in which he was spending the night. It was still dark. It must have been the coldest and darkest time of the night at that moment. When he arrived, Mitranis sat down in his place, threw one of the skins to the woman to cover herself and pointed out the place of grace for her to touch or something like that.

"There's a skin there to keep you warm, and there's a site of lost grace for you to rest and do your Tarnished things, if you can still see the grace."

"Of course I can see the grace, you fool," the woman replied angrily, sitting down in front of her. "And it's because I'm a Tarnished who hasn't and won't lose her purpose."

"That's nice, my friend," Mitranis smiled sarcastically again. "My name is Mitranis. What's your name?"

"Hestia. And remember my name, for I will be known throughout the Lands Between."

"Oh, so many have said that my dear." Mitranis said, letting out a sigh.

"You don't have to answer me like that, being another Tarnished. I'm surprised you can still be so scornful of us who are fighting to restore the Elden Ring."

"I am not a Tarnished, Hestia," Mitranis' words became a little more serious. "I have always lived here in these parts. Now, if you ask me why I can see Marika's grace, I will tell you right away that I have not the slightest idea."

Hestia stared at Mitranis, somewhat annoyed. This guy was frustrating, and especially the fact that she owed him a life-saving gift. A cocky guy, a native of the Lands Between, capable of seeing the grace and giving lessons in fighting with his strange tricks, came to strut in front of her. She turned out to be very proud, but inside, she didn't know how to consider that the truth was none other than Mitranis had saved her life.

Then, she looked at the site of grace. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Then, a translucent appearance appeared. It was that of a woman with hair that combined brown with subtle burgundy tones. Her left eye was closed, with a black mark that was difficult to recognize and that covered both eyelids. Her right brown eye was seriously pointing at Mitranis. After keeping her gaze on the boy for a few more seconds, the mysterious woman looked at Hestia to speak to her.

"What are you doing with a recusant, Hestia?" the woman asked, her expression serious. "I don't know if you knew, but men like this are dedicated to killing Tarnished like you."

"What?" Hestia replied, taking the hilt of her sword. "Then I must kill him right now."

Hestia placed her hand on the hilt of her one-handed sword and gripped it to draw it if necessary. Mitranis laughed at the scene. That woman was incredible. She was a translucent woman, like some kind of spirit, but with a much clearer agency than those other spirits who only said the same thing repeatedly.

Such a spirit, then, was something rare to see in those lands. And, at the same time, she seemed to be much shrewder and more experienced than Hestia. The boy could only wonder who she was and why he felt that strange feeling when he was seeing her.

"This recusant is called Mitranis, young lady," the boy said, smiling calmly. "And for your information, I am not here as such. I am working on commission, and this woman is not my target. I have no reason to harm her. In fact, I have just saved her from some soldiers and knights in this castle."

"I saw everything. You don't have to explain yourself," the woman conceded, sighing. "My name is Melina. I accompany Hestia for reasons I can't tell you about. In the meantime, I act as a sort of "finger maiden," which, as you can see, Hestia doesn't have. And well… I don't have a physical body either. But I'm not a spirit who wanders around aimlessly."

"I realized that my friend," Mitranis replied, letting out another sarcastic laugh. "I'm surprised you didn't tell Hestia not to enter this place so carelessly. That's what a finger maiden would have done. Oh, and nice to meet you, Melina."

"The pleasure is mine, Mitranis… Now, back to the subject, it's not worth stopping Hestia anymore, you know?" Melina's answer was accompanied by a sigh. "She doesn't listen. But somehow or another, she manages. She's stronger and more skilled than you think. This is just… Let's say a stumble. Possibly on her second attempt she would have succeeded, already knowing in advance what awaited her."

"Ah… I remember now that the Tarnished sometimes revive or something like that, while still retaining the grace of light."

"Hey, I can speak for myself too," Hestia said, a look of annoyance clear on her face. "Yes, I can reappear after being defeated. That way, I can overcome my difficulties, understand my enemies, and ultimately become stronger and stronger to fulfill my purpose."

"You are determined, Hestia. I apologize if you think I've been looking down on you. I haven't. I just thought it wouldn't hurt to give you a hand at the time."

"Thank you, I suppose," Hestia replied, half-glancing at Mitranis. "What are you doing here, Mitranis, if you are not a Tarnished? Are you seeking to fight Radahn at the festival?"

The boy didn't answer right away. Should he say that was on an errand? That was obvious. That was what he did, after all. But should he tell them he had no idea how hcame to be in the Wailing Dunes? Maybe that was for the best. Mitranis sighed then and looked at the two women.

"You're beautiful, Melina, did you know that?" Mitranis said, to ease the situation.

"Hey! Don't you dare flirt with my friend!" Hestia exclaimed, irritated.

"If I had a physical body, I'd slap you," Melina said sarcastically. "Though it would actually be because you're avoiding answering our question, rather than because of your audacity."

"Well, well, I see," Mitranis replied, smiling. "I have no idea how I got here. I mean, at one point I was very close to Fort Faroth. I made a modest tent in a section of the nearby forest to sleep in. And when I woke up, I was in the Wailing Dunes, alone, facing Radahn himself."

"You don't seem like a very lucky person, huh," Hestia commented, letting out a dry laugh. "Then you have no idea who brought you here."

Melina stared at Mitranis. He wasn't lying. And well, it wasn't like someone had just moved him from the Greyoll's Dragonbarrow region to southern Caelid. The strength of the recusants was well known, and Mitranis seemed to be an example of that, despite how young he looked. Melina could only wonder who had so effectively trained someone so young for such a role.

