Elden Ring: My Ending

Merchant Kale had encountered many Tarnished in his life. After all, his nomadic people once had the sight of grace but had long since lost it.

Life in the Lands Between, though perilous, had a peculiar stability. When Queen Marika shattered the Elden Ring, plunging the world into the war of demigods, it seemed events would unfold quickly. Surely, someone would soon rise to become the new Elden Lord, restoring order.

But that expectation was a delusion. Time had lost its meaning, and while things happened—constantly—it all felt like the world itself had been paused.

For Kale, as for most merchants, their trade was more a way to pass time than a true vocation. Each customer brought a chance for conversation, for a bit of bargaining. New faces were always a joy, though not all newcomers were rational—much less sane. Retaining one's wits in the Lands Between was nothing short of miraculous.

So, Kale wasn't particularly surprised when, on a full-moon night, a half-naked Tarnished leapt off a spectral steed and approached him. He recognized this man immediately.

Rumors traveled surprisingly fast in the Lands Between. Within days, word spread of a warrior who bested the Tree Sentinel while riding his spectral mount.

Luckily for everyone's imagination, no one had witnessed the so-called epic battle. Few would care to know it resembled more a farce than a duel—a tired Sentinel, struck repeatedly by a shirtless man on a horned steed, unable even to land a blow.

No one, that is, except Melina. The only comfort she found was that Torrent had enjoyed their escapades immensely. For the steed, it was all just good fun.

"You're one of the Tarnished, I see," merchant began. "And I also se—"

The half-naked man interrupted him by casually sitting down at the campfire beside him. This was… unexpected. Just as surprising, the Tarnished looked at him in shock, as if Kale's sudden silence was equally unanticipated.

"…"

"…"

Silence fell.

From her immaterial vantage point, Melina closed her eyes, suppressing a sigh.

Kale was quick to recover—strange behavior was par for the course in the Lands Between. Oddities were no red flag. The man wasn't hostile, after all. The Tree Sentinels were long-standing foes of the Tarnished, so his actions were understandable.

"You're not here to kill me," he ventured cautiously. It was more a statement than a question. He knew when he was being hunted, and this didn't feel like that. Merchant smiled faintly. "Why not browse my wares? I'm Kale, purveyor of fine goods. I've got a sturdy chainmail set, for instance."

Kale's sharp eyes caught the man's scant attire—surely, traveling half-naked couldn't be comfortable.

The Tarnished, whose name Kale would later learn was Konstantin, flinched slightly, glancing at the merchant.

"Any Soulslike player knows agility is everything," the man said, shaking his head. "Parrying is not my style. Chainmail would slow my rolls. I'll stick to lighter rags for now. Maybe when I've got more runes, I'll buy it for the collection. Right now, I need paper, ink, and throwing knives."

Kale raised a curious eyebrow at the Tarnished, who seemed lost in his own musings.

To his's relief, the trade went off without a hitch. Konstantin immediately began sketching something from memory—a rough map of the Lands Between. Melina, watching unseen, was astounded by how well he seemed to know the land.

He added notes to the map that even she couldn't decipher. When he finished, he stashed his new possessions… somewhere. Kale tried not to stare at how the items vanished into thin air.

'Convenient,' he thought, amused.

"Will you be moving on soon, Tarnished?" Kale asked.

"If you don't mind, I'll stay here tonight," Konstantin replied. "One of the best waifus should spawn nearby soon."

Konstantin paused, scanning the area.

"Don't worry, Meli-Meli, you're among the best too. If she doesn't spawn by morning, I'll try another time."

"…"

Melina's hidden left eye almost shot open, while her right twitched involuntarily.

Kale coughed into his hand, entirely baffled by the Tarnished's words. Still, he welcomed the company. At least it wouldn't be dull.

Someone else, however, understood him perfectly. Watching unseen, concealed in both the immaterial world and among its shadows, a figure dressed in blue—wearing a wide-brimmed hat and boasting four doll-like arms—grinned.

Ranni found Melina's reaction amusing, as she did Konstantin's behavior. Though he might seem like just another crazed warrior, something about him intrigued her. She decided to observe him further.

"Interesting…"

Her ghostly form vanished in a burst of starry light. She would wait and watch a little longer.

Konstantin, after sitting silently by the fire for some time, finally turned to Kale.

"Would you like to take a nap?"(1) he asked thoughtfully.

