Chapter 8 – Memories of Godwyn

When I came out of the mist the first thing I noticed was how close I was to the Erdtree, even though it was night, the golden tree still glowed. It might be just me, but the tree looked brighter. 

Looking around, I was on the roof of a building in a city, great buildings made with the most beautiful architecture were everywhere, and the roofs and buildings were adorned with gold.

Judging by the architecture and how close I am to the Erdtree, I must be in Leyndell, The Capital.

Now what am I supposed to do here? Usually, when I travel to memories I have to accomplish some goal to leave. Well, I got a hint of what I should do. 

Further down on a roof, there was a group of people, they were thin, tall, and wearing hooded clothes, the people were crouched and whispering to each other.

Putting on my Slumbering Dragoncrest Ring, Simpleton Ring, and Ring of Whispers, I crouched down and approached the group. I hid behind a stone decoration that was on the edge of the roof and listened to the group's conversation.

"Are you sure about that Alecto?" One of the hooded ones said. 

It was a woman's voice.

"Yes. We will receive a fortune for the service we perform tonight." Alecto replied. 

She was also a woman.

"Mother, I'm worried! What we will do today is absurd. Kill a demigod! Godwyn the Golden! Marika's favorite son!" Another hooded person said. 

All of them were women.

"Don't call me mother during a mission Tiche! You don't have to worry; after all we all have this." Alecto said as she pulled out a dagger.

It was a twisted dagger, a strange red and black energy flowed through the blade, and all these people had these daggers.

"As you wish Alecto." Tiche said and went silent.

"Let's start the mission!" Alecto ordered.

All the hooded people got up and jumped from roof to roof, heading towards the biggest building in the capital. 

Kill a demigod? I will follow the assassins. Let's see how far this memory will take me.

I came out of hiding followed the assassins while keeping my distance. I jumped from roof to roof, but the assassins got farther and farther away. 

I'm not agile like them. 

Suddenly the assassins stopped as they approached the castle in the capital. I hid behind a higher part of the building where we were.

I saw Alecto making gestures with her hands while pointing to something below, the group of assassins was eight in total, and four jumped down. 

I went around the building and observed the four assassins below. In the castle some balconies led to inside, beside the balconies there were glass doors, I could see knights in golden armor walking through the halls of the castle.

The assassins jumped on the balconies, two on each balcony, and approached the knights. A knight walked towards the left, another to the right, two assassins sneaked behind each knight. 

They drew their daggers and suddenly something strange happened, the assassins made small cuts on the knights, there was no fighting or screaming, the knights simply fell to the ground without moving.

These knights were large and wore high-quality golden armor, there was no way a simple dagger would kill them right away. There was something wrong with those daggers.

One of the assassins inside the hallway waved to the ones outside, the ones on the roof with me jumped towards the castle, they entered the balcony, gathered in the hallway, and headed to the right, hiding in the shadows.

I came out of my hiding place and looked at the castle; there was a great distance between the roof I was on and the castle balcony. 

I approached the edge of the roof and looked down, and it was a long fall to the ground. 

I crossed my arms and started to think.

Do I have to do this? Does it matter? After all, whatever happened tonight probably happened years ago. Does it matter trying to figure out what's going to happen?

Looking through the castle windows, I saw flashes of red light through the windows. I sighed; let's see what happened to this Godwyn person.

I took distance from the edge of the roof and ran towards the balcony, when I got to the edge of the roof I jumped.

It looked like I was going to make it, but when my jump reached its apex I fell. At the last second, I grabbed the edge of the balcony and pulled myself up. That was close.

Inside the hall, I approached one of the knights lying on the ground, removed his gauntlet, and felt his pulse, there wasn't one. Checking the body, I saw a small cut on the back of his shoulder. A strange place for an assassin to hit.

During my trip to Drangleic, I met many enemies who used assassination techniques, usually, they tried to slit my throat, pierce my heart or poison me.

The knights weren't cut anywhere important; that ended up leaving the poison, but the knights died instantly, no poison is that fast. 

There's something about those daggers that makes assassins not have to worry about where to hit.

I've wasted enough time. I ran to where the assassins went.

-XXXXXX-

I ran through the halls of the castle, and on the way, I passed the bodies of several dead knights. I ended up coming to a divided path; there was a path ahead, left and right. 

Where should I go? I got my answer when I saw a small red glow in the hallway to the left.

I arrived in a room and in that room, there were the bodies of more knights, looking around, I saw the silhouette of someone passing through a corridor on the right. 

