After a quick rendezvous to Ranni's Rise thanks to the ring that Iji gave you, you and Blaidd are now well on your way to the Altus Plateau to seek the Royal Capital. Your mission now is to stand before the Elden Ring and become the Elden Lord. You've had your fun with Blaidd and Ranni, but now your journey is soon coming to an end. You almost wish that you could've spent more time with Blaidd, he's grown on you throughout this broken land, maybe he'll continue his journey with you through your lordship. Regardless, the future is soon coming to a close.
You walk with Blaidd as you approach the lift to the Altus Plateau. Ranni explained that the medallions that you and Blaidd have been using for dinner plates are artifacts that power the lift. You raise the medallions up together and... Nothing happens.
"U-Uh..." You raise the medallions up even higher.
"Maybe you're too short?" Blaidd smiles with a tease.
"Okay! Let's see you do it then!"
You shove the medallions over to Blaidd, he takes them with a cocky smile, "Watch and learn, Y/N" he lifts them up and... Nothing happens.
The two of you bicker back and forth like an old couple before you realize you were holding it upside down. After a quick fix, the both of you celebrate like primates who discovered fire. You and Blaidd high five each other once the lift begins to move. It takes a small moment before you reach the top of the Plateau, there's a person waiting for you once you arrive.
"Hey, isn't that... What's her name, Reina?" Blaidd points to a person hunched over and waiting on the lift.
"Oh yeah! Her name is Rya, I wonder what she's doing here?"
You and Blaidd walk over to Rya to see what she is doing waiting by the lift.
"Ah! I've been waiting for you. I knew you had the stuff of champions. I hereby invite you to the Volcano Manor." Rya extends her hand to you, it faintly glows. "Take my hand, and have audience with my mistress."
Blaidd looks skeptical upon her hand, he doesn't quite trust her just yet, "Just Y/N? I feel as if I should accompany him to this..." Blaidd physically fights the urge to describe the manor as a brothel, "M-Mysterious... Br... Place..."
Rya looks over at Blaidd with a friendly smile, "Oh! Yes you're absolutely right!" She extends her other hand out to Blaidd, it glows faintly, "I suppose Y/N's consort can attend as well!"
"WHAT?!" Blaidd's jaw drops as he hears himself being described as your consort.
Before he can explain himself, you and Blaidd are transported to the Volcano Manor. It's surprisingly cold considering you're on top of a Volcano. The two of you walk into the manor carefully before you are greeted by a person in a chair who is guarded by a Crucible Knight.
"Ah, it's you... The homosexuals, come hither..." She speaks in a low and strong tone.
"Okay first off-" Blaidd tries to explain the situation but the woman cuts him off.
"No need for explanation, sexual preference matters not to me, you have my blessing. Rya told me all about the two of you, Y/N and Y/N's consort." The woman sits up and leans forward in her chair, "I am Tanith of the Volcano Manor, homosexuals have a strong bond with one another, like moths to a flame. I'd like you to use that strong bond in battle for me."
Blaidd shakes his head and tosses his hands up, he's given up on stating that you are not a gay couple and so have you.
"In a battle? Against who?" You raise an eyebrow and speak with caution.
"A battle with our Lord, to see if you are truly worthy of such a title as Elden Lord."
Blaidd squints his eyes, "And if we lose?"
Tanith clasps her hands together, "Then you shall join him on his journey to grow stronger."
A sparring session with a Lord, you could use the strength test, especially since the Erdtree is within touching distance. You look up at Blaidd, his eyes seem to have curiosity filled with them. You both nod at each other before looking forward.
"We'll meet the Lord." You and Blaidd speak together with eagerness.
Tanith laughs behind her hand, "You both even speak at the same time, oh how I love homosexuals, here," She extends her hands towards both of you, "Take my hand and you shall meet the Lord himself..."
"What's with everyone and transporting us with their hands?" You take Tanith's right hand and immediately get transported to the audience arena.
A giant fog gate stands before you and Blaidd, he sighs before speaking up, "Well shit, we were tricked..."
"N-Now now, maybe there's a fog gate because it's a sparring session?" You turn to Blaidd with a sheepish grin.
He steps through the fog gate, "I hope so..."
The two of you walk through the fog gate and are met with thousands of corpses. A feeling of dread immediately washes through the atmosphere as a hellish fog fills the air. Cursed chandeliers hang from the ceiling with a giant serpent surrounded by a pool of lava is slumbering in the middle of the room. To your left, a pile of corpses are stacked together as they seem to be offering a weapon.
Your curiosity gets the best of you as you grab the giant weapon, "Hey Blaidd! Look!"
You swing the sword and a giant gust of wind is shot out of it as you swing. It hits the serpent and it immediately wakes up, it's threatened and after you both.
"Whoops..."
"WHOOPS!?"
Blaidd draws his great sword as the serpent quickly approaches, the only problem is that the pool of lava underneath it seems to move along with it. The only way to successfully damage the serpent is with the giant sword.