"…You're not a bandit, are you?" Kale tensed immediately, second-guessing his earlier conclusions.

"What?" Konstantin's confusion was genuine.

"What?" Kale echoed, equally confused.

Melina, still watching, quietly prayed to the Greater Will. Just in case.

By the time morning broke, Konstantin had resigned himself to waiting in vain. A night spent with Kale gave him time to adjust to the fact that the NPCs—no, the people around him—were truly alive.

That only bolstered his determination as he gazed toward the Weeping Peninsula.

"Farewell," Kale the Merchant said, smiling faintly at the strangely resolute Tarnished. "It's been a pleasure doing business."

Though his sanity seemed precarious, the man appeared to be a good person.

"Likewise," Konstantin replied curtly. "Hope you don't go crazy like in that cut questline and die.(2) See you."

Kale froze, utterly baffled, as Konstantin mounted his spectral steed and rode off in the direction opposite Stormveil Castle.

Melina grew increasingly uneasy. She couldn't understand what her chosen Tarnished was thinking—or what his goals were. But at least he seemed to be adapting to their world.

"Melina, I need your help," Konstantin said suddenly. "I know it won't be hard for you. Could you head toward the Bridge of Sacrifice and Castle Morne? I need to know if the rebellion there has started. Let's use some real-world mechanics!"

Melina blinked in astonishment. Again.

A Tarnished using their maiden as an informant? She had never heard of such a thing. Nor could she fathom how he even knew of any rebellion. But fortunately, she knew the location he spoke of. Castle Morne was infamous, ruled by Edgar, a warden appointed by Godrick the Grafted, the monstrous demigod and hunter of the Tarnished.

Curiosity piqued, Melina wondered what Konstantin planned—and if Godrick would eventually find out. She hoped he would.

Slipping through the immaterial veil, she quickly reached the Bridge of Sacrifice and then Castle Morne. To her surprise, all seemed quiet.

'Was the Tarnished mistaken?'

As she pondered this, she returned to find Konstantin fleeing from a fire-breathing dragon on Torrent.

"…"

What unsettled Melina more than the dragon was Konstantin's calm demeanor. He acted as though this were routine, as if, at any moment, he could turn, slay the beast, and move on.

But he didn't.

For Konstantin, the dragon was nothing more than an annoying fly.

Her chosen Tarnished dealt with people far less boldly than he ignored dragons. How did he even manage to encounter one like that in the first place?

Melina only dared to materialize after they'd shaken off their pursuer and made a brief camp. To her surprise, the daring Tarnished barely flinched when she suddenly emerged from her ethereal state.

Barely.

"The castle is safe, Tarnished soul."

"Konstantin," he corrected, his gaze locked on the Site of Grace. "Or just Kosta. So, I'm on time."

He ran a hand through the Grace's glowing trail as if trying to grasp its flow, but nothing came of it. Melina had observed him doing this at every Site of Grace they had encountered over the past several days—there had been many. She chose not to comment.

"Can I assist you further, Tarnished soul?"

Of course, she didn't expect him to say yes. But to her surprise...

"Yes, could you check a few more places for me, Meli-Meli?" he said with a smile. "Though, that can wait until we finish this quest and you see that I'm not just talking nonsense. The waifu won't wait forever, and I need to calculate everything properly."

Melina sighed.

"Very well. But I ask you, Tarnished soul, please don't call me that."

"Konstantin. Or just Kosta."

The look on Melina's face was indescribable, prompting Konstantin to laugh. She refrained from replying and faded back into immateriality.

She couldn't decide whether she liked how quickly this strange Tarnished was adapting or not. Somehow, his eccentricity only grew alongside his newfound social skills. Unfortunately, the choice had already been made, and there was no turning back. At least Torrent seemed more than pleased with their mad rider.

But what troubled Melina most over the past few days...

Who in the name of Queen Marika Eternal were these "waifu" he kept mentioning—and why was she apparently one of them?

Irina had always had poor vision. The older she grew, the worse it became. Throughout her life, servants had followed her every step, ensuring her safety. She had learned to navigate the world by sound, but that did little to alleviate the vulnerability and helplessness she felt. She never could have prepared for the rebellion of Castle Morne's Misbegotten slaves, nor for the slaughter they brought upon its people.

Oh, how Irina had wished her father would simply flee with her. But unlike his daughter, Edgar could not abandon his duty as the castle's warden. Even if Castle Morne fell, he had vowed to ensure its ancestral blade would not fall into enemy hands. Despite his love for Irina, duty took precedence, and he sent his blind daughter into the unknown.