Entering this corridor, I heard the voices of the assassins. I rested my body against the wall and approached slowly. Reaching the end of the hallway, I stuck my head out, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see the assassins.

"The target is close. Tiche, you and three others will be in the back, the others and me will go forward. We need to finish the mission before anyone sees the knights' bodies." Alecto said.

"Yes, Alecto." Tiche replied.

Alecto and three more assassins moved on, after a few minutes Tiche and the assassins who were with her went the same way as Alecto.

I ran after Tiche and the assassins, my leggings and ring silencing my steps. I kept some distance between them and myself. Suddenly Tiche stopped and turned around, I rolled into a hallway to my right, the Simpleton Ring making me invisible.

"Is there a problem, Tiche?" One of the assassins asked Tiche.

"Hmm! No... I don't think so..." Tiche replied, she and the assassins moved forward.

That was close. As I was about to leave the corridor I heard the sound of footsteps, by the metallic echo, it must be one of the knights. 

Looking around the corridor, I saw a large door at the end of it. I quickly opened the door, entered the room and closed it behind me.

I realized I was in a royal bedroom, a large closet full of clothes was on the right, full of dresses, mostly black dresses, on the left, hanging on the wall, was a shining golden sword, and below the ax, a hammer with a golden light emanating from it. In one corner of the room was a table full of parchments and papers and beside the table were shelves full of books.

The most notable part of the room was the big bed right in front of me, getting closer I saw that in the bed there was a pale man with long red hair, and beside him, there was a tall woman, but smaller than the man, she had long golden hair. I don't know that man, but the woman must be Marika.

I swallowed; I'm in the worst place possible.

KNOC

KNOC

KNOC

Someone knocked on the door, and people on the bed moved. 

I need to hide! But where? Looking around the room, I hid inside the closet, in the left corner inside it, out of sight of the others.

KNOC

KNOC

KNOC

"I'm on my way," The red-haired man said, rising from his bed.

I saw the man pass in front of the closet, he went towards the door and opened it, and there was a knight in golden armor on the other side of the door.

"Yes?" The man asked calmly

"Lord Radagon, there are intruders in the capital, several knights were found dead in the halls of the castle, there were no signs of a fight, just small cuts on their bodies. We suspect some kind of magic." The knight said kneeling down.

"Alert all guards, no one enters or leaves the capital until further notice, I want all knights searching the castle now!" Radagon ordered.

"Yes, my lord!" The knight replied, getting up and walking away.

Radagon passed the closet again, but I couldn't see what was happening.

"Marika wake up!" Radagon said loudly

"Radagon? Did something happen?" Marika asked sleepy.

"There are intruders in the capital! Several knights were found dead!"

"We need to go now!" Marika exclaimed, all the sleep disappearing form her voice.

I heard the sound of footsteps coming towards the closet; suddenly a hand was inside it, trying to grab something.

"Where is it?" Marika said.

The hand moved left and right, I saw it going towards my head so I bent down and the hand went over me. I saw that there was a black dress next to me, I took this dress and put it close to the hand.

"I found it!"

The hand took the dress and then it was gone. Through a crack in the closet, I could see Radagon and Marika grabbing the sword and hammer respectively and preparing to leave the room, but suddenly Radagon stopped.

"Is anyone here?" Radagon asked. 

"Radagon let's go!" Marika said.

"One moment, there's someone here. Can't you feel this foreign magic?" Radagon said, approaching the closet.

Hm… I have no space to fight here. Not to mention, of course, the probably Elden Lord and the Goddess of the Lands Between who are just a few feet away from me.

The footsteps stopped in front of the closet. Well… To hell with it! I lit my pyromantic flame and cast Toxic Mist. A black cloud of toxins covered the room.

"What is this?!? COUGH! COUGH!" Marika screamed.

"COUGH! COUGH! Coward, face me like a warrior!" Radagon demanded.

I ran through the room, golden rays flew through the mist trying to hit me; I reached a balcony and looked around. I saw that there were small stone ornaments that were part of the castle's architecture. 

I walked through the stone ornaments with my back glued to the wall. Don't look down! Don't look down! I slowly dragged myself along the stone ornaments.

I reached another balcony that led to an empty room. I entered the room and went towards the door. I opened it a little and saw the corridor, but there was no one, I left the room and started to run down the hall.

The hall led to one of the main sections of the castle, there was a large double door on the right and in front of me, and there were windows where I could see the capital.

I stopped in the moment that I saw a group of assassins entering that big double door and closing it behind them.

I waited for them to enter and faced the door. When I tried to open it, it was locked. Suddenly, I heard the sound of footsteps and my sharpened battle instincts told me that something was threw towards me. 

