Lords Tutorial Chapter 13

I looked around the church to see if Blaidde or another one of Ranni's simps/retainers was around. But seeing no one else here, I somewhat relaxed, though I remained guarded as I spoke calmly.

"I may speak, though I make no promises about the words spoken stranger." I spoke in turn to her previous inquiry.

The blue-themed woman/doll nodded and with her four hands across her lap, folding together. "That is fine. To which, I will only request thee to answer in truth. Are you the Tarnished who is traveling upon a stead of mist and bearing the name Torrent?"

I nodded but said truthfully. "That is correct. My name is Jake Bariss, may I have your name?" 

The figure hummed before she said. "Mine name is Renna, though my name is of little consequence. For I have been entrusted this for thee." 

Then 'Renna' reached into her dress and she brought out a spectral glowing bell that sang of magic to my senses.

"By Torrent's former master, she entrusted this to me to pass unto you. Tis a Spirit Calling Bell, it houses and nurtures spirit ashes and in turn allows you to call them back to life but briefly."

I carefully took the Spirit Calling Bell, and the moment I did so, I took out the spirit ashes of Lhutel whose ashes swirled in the air before merging with the Spirit Bell.

Though after watching me do this 'Renna' spoke again with some tiredness. "Now it is thine to do as you well wish... And I beg pardon for my intrusion but it's highly unlikely for us to see another, though one does wonder." She drew off at the end.

Before she finished by saying. "How long, I wonder... Will the Tarnished remain obedient to the Two Fingers?"

As she prepared to fade away, I spoke quietly and with some amusement. "You know... I did help Blaidde with a chore in dealing with a traitor of a hound. We already bear two connections now, and yet you introduce yourself with falsehood." 

'Renna' paused with her doll eye's lending a greater intensity upon my form with her saying quietly. "I have said... Hmm, you see well for a Tarnished, one of wisdom and intelligence with how you walk the path of magic instead of brute force. And yet you don't have the arrogance other sorcerers have."

There was a moment of silence as Renna turned slightly to look upon the faded and breaking down statue of Marika before she spoke softly. "Fine, mine name is Ranni the Witch... Should thou founds oneself in the north west of Liurnia, thine is welcome to attempt to join mine service should you make it to me."

My lips twitched at Ranni's 'offer' of service but then again, when you find her in her minature doll form. She is so offended she forces you to go on an adventure through Malenia's fucking bath water in the Rot Lake to go kill that Two Finger's assassin.

So I just nodded before I said calmly. "Peace be with you then Lady Ranni." 

With that Ranni gave a slight huff of what sounded like amuesment before her form broke apart into motes of light and I sighed at being left alone finally.

And so I walked over to the holy altar in front of Marika's statue and first grabbed the Sacred Tear there before I added it to my Estus Flask to enhance it before I went over to the Site of Grace in the middle of the church.

"Why did you even give Ranni the Spirit Bell when you are following me anyway?" I asked plainly to the seemingly empty church.

There was a pause before soft foot falls rang out as Melina came out of her invisibility and kneeled next to me beside the Site of Grace. "She has held the Spirit Bell for me for years in truth. I gave it to her, so that should I fall to the Maiden hunters or other fiends. The one that Torrent accepts would get it regardless." Melina spoke calmly.

I exhaled quietly before I said softly. "I got overwhelmed today... Not due to lack of skill, strength, or even positioning. But the sheer numbers of demi-humans beat me back when I have already taken down entire camps of Godrick's soldiers."

Melina sniffed before she retorted in amusement. "You are still but a man even if you are Tarnished. You will are not an army slayer and not likely to be any time soon."

I was silent for a moment before I asked quietly. "What about Dragon Comunion, would that put me on another level?" 

There was a pause and I looked over to see Melina's sole brown eye looking at me deeply before she spoke slowly. "Aye, the path of dragons would set you above the rest. But are you willing to lose your humanity to do so?"

I actually scoffed and I raised up a hand with Melina's face pausing as I formed a spark of Glinstone in my very hand without a staff. "The vitality of the stars... I already have lost part of my humanity in getting the life of the stars shoved into my chest so that I can cast Glinstone without decades of study."

As evidenced by the so-called nobles that wandered the world with staffs of their own, casting the lowest of glinstone magics, they didn't walk the route of becoming one with the stars themselves.

Was I afraid of becoming a monster through dragon communion? Hell yes I was. But I was far more afraid of falling to deep into Glinstone sorcery and becoming a literal giant crystal or worse an amalgamation of stone and faces screaming in agony as I reached the eldritch truth.

"To say nothing of Glinstone, or becoming part dragon... When I take a Demi-God's Great Rune and take in it's power. Will I myself even be considered human at that point anyway?"

I shook off my errant thoughts before I said with a chuckle. "Regardless. I have my own path to walk, now let's spend my runes on Endurance and Mind so I can fight longer."

As Melina took my hand and began enhancing my body, I reviewed my mental map of Elden Ring and knew I was really close to Sellen's true body that was being kept here in the south, though there wasn't anything I could do to free her really.

Then as Melina faded away without another word. I decided to take a small nap before I got back onto Torrent. As the ride to Castle Morne was going to also be a dangerous trip as I still needed to kill the Erd Tree Avatar among a couple of other things.

'Hmm, maybe I should also pick up the lightning spell on the way... Too much shit to do honestly.' I muttered to myself as I curled up against the ruined wall of the church with a couple of blankets protecting me.