Elden Ring: My Ending

A peculiar man sat by a Site of Grace, studying it with a thoughtful expression. To Melina, this was a promising sign. The Tarnished chosen by the spectral steed wasn't merely a strong warrior with a bizarre knack for pulling items out of thin air (admittedly paired with a questionable combat style, but hey—it worked, didn't it?). More importantly, he could see the Grace. He followed its guidance.

Those forsaken by Grace rarely saw it clearly. Most Tarnished could only sense its faint glow at best.

Yet, in truth, the most significant thing to Melina was that the man had finally found himself a loincloth.

Honestly, she was nervous. She hesitated to appear before him too soon. She'd spent far too long searching for a suitable candidate. What if she made the wrong choice? What if she doomed herself to failure? But in the end, she decided to trust in her steed's judgment.

Clutching her whistle, Melina emerged from her immaterial state to stand before the Tarnished. Or, more precisely, before the one who now belonged to her spectral steed.

"Greetings, Traveller from beyond the fog. I Am Melina. I offer you an accord."

Her approach was slow and deliberate, maintaining a respectful distance. Her tone was calm and soft, yet serious, an effort to convey her peaceful intent. Thankfully, it didn't seem necessary; the man didn't look startled. If anything, he seemed... a little flustered?

Odd. Wasn't this the same person who had recently bested a horrifying monster?

For a time, Melina stood in silence, waiting for the man to respond. He said nothing, only gazed at her as though expecting her to continue.

"Have you come to a decision, Tarnished?"

The faint spark in his gray eyes briefly dimmed as he seemed to process her words. He took a slow breath in and out. Melina wondered—could it be that this seasoned warrior was utterly unprepared to speak to her?

"A real waifu talking to me… my heart might not survive this…" he mumbled.

Melina blinked, puzzled by his strange muttering. She cautiously sat down next to him, interpreting his odd response as, at the very least, not a rejection.

"Have you heard of the Finger Maidens?"

Once more, silence.

Melina sighed. Of course, it couldn't be that simple.

"They serve the Two Fingers, offering guidance, and aid, to the Tarnished. But you, I am afraid, are maidenless. I can play the role of maiden."

She paused, determined to get some kind of reaction. She needed an answer, regardless of his peculiarities. What mattered was that he was strong and that he could see the Grace.

Everything else was secondary.

Perhaps the Greater Will itself had smiled upon her, for the Tarnished finally seemed to awaken. His gaze sharpened, and he looked at her anew. His gray eyes…

They flickered with that strange light again. Melina's hands tensed under her cloak as an inexplicable sense of unease washed over her.

Was he about to roll at her? Could she even turn incorporeal fast enough to avoid him?

"Am I correct in remembering that the Two Fingers are conduits of the Greater Will?" he asked thoughtfully. "And the Maidens are conduits of the Fingers?"

Melina blinked.

'His memories should be clouded. That's normal,' she reminded herself.

"You're correct, Tarnished."

The man smiled, seemingly pleased, before lapsing into silence once more.

Melina stifled a sigh.

"I will draw out runes' strength and assist you in seeking the Elden Ring. Take me with you—to the foot of the Erdtree."

The hint of a smile vanished from his face. He fell silent, his expression contemplative. For a moment, Melina wondered if he somehow knew her true purpose and destiny. But that was impossible. Only she and her mother, the goddess Marika, knew why she had been born.

"What kind of waifu fan would agree to this? But what kind would refuse?" he muttered, defeated. "I mean, I don't want to use exploits—what if they didn't patch in the alternate route yet? No choice but to accept. I'm in." (1)

Melina decided not to question his bizarre response and simply nodded.

"Summon me at Grace, and I shall grant you the power of runes. Ah—one more thing."

Reluctantly, she handed him a whistle in the shape of a ring.

"I entrust this ring to you. Use it when your journey is long," she said, her tone slightly exasperated. 'And it certainly will be long.' "Torrent will come to your aid at once. Treat him with respect—he has chosen you."

The man nodded solemnly.

"Just as long as I don't respect him the way those pirates did the first few weeks of release. Looked for the game, found only Torrent's fan art…" (2)

Melina's expression froze. She quickly pushed his words from her mind.

"What is your name, Tarnished?"

"Konstantin."

At least he remembered his name.

"Would you like me to draw out the power of runes for you?"

This world was a cruel place. Without true death, the fallen became restless spirits. And the path to strength demanded taking the lives of others, consuming their runes. Runes in the Lands Between were both power and currency.

Konstantin frowned slightly, staring into the Grace's glow. Silently, he extended his hand to her.

Cautiously, Melina touched his hand. Then she froze.

She struggled to find words but dared not speak. Touching the essence of the Tarnished, she hadn't expected to feel anything extraordinary. And yet…

She couldn't comprehend it. This man—this Tarnished soul seated before her—was an enigma. A strange concept… something beyond her understanding.

Suppressing a slight tremor, she redirected the runes he had acquired from the Grafted Scion into his body.

Konstantin gave an approving nod.

"Got it."

Effortlessly, he took control of the rune flow, allocating it with practiced precision.

Ignoring the stunned Melina entirely, he stretched contentedly, stood, and surveyed the horizon. In the distance, Stormveil Castle loomed, his next destination. The mad demigod Godrick the Grafted awaited within—a place of no return for most.

And yet, the Grace led directly there.

"I've got some side quests here, Meli-Meli," (3) Konstantin sighed dramatically. "Waifus won't help themselves, you know. You're not in a rush, are you? I'd better hurry; doubt this world will wait for me. Don't worry, I'll make sure to finish your questline too."

Melina's mouth opened. Then shut.

It turned out there could be more than one "waifu."

Pleased with himself, the man summoned Torrent, patted the steed, then mounted up. Strangely, he headed in the opposite direction.

It wasn't until later that Melina realized he'd gone to seek the Tree Sentinel. (4)

Apparently, Tarnished honor demanded it.

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(1) In the game, you can refuse her offer. But it will practically brick all progression from that moment onwards. If you still want to progress, without accepting her offer then the only way is to use exploits.

(2)The first few weeks after release of the game people kept googling "Elden Ring Torrent" to pirate the game only to get "Torrent, the Spectral Steed" fan art, articles and guides.

(3) Reference to a funny manga about Elden Ring. If you are interested it is called - Elden Ring: the Road to the Erdtree (recommended by the author)

(4) Yep. The first field boss you get baited into fighting! The golden dufus on a horse.