I drew Rogier's Rapier and spun around, blocking a throwing knife aimed at the back of my neck.

I came face-to-face with Tiche's group of assassins.

"So you were the one following us." Tiche said.

"Did you notice? I was sure I was doing a good job hiding." I replied sarcastically.

"An amateur job, judging by your equipment you must be a sorcerer; you must have cast some cheap spell to infiltrate the capital." Tiche replied in the same tone.

"Don't insult my spells, you might regret it." I said menacingly, spinning the Rapier in Thice's direction.

"Brave words for someone about to die." Tiche said, pulling out her dagger, jumping and spinning in the air. The dagger flashed red and black, and then a blade of energy was shot towards me.

The attack was flashy for sure, but nothing too impressive, I quickly grabbed my chime and cast Great Magic Barrier, but the moment that the energy blade hit the barrier, nothing happened. I expected to suffer minimal damage, but I didn't felt a thing. 

"How?!?" Tiche screamed.

"Was something supposed to have happened?" I asked playfully.

"Kill him!" All the assassins drew their daggers and came at me.

I rigged my chime and cast Wrath of the Gods, two of the assassins were hit by the shock wave, the ones further back ducked and let the ones hit by the miracle fly over them.

Tiche tried to cut me in the throat and the other assassin tried to cut me in the stomach, I rolled to the left, dodging both attacks. 

With my back against the hallway window, I raised my Rapier, and tried to pierce Tiche in the stomach, strangely I couldn't focus on Tiche, for some reason she was hard to see. It was as if she had turned into a blur, so I missed the attack.

I tried to cut Tiche in the throat, but she jumped back, and again she looked like a blur. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw a blur appear on my left. 

I slashed at the blur but just hit the air and felt something cutting me on the chest. Looking down, I saw a wound on my chest.

The blur retreated and when it stopped moving, I saw that it was one of the assassins.

"How are you still alive?" She asked.

"That's the funny part! I'm not!" I replied, using the Rapier's Ash of War and magic swords appeared above me. 

For some reason these assassins blur when they move, I can't trust my eyes but I can trust my magic.

The assassins who were thrown by the Wrath of the Gods stood up, prepared their daggers, and ran towards me again. Tiche and the other assassin did the same.

I cast Blinding Bolt. An orb of lightning came out of my chime and floated away, as the assassins approached it, the orb exploded, shooting lightning in all directions. 

Chandeliers were knocked from the ceiling, windows were shattered, the floor and walls were pierced, but mostly, all the assassins were hit. Taking advantage, I approached one of the assassins on my right.

She was stunned by the miracle and due to the proximity, all the magic swords above me shot toward her. She didn't have time to dodge and ended up pierced by all the swords. She fell dead to the ground.

"You will pay for this!" Tiche screamed.

Wasting no time I cast Emit Force, an orb of concentrated force, flew in the assassin's direction, they jumped out of the way, but where thrown away by the shockwave of the miracle hitting the ground.

I didn't stop my attack, I used the Rapier's ash of war again, and I cast Emit Force several times, trying to hit the blurs that were coming towards me. 

The shock waves opened holes in the walls, floor, and ceiling, but I couldn't hit the assassins, the swords above me shot, one of the assassins was hit in the shoulder and stopped.

However, I couldn't dodge the other two blurs that came towards me, I was cut in the stomach and throat, but being an undead that wasn't a problem, it takes a lot more than that to take me down.

The assassins returned to their original positions and I cast the Resplendent Life, a golden light covered my body and my wounds began healed over time.

I was about to cast another miracle, but suddenly, a series of golden discs came from the opposite side of the hall, two of the assassins were too slow and ended up decapitated by the discs.

Tiche ducked in time, avoiding lose her head.

Being further away, I had time to step to the side, letting the disc pass and stuck in the door on the other side of the hall, where it disappeared shortly after.

From the same direction that the discs came from, Radagon appeared.

 "You dared to invade the capital, killed our brave knights, and tried to poison my wife and me. You will pay for your insolence." Radagon said as he raised his sword.

Without thinking twice, I cast Toxic Mist again, and a black cloud filled the hallway. I ran towards the door that was locked and knocked it down with a strong kick. 

On the other side, there was a long hallway, I ran along it. Looking back, I saw Tiche came out of the cloud, close the door behind her and ran until she reached my side.

"Did you try to poison Radagon and Marika?!?" Tiche demanded.

"It was an accident!" I replied.

"How do you poison someone by accident?!?"

I was going to reply, but I was interrupted by the sound of something being destroyed.

