Elden Ring Rise of the Black Swordsman

20 - Relics of the Past

"..." : Speech

'...' : Thoughts

**** :Scene Change

****

It only took them a couple of hours to locate the study hall and about half an hour to descend the cliff and reach it. (Y/n) helped Melina unmount Torrent. (Y/n) gently pet his stead before turning his back on his vanishing form.

The study hall consisted of a large tower connected to a colossal sized bridge which led to an even taller tower in the ocean. (Y/n) marvelled at the magnitude of the structure in front of him. He then entered the tower first and looked around for anything special. Other than the large globe of the moon in the back of the room behind a small pedestal he could find nothing. He turned to Melina and asked.

"Can you sense anything?"

Melina closed her eyes and held the inverted statue, looking for any trace of magic around them. She then held her hand out as she felt a slight hint of magic present. A magic identical to the statue, she slowly followed the magic trace. Walking further into the tower along (Y/n), who made sure she wouldn't trip.

She reached the pedestal and placed a hand on the pedestal. Instantly she felt a surge of magic reach through her body towards her hand holding the statue. She calmly removed her hand and opened her eyes. She turned to (Y/n) and Boc and spoke.

"I see now. This statue is a key, and this is its lock. Prepare yourselves."

(Y/n) grabbed the hilt of his sword, ready for a fight and Boc hid behind one of the benches in the room. Melina then placed the statue upon the pedestal. At first nothing happened, but then to all their surprises, the entire tower began to shake aggressively as if it were about to collapse upon them. They all struggled to keep their balance while the chandeliers above their heads rattled aggressively, dropping burning wax on the floor around them.

The moon globe then began to move, it lowered down slightly before being set straight. It began to turn rapidly while its holds turned to face the opposite way they had just a second ago. Once it was done turning upside down, it rose slightly back up and was locked in place.

(Y/n) scanned the room for threats but upon not finding any he relaxed and let go of his sword. He checked on both of his companions and wasted no time exploring further into the tower. He reached an entrance further in but something felt off. There were four large chains holding nothing. They were tied to the floor yet still were completely tensed as if they were hanging. (Y/n) looked up trying to understand and saw the upside down platform of an elevator. What was going on?

He jumped down, helping Boc down next and walking around the whole where the elevator would go through. They made it out through the other side and reached Melina who had gotten there before them somehow. (Y/n)'s eyes widened upon the realisation. It wasn't the elevator that was upside down, but the entire tower itself. It could be seen by the architecture being entirely the other way around. Designs carved upon ceiling laid at their feet, and plain wooden boards where they would normally walk loomed above their head.

(Y/n) scouted the area, it was riddled with fingercreepers and amidst them a single preceptor like Seluvis was. She even wore the same iron mask he did. At the moment she guarded a lower area of the tower. Well, upper if you take into consideration the fact that it is inverted. She was attending the fingercreepers as if they were her pets.

"We should be careful here. She might not take well to unwanted guests. Let us descend the tower and avoid her if possible."

Melina said, seeking to avoid conflict were possible. (Y/n) nodded and made his way around the tower before jumping to a lower area. There he found a pair of fingercreepers who immediately jumped on him. Like spiders crawling over him. (Y/n) slammed one against the wall and then the ground, holding it down with his foot while he tossed the second one into the centre of the tower. He unsheathed his sword and slammed it onto the fingercreeper, slashing it into two.