"I'll have to assume that you don't remember what force or magic transported you from nowhere to this place, then," Melina said. "Your situation is curious, but it's not exactly inconceivable either. Let's just say that you didn't realize who transported you or by what magical means."

"No idea," Mitranis replied, lying down in a semi-reclining position. "Let's talk about something else, shall we? Like, for example: How many men have you met, Melina?"

"That couldn't matter less to you, Mitranis," Melina answered, with her right eye closed and letting out a sigh. "But I don't need to have known many men to know that you are nothing more than a Casanova imitation." Melina's voice was full of venom at that moment.

"Ha, ha… That's the same thing a fellow recusant tells me all the time." Mitranis said with a nervous laugh.

The companion Mitranis was talking about was named Bernahl. He was not only a good warrior; he was a beast on the battlefield. Relentless, tireless, and merciless when the occasion called for it. And yet, he retained a spirit that Mitranis had not seen in anyone else until that moment. He always honored his sword, his fellow warriors, despite reminding Mitranis whenever possible of the cruelty of the job they both had.

From time to time the boy would tell Bernahl of his love affairs. They were affairs with some Tarnished he was not supposed to kill. Or some Finger Maiden in distress, who had already lost her Tarnished.

"Someday you will find someone who will only drive you mad with passion but will make you think and act in the greatest righteousness. Act with a purpose, and honor her by fulfilling it. And, above all, do not let her go. Never allow her to leave your side. If that were to happen, the righteousness she had given you would crumble, and only passion would remain as a vile and merciless flame that would consume you completely," Bernahl had told the boy more than once.

Bernahl meant, but this warning seemed to sink into the boy's bones, especially since he felt that Bernahl seemed to feel the same way when he said those words. And the truth is that serious face, that calm, incisive look could not help but hide something quite hard. Something that Mitranis preferred not to delve too much into. After that brief reflection, Mitranis yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"Maybe it's best if we sleep, Hestia. At least you'll have a couple of hours to recover."

"Melina… Keep your guard up. There's no telling what this guy might do." Hestia replied, looking away.

By now Melina had disappeared. But it didn't hurt to keep as much attention as possible on Mitranis. And it wasn't because he was going to harass Hestia or something. It wouldn't be difficult for a recusant to use that moment to kill her in a heartbeat. It was not entirely known what methods the boy had at his disposal. Perhaps the recusants had already learned a method to remove the grace of some Tarnished. Nothing was certain, and when in doubt, it was best to be vigilant.

After a while, both Hestia and Mitranis were asleep. The fierce and proud girl now looked like a doll, with that pale face slightly flushed and freckles running across her plump cheeks as she slept peacefully, hugging a sack and surrounding it with her left leg as if it were her favorite pillow. She was truly beautiful. In contrast, Mitranis did not seem to sleep peacefully at all. His breathing seemed labored, and a few drops of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

The dreams were repeated. The black sun. The crying did not stop. But now something else appeared. A deformed being on the edge of a dark abyss, offering a fearful and uncertain landscape. The creature seemed to spit something, then vanish in a dark and gloomy cloud of dust.

That something was a sack. No, it was a placenta. And from that placenta filled with viscous liquids, something seemed to be coming out. A being in black armor, with a long hood that did not allow its face to be seen. However, some hairs were sticking out of the hood. That being had long hair, golden in color that faded as it approached the tips, until it looked like nothing more than dry straw.

And yet, something did shine. A golden aura surrounded this being of broad, strong build. His black armor only lit up at its edges. And then, a kind of halo formed over the man's head. It was… like an eclipse. And from that eclipse, the man pulled out a sword surrounded by rays of an intense orange hue.

Suddenly, the terrible-looking man looked straight at Mitranis, who was like a kind of spectator during the dream. A dream that second by second was becoming an extremely vivid scenario, in which desperation increased exponentially. Mitranis wanted to flee, to defend himself, and none of that was possible. He was completely paralyzed.

"You are but a crumb, insignificant in your origin and your destiny. And yet, you are my missing piece. Pray to your Gods for your loved ones, for they will be nothing but ashes once I find you."

Immediately, the unknown man seemed to teleport, standing in front of Mitranis, just a few centimeters away from each other. The man's hand quickly reached out to grab the boy's face, choking him. The awakening was urgent, accompanied by a kind of muffled cry, silent, but still with a hint of unparalleled anguish.

"Let me sleep, you idiot," Hestia was heard complaining, without opening her eyes and settling back down.

Mitranis did not respond. His skin was pale, brimming with chills, and covered in cold sweat. His heart was beating frantically. Few things could cause fear in the boy. Today he had met an embodiment of fear: General Radahn. But still, this vision, this strange nightmare, caused more fear, and was even more vivid than the experience of being face to face with the Starscourge.

But there was something else. The man spoke of loved ones. Mitranis had no such company. Tanith looks and rewards the boy, but within the contempt that this woman showed for each one of the people who inhabited the Volcano Manor, except for Rykard, the Blasphemous Lord, as well as his consort.

Perhaps the people he valued most in the mansion were Bernahl, something like his mentor, and Rya, that taciturn girl, who always waited for the boy's return with a tender and shy smile. Was the man from the nightmare referring to them? Maybe not. Maybe there were more people. Then, Mitranis looked at Hestia sleeping, and could only think about what the near future would bring him with that woman and her mysterious companion.