CRASH!

Pieces of stone and wood flew over us, and when we looked back, we saw Radagon chasing us.

"Come back here and face me!" Radagon said furiously.

Tiche and I did the only thing we could do, we ran faster.

At the end of the hall, there was another double door, we opened it and closed it behind us. It did no good to stop Radagon. He tore down the door and the wall around it.

The process repeated itself several times, Tiche and I ran through the halls of the castle closing the doors behind us only for Radagon to knock it down without caring, he didn't even bother to punch or kick the door; he just ran towards it and knocked it down with his body.

This isn't getting my anywhere! I lit my pyromantic flame and cast Lingering Flame several times. Further down the hall, ten small fireballs appeared. I ran past it, Tiche jumped on top of a table that was in the hallway and jumped over the fireballs.

CRASH!

Radagon arrived, we saw him run after us, and in front of us was a great double door adorned with gold. 

Radagon was getting closer and closer to us; soon he got closer to the fireballs, exactly what I wanted.

The fireballs glowed, all of a sudden...

BOOM!

A huge explosion shook the castle, the hallway behind us collapsed, Tiche and I ran faster, we lifted our legs, kicked the door ahead, and closed it behind us.

The door swung, the hallway must have collapsed completely on the other side.

 "Hahaha! You tried to poison Radagon and Marika and now you blew the queen consort to pieces! Congratulations! You just became Lands Between's worst criminal!" Tiche exclaimed in panic, grabbing the side of her head.

"It wouldn't be the first time that I killed royalty." I said in a more serious tone, staring at the door. It's impossible that Radagon died, no with that kind of power.

 "Tiche!" 

Someone screamed.

Looking ahead, we saw Alecto and three other assassins holding the arms of a man with daggers piercing each of his hands, it was a tall man with long blond hair, he wore black robes, but his back was exposed.

Alecto had her dagger raised, ready to pierce the man's back.

"Mother! I mean Alecto! Stop it, the mission was a failure, the entire capital is after us. Radagon was chasing us. Stop this madness and let's get away while there's still time!" Tiche said, approaching Alecto.

Alecto seemed to think for a while; it looked like she was going to put away her dagger, but suddenly, a golden light shone behind us.

BOOM!

In a golden explosion, the door behind us was destroyed, and out came a woman carrying a hammer and wearing a black dress. Queen Marika.

The queen looked around the room, her eyes narrowed as she saw the condition of the longhaired man.

"Die." Marika said with disdain in her voice. 

Marika held out her hand and golden rays flew towards me and the other assassins.

I quickly cast Repel with my Sunset Staff for a moment I became indestructible, the ray hit me harmlessly.

"What dirty sorcery is this?" Marika demanded, pointing her hammer in my direction.

"Tiche!"

Looking back, I saw Tiche standing in front of Alecto, two spears of golden light piercing her body. Tiche fell dead into Alecto's arms.

"AAAHHH!" Letting pained cry, Alecto raised her dagger and pierced the blond-haired man's back. 

A red and black energy flowed through the man's body, he thrashed desperately, and then he fell to the ground motionless, his body becoming gray and lifeless.

"Godwyn!" Marika yelled, running past me and towards the man.

Seizing her chance, Alecto grabbed Tiche's body and ran towards one of the bedroom windows.

CRASH!

The window shattered and Alecto fled into the night.

Looking at Marika, I saw that she was crying as she held Godwin's body.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, I saw Radagon entering the room, accompanied of a blond-haired boy and red haired-girl. The girl looked scared, while the boy stared at me intensely; the boy raised a finger and pointed in my direction while muttering something.

Radagon didn't say a single word; he just looked around, lifted his sword, and brought it down towards me.

As an undead, I didn't worry that much about it, there was nowhere to run; if I died here, I would show up in the last site of grace that I rested.

However, as the blow approached me, I felt the mist enveloping me, and then I was gone.

-XXXXXX-

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in the same cave below Stormveil, looking around I saw that the world was relatively gray; I was still inside a memory.

In the place where the giant face was, there was a man, a tall man with long blond hair and wearing black robes.

"Hello!" The man said as he smiled and sat down on the floor.

"Hello!" I replied, preparing for a fight.

"You know, I would have made myself more presentable, but as you can see I don't get many visitors." The man said, penning his arms and waving around.

"Who are you?" I asked, flaring up my flame.

"Oh! Where are my manners?" The man said, ignoring my aggressive stance, as he stood up and extended his hand towards me.

"You can call me Godwyn." The man smiled.

END OF CHAPTER