Elden Ring: Putrefaction of Gold

A Mother's Wrath

Alecto waited outside in the cold autumn night as she looked down the overgrown pathway leading from the catacombs.

By good grace, the others – a room full of trained assassins and spies – didn't spot her slipping away as they would have questioned her priorities. And questionable priorities meant questionable loyalties. The pieces were all set out on the board, ready for their first move, and it was only a matter of creating and anticipating a strategy. Who would play what part? All were more than convinced it was only a matter of persuading Ranni of the deception of the Two-Fingers, and the absence of the Greater Will.

Alecto alone knew better. Ranni was a mother, first and foremost. So long as her children lived, the Black Knives' "ace-in-the-hole" would never fully commit. And Alecto wasn't about to order the demise of anything innocent. The others may, without a second thought of hesitation for the greater good, but for Alecto to do such a thing. It would work against the entire purpose for which her queen created her. Her conviction came from when she saw already what "the greater good" cost to individuals.

"I have so oft wondered whether a mother's love is something learned or compelled. Is the result of a conscious decision or the result of a mechanism of the body?"

Melina sat upon one of the tombstones that now stood vertically on the eroded cliff. Next to her was her horse, Torrent. It was interesting that the two found one another again after literally a millennia and now floated about the Lands Between as specters.

"Whatever it is, it's the only thing keeping me from strangling the fruit of my loins right now," replied Alecto.

"Why did you choose to have Tiche?"

"That is rather a personal question," said Alecto. But Melina was as curious as she was ancient. The burning of her body seemed to dull away her sense of decency and ability to relate to others. An unusual being created by strange magic for an unknown purpose. "At one point in my life, I believed my work would be finished."

"So then, was it a desire to have something fill the void in the absence of purpose?"

"Something like that."

"But then mother demanded of you all the same as your queen before."

"All the same as you, yes. Like mother, like daughter... then mother becomes the daughter, I suppose," said Alecto. She then muttered under her breath. "However much sense that makes."

"It is always curious to me what it might be like to have a mother. I shall like to ask Tiche someday."

Alecto laughed, "I'm sure her opinion will disappoint you."

"That is a pity. I would think that if you wish to find your daughter, you should start with the one who knows of us."

"Ranni? Does she have Tiche?" said Alecto, her voice filling with both hope and anger.

"To go after Ranni would be dangerous for our cause and detrimental to my purpose. But it's not to say that she doth not have a few weak links in the chains of her allies."

"What shall I... do?"

Alecto looked around, startled that Melina had vanished as she usually did.

"I hate it when she does that," muttered Alecto.

"What is this, Rykard? You should have dumped her over the cliff!"

"Do you mean to say you're not enjoying playing a little plaything between us? It could spice things up as we create that little thing you've always wanted."