Elden Ring: Putrefaction of Gold

The Claws of the Beasts

In Sublimation first beware of one thing, That thou Subline to the top of the vessel not; For without violence thou shalt it not down bring. - The Three Works of Ripley

The battle horn sounded, and Godwyn's forces advanced towards the Redmane lines under a hail of arrows so thick that it seemed to black out the sun. They struck down against the front line, where the soldiers could form their phalanx, but now pinned down behind their shield wall. Another horn sounded, and the Redmane calvary rode like bright red blazes through the ash and smoke. Their lances smashed against the shield wall and broke the line wide open.

The Redman infantry charged forward now to press the advantage, but a blast of red lightning halted the advancement.

"There's the beast," said Radahn as he spotted the beast. He drew out his mighty bow and pulled back the string. He aimed and fired at Fortissax's wing. The dragon spun to dodge the arrow just as Radahn expected, but it was now within range of his gravity magic.

Radahn called down a shower of stones from the stars that now obeyed his commands as their master. A well-placed bolt from Fortissax missed Radahn but was enough to cause him to abandon the strategy.

"Your kind are not the gods of this world, Dragon! I am the Red Lion! And may you bow down to a demigod of Godfrey's Golden Order!" cried Radahn.

"Fool! You evoke the name of the one whose own blood you contend," responded Fortissax.

Radahn buried his two blades into the ground and pulled stones from them, which caused them to spin around him. Fortissax folded his wings and dove toward the general right between the cloud of stone. Fortissax's magic which injured Radahn as he shot a rain of lightning.

It was now a battle of fists and fangs and claws and swords. Fortissax wiped his tail and knocked one sword from Radahn's hand. When he went in to crush Radahn with his jaw, Radahn wrapped his arms around Fortissax's snout, and the dragon lifted his head and slammed Radahn three times into the ground.

Even with his magic, Radahn's muscles strained as he lifted Fortissax from the ground and slammed him down.

Radahn spent a moment breathing hard before being confident enough to let the dragon go. Godwyn's forces had long since retreated in seeing the mightiest among them fall. His men took over to lash strong cords over the dragon's body and drag it away. The general's back was scratched and bruised, his armor covered in dents, and his cape torn to shreds, but Radahn won the battle. He removed the last real obstacle in his way, and the Red Lion was unstoppable.

"Take him back to the camp. I want him still alive," said Radahn.

Over Stormveil's cliffs, Godwyn watched his friend dragged away, and he grew angry. Kenneth insisted he stay in Stormveil, fearing the battle wouldn't favor him. Godwyn wished he didn't listen. If it was him on the battlefield...

Again, Kenneth was right! If it had been Godwyn on the battlefield, it would have been Godwyn now taken.

Godwyn's mind remained clouded by Ranni's parting words, which she left in the letter instead of telling him herself. All the accusations and criticisms about how he wasn't handling the situation in a manner that was best for himself or for the Lands-Between stung. This was a family matter that should have been settled before Marika and Radagon, not as the Queen and Elden Lord but as the matriarch and patriarch of the family.

He handed his binoculars to Kenneth Height, but hid his anger as best he could.

"Has anyone seen Tiche?" Godwyn asked.

"I'm afraid she has not returned," Kenneth replied.

"Keep trying to find her. I need to know every detail she could find," said Godwyn.