10 May 2023

Here it is; the last of the Elden Ring fanfic shorts. This one explores a pretty common idea to play with; what must it be like for the enemies when the player character comes back over and over and over again, no matter how many times you kill them?

The fight, if it could even be called that, barely lasted an instant. Strangely, Malenia felt… disappointed by that. The armor he wore, with the stylized lion on the chestplate, should have meant he would pose more of a challenge.

No matter. The warrior was dead, now, faded to mist as tarnished soldiers werre wont to do. Malenia had nearly put the whole series of events behind her when a bright glow beamed at the entrance to her grotto.

She spun, and there was the tarnished, performing Golden Vow with the iconic halberd of the Tree Sentinels. He shifted it to his off hand and swung another halberd, in a style Malenia recognized from Morgott’s Night Cavalry, to his right.

This fight lasted barely any longer than the first, but still the tarnished warrior returned.