Perhaps he believed the rebels wouldn't pursue them. Perhaps he trusted the servants to escort Irina safely away. He was wrong. Their carriage was ambushed, and the servants gave their lives to protect her.

Alone, blind, she sat on a solitary rock. Her fate lay in the hands of the first stranger who happened upon her, and this filled her with bitterness. Bitterness toward her father's choice. If she'd had a say, she would have stayed in the castle to die alongside him rather than wait for a miracle—miracles that the Lands Between rarely delivered. What hope could exist in a world where death was but the beginning of suffering?

Irina's sharp hearing picked up the sound of an approaching figure. She knew someone was drawing near long before they arrived. Oddly, she felt a strange sense of calm. If this was her executioner, so be it. She had already accepted her fate.

"Hello? Is somebody there? Might I bend your ear for a moment, please," she called out. "My name is Irina. I've escaped from Castle Morne, to the south."

The clip-clop of hooves stopped abruptly, followed by the sound of footsteps. The disappearance of the spectral steed unnerved her—something about it felt... wrong. Little did she know, the true oddities were yet to come.

"A blind waifu," came a man's voice, quivering as though on the verge of tears. "Your quest is one of the saddest I've ever played. (3)"

Irina tensed as the stranger knelt before her. Now she was truly afraid. Humans naturally fear the unknown, and this man was beyond her comprehension. She was not ready for this madman.

Melina, standing off to the side, observed the unfolding scene with a blank expression before tilting her head skyward in silent resignation.

"The servants of the castle..." Irina's voice wavered as she pressed on, determined to finish. "The servants rebelled. I-I can't be sure what it is; my eyesight's been weak since birth you see..."

She said this with a faint bitterness.

"But I swear I heard frightful howling from all over. My good father secreted me out the castle, but decided himself to stay. He says it's his duty, as commander. I... I fear for father's life.

The servants are full wroth. Filled with hatred for every one of us. They've since come for every one of the companions I escaped with. They haven't spared a soul. I fear it's no different at Castle Morne..."

"Your father will regret leaving you behind like that," the man said grimly. "I spent the entire playthrough after your quest thinking about it."

Irina nearly choked on her breath. That's not what she meant! No, no! Goddess, this madman misunderstood her entirely!

She fumbled to find the letter her father had entrusted to her and nervously held it out to the man.

"Please, I implore you. Would you mind taking a letter to my father, at the castle? My sole wish is that he escape, even if his honour should be the price. Please... I just want him to be safe..."

"Don't worry, he'll survive."

Irina felt the man smile. A smile so unsettling it made her instantly regret her request. She was about to withdraw the letter when suddenly—

She shrieked as the man swept her into his arms. Horror gripped her as she realized he was naked! Goddess above, why was he naked?!

Her body, fully clothed, was now pressed against his bare chest. She heard a whistle, felt herself hoisted onto the protesting steed's back.

Where had this horse even come from? It hadn't been there a moment ago! Who was this lunatic?!

Moments later, the madman climbed onto the horse behind her.

"You'll deliver the letter in person," he promised, his tone dark and foreboding. "But only after I return that cursed blade and show him just how disappointed I am with how your quest ended. Honestly, the only way it could've been worse is if you'd just died somewhere in the swamps.(4)" He let out a bitter laugh. "Damn it, that would've tied the whole questline together—a perfect storm of concentrated misery. Now, hold on tight."

"What?"

Irina and Melina shared the same thought. Neither understood a single word of what he'd said. Irina wanted to speak up, but instead, she clung desperately to the madman's bare chest as the spectral steed surged forward at breakneck speed, her screams piercing the air.

Melina remained where she stood, her empty gaze following the half-naked warrior and his so-called waifu. Strangely, she was beginning to grow accustomed to this.

He was right about one thing—the castle was under attack, and woe betide anyone caught in the path of his rolls.

Melina could only await the day her Tarnished would reach Stormveil Castle. Until then, she watched and helped where she could.

_____________________________________

(1) In the game during Ranni's visit the trader is asleep

(2) Originally trader Kale had a questline that ends with him going mad from the influence of The Flame of Frenzy and dying. By the time the game was released, the questline was cut. 

(3) Irina's quest ends with her dying. If you return to her after giving her father the letter you will only find her corpse.

(4) Fuck swamps!