"Well shit, what the hell do I do?" Blaidd turns to you with a worried tone.
The serpent snaps at you but you manage to backstep in time, "I-I don't know! Throw a rock or something!"
Blaidd puts both hands on his hips as you slash at the serpent, "A rock? Seriously?"
The serpent knocks you back, you manage to quickly get up and continue the aggression, "I DON'T KNOW JUST FIND SOMETHING! HELP ME BLAIDD!!"
It doesn't take long for Blaidd to realize he's absolutely useless for this fight. You struggle to keep up with the serpents quick and precise attacks. It knocks you to the ground with flung debris, Blaidd looks around the room for anything to help you until he comes up with an idea; bait.
"HEY SERPENT!" Blaidd takes your suggestion to heart and begins to throw a fistful of rocks at the serpent.
The giant serpent's head perks up and slowly turns around to stare at Blaidd, it quickly begins to charge at him.
"Oh Marika..." Blaidd begins to run from the serpent.
There's a good moment of cat and mouse as Blaidd buys you enough time to regain your guard and hit the serpent where it matters. You feel a wave of energy beginning to surge throughout the sword, you widen your stance as you lift the sword up in the air in a purposely dramatic pose.
"Take THIS!" You quickly slam the sword down, the wave of pure energy slashes through the serpents neck.
A loud snap is heard as the serpents neck breaks, Blaidd cheers you on as the serpent falls to the ground.
There's an awkward moment of silence as nothing seems to happen, the fog gate is still up indicating that the fight isn't over. Blaidd makes his way over to you as the serpent corpse begins to twitch.
"Mmmffhh..."
A deep and raspy mumble comes from the serpent as it comes to life once more, a face appears on the back side of the snake, it whips itself around to get a glimpse of who the opponents are. It's eyes adjust to the sudden light before mumbling even more.
"Hrgghhvery well..."
"Oh fuck... That's Rykard..." Blaidd takes a step back
You turn to him with a confused expression, "Who?"
"Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy..." Blaidd looks at you with a worried expression, "Ranni's brother..."
Rykard reaches into the serpents mouth with discomfort on his face. He grunts and he slowly pulls out a golden yet bloodied sword that is covered in the corpses of fallen Tarnished.
"Hhhhyouuuuu... Hhhjoin the serpent kinggg as familyyyy..."
Rykard lifts the sword into the air as words echo throughout the arena, "TOGETHAARR WE SHALL DEVOURAAAAA... THE VERY GO-dsssss..."
You take a step back as Rykard begins his attacks, "SOMEONE GAVE BIRTH TO THAT THING?" You turn to Blaidd with a shocked and worried look, "WHO'S VAGINA DID HE COME OUT OF?"
You and Blaidd continue to back up as Blaidd continues the conversation, "NO ONE'S VAGINA PUSHED THIS OUT! HE WASN'T ALWAYS LIKE THIS!"
You swing your sword at Rykard, while it does damage, he seems to just laugh it off. Blaidd tries the bait trick again but Rykard has more intelligence than a serpent, for the first time throughout this journey, you feel a sense of loss slowly wash over you. You try your best but nothing seems to be working. It's up to you to take the Lord of Blasphemy down but you struggle to keep up with his attacks. You and Rykard butt heads together as each attack seems to just bounce off of him.
"FUCK! BLAIDD WHAT DO I DO?!" You continue to slash at Rykard but the more you attack him the more he laughs.
"I-I DON'T KNOW! WHAT WOULD NEPHELI DO?" Blaidd yells out as he throws rocks at Rykard.
What would Nepheli do? What would Nepheli do? What would... It clicks in your mind what Nepheli would do. You look at Blaidd with a huge grin on your face, he's confused but he suddenly understands your plan.
Dread rushes through this face, "No... No don't you fucking dare..."
You rush towards Rykard, he spots you and laughs, "Foool..."
You jump up in the air, Rykard controls the mouth of the serpent to snap at you, he slams you to the ground with his mouth before tossing you in the air.
"NOW WE CAN DEVOURAA THE VERY GODS TOGETHAAA!!!"
Rykard snaps the maw of the serpent close and laughs heavily. Blaidd falls to his knees as he watches you seemingly throw your life away. A small moment of pure silence that lasts eons is finally broken with a grunt coming from Rykard. A loud grunt, and then a yell of pain as a blast of energy shoots through his stomach. The blast slowly saws it's way across his body and cuts it in half. A very bloodied Y/N slowly emerges from the belly of the beast, you slowly stumble out and make eye contact with Blaidd. He's absolutely pissed, you watch as he sprints his way to you as you collapse to your knees. Rykard's final words echo the chambers as you slowly lose consciousness.
"No one will hold me captive... A serpent never dies...
You slowly begin to fall forward but Blaidd manages to catch you in time. He rolls you onto your back and looks into your eyes, are they... Filled with tears?.. You can't tell for sure, everything slowly grows blurry, and then dark. The last thing you are aware of is the dying laughter of Rykard.
"Hahahahaaaa...."