Elden Ring: Putrefaction of Gold

The Red Lion's Fury

Kale lived his life so that he wouldn't consider anything he saw particularly remarkable. And he hoped he never did, especially in the Lands-Between. Anything remarkable in this pace was often arguably also troublesome. His comrades always warned him that dealings with the demigods, in particular, might lead to uncertain consequences and so Kale remained as far away from Leyndell as he could and still find himself a good sale.

Kale had seen the realm at its height with the thick fields of abundance, and many of his kind had thought it a place of opportunity. No such thing. A place with everything also had no need for outside peddlers. Instead, he bided his time and waited as he watched the Erdtree grow into the monster it became. Indeed, it wasn't long before it drained the soil of its substance and devoured all the nutrients from the land. And as the Erdtree took more and more, want grew, so Kale realized his chance.

A snap in a nearby twig broke Kale from his trance, and he called out to the darkness.

"One step closer, and you can be assured to lose your head," Kale warned.

"Hold there. Is that any way to treat an old friend?"

"Blaidd? You old rascal! Give me a terrible fright," said Kale. "How dare you sneak up like that."

"I wasn't sneaking. You merely weren't paying attention," replied Blaidd. "And how are things? Find your footing?"

"A little slower than what I had hoped. I fear I might have come here far too soon. Best your mistress hurry up to end this age," said Kale.

"Things aren't that bad."

"Shows how long you've been hanging about Leyndell. Not so easy to see all things from the height of the Erdtree. You ought to come down here with your nose against the ground. It'll give you a different scent. Still, you don't look like you're up for casual chit-chatting."

"That different scent happens to be what I need. I was wondering if anyone you meet with was bragging or even just implying about a huge payday or anything of that nature," asked Blaidd.

"You know it's bad for business to rat out customers," said Kale.

"What about something you just don't normally see?"

"Now that you say it, an odd funeral crossed here recently. It's not the pompous fanfare you'd normally see for those Erdtree burials. You'd think if it was someone who was allowed one of those burials, it would be crawling with demigods."

"Let me guess, Radahn was leading it," said Blaidd.

"That he was. Probably blasphemy or some other sin to say, but you can't miss the sight of that big man lugging around on that tiny horse. It's almost comical, really," said Kale.

Blaidd couldn't argue with that thought as he had thought the same. He thanked Kale and left.

"Didn't even buy anything, the dumb lug," said Kale as he picked up his bow to start playing.

Godwyn waited patiently for Blaidd, knowing only that he wished to speak with an "informant." Godwyn didn't like the sound of it, but he also needed to find Malenia. Since the presence of a demigod might serve to intimidate the merchant, Godwyn stayed back with the horses.

"And? What did he say?" Godwyn asked.

"Kale confirmed that the funeral progression led by Radahn was a bit odd," said Blaidd as he mounted his horse. "I would bet anything he's involved back when I picked up his scent in Leyndell."

Godwyn frowned. He did not trust these merchants. In Marika's land, where everyone had enough, it felt like their services were an insult. True to his mistrust, the peddler didn't offer much more than what they already knew.