Dearth of Gold (Elden Ring X Fairy Tail)

It is worth considering the girl, Malenia decides. She can still be molded. But it is clear neither of these two will simply agree to her offer.

"Then eat," she declares. The gravity in those words befuddles father and daughter, but she does not give them a chance to keep blathering. "Eat and sleep. I will teach you humility in the morn, when neither exhaustion nor foul play can become excuses for failure."

Her piece said, Malenia strides away to settle down for the night. She pays no further mind to the crude insults Minerva spews, nor the incredulous stares of her father. She claims a wooden chair facing the field that serves as an arena, body falling still.

Only when the other two have entered their humble abode does she detach her prosthetic arm. Minerva may just steal it, proclaiming trickery as an aspect of strength.

A gentle night breeze caresses Malenia's scarred face and arm as she eats a humble meal. Her expenses are notably less than originally anticipated, but funds will run out eventually. She will have to consider how to obtain more. Banditry and thievery are too crude for her to even entertain. But as it always was, she who did not work, did not eat.

Her meditation on suitable ways to earn coin smoothly transitions into dreamless slumber.

Malenia wakes sometime after dawn, the morning sun warming her back. She slowly works her toes and limbs, but remains seated for a time. Her prosthetic clicks into place as well.

"I really thought you'd run away," Minerva greets her once she leaves the house. There is suppressed glee to her words, not that she takes long to reveal her thoughts: "Looks like I get to see you beat down after all."

If she wished to get a rise out of Malenia, she is once again disappointed. The far older woman does not even bother turning around to look at her. Malenia breathes evenly, halfway into renewed meditation.

She offers Minerva's father the same discourtesy. Her sensitive ears pick up the door creaking, else she would barely have noticed his arrival. He is awfully quiet on his feet for a man so cumbersome.

"How long are you going to sit there, huh?" he announces himself.

Malenia's eyes open properly then. She stands in a single slow, fluid motion. Evaluating her opponent under proper light, he seems even larger than the night before. There is a grim look to his face, cautious eyes following her every motion. He knows better than his daughter just how dangerous Malenia is.

"The rules of the bout are simple," she begins without preamble. "One round, no holds barred. The first one to yield loses, as does the first one to die."

"Hmpf. Fine with me. You will regret ever coming here."

He steps forward and into the arena. Malenia does the same, blade in hand. Minerva stops at the sidelines to observe, still unaware of reality. Perhaps it is a sign that this girl can still have such wholehearted faith in her father. She seems far more put together now, too; her hair has been washed and she wears a proper tunic instead of rags.

They take position opposite of each other. Malenia salutes with her blade first.

"I am Malenia, wandering swordswoman."

"Jiemma Orland. Wizard."

So just as she thought. Malenia inclines her head, then produces a handkerchief. "We will begin once this touches the ground."

He nods agreement, so she pulls back and sends it flying. The very air grows still as if in anticipation of what is to happen. Both sides tense up as the cloth slowly lowers to the ground.

The moment it touches, Malenia moves. Her blade's tip smashes into Jiemma's broad bicep, but is once again stopped. He himself flies several metres, rolls off momentum, and is on the defensive the moment he stands.

There is no great strategy in this fight. Malenia harries him across the field, relentless in her strikes. Slash follows slash in an unbroken flow, no motion wasted. She mercilessly abuses her advantage in reach, though Jiemma remains untouched after that first hit. He has the skill to avoid her even in his position.

Then he suddenly charges forward, right into an opening her last swing left. Malenia steps away from a strike of his own, but momentum shifts as he takes the offensive.

Jiemma is no less aggressive than she was before. Yet he can not land a single hit, Malenia too nimble to pin down. She slides past his fists with distinction, steps over any attempt to pull out her legs.

It is a silent dance between them, each side prodding at the other for weaknesses. Malenia holds the advantage, but it is not decisive enough to make quick work of him. Not with just the basics.

Jiemma seems to think the same. Just as they separate from another exchange, a purple magic circle forms behind him. His hand begins to gleam, the very air quakes as whatever power he called upon rushes at Malenia.

She immediately leaps away, only for the area she was in to detonate violently. Dirt and grass fly every which way, a small cloud of dust thrown up.

He is already on her when she lands, throwing regular and explosive punches in tandem. Malenia can dodge them well enough, but the advantage of her sword is now undone. Even her own body begins to gleam on occasion, the explosions only stopped by a clear range limit. She either leaps away or kicks him over the line every time until he stops trying.

After some minutes, once sweat begins to soak Jiemma's forehead, Malenia has seen enough. He is powerful and skilled, definitely justified in his pride.

Time to end this.

After another backward leap, Malenia stops in her tracks. She does not follow his circling motion, head emptying of all but the interrupted flow of battle. A graceful bird in motion, the pure sight of a stream. Her blade comes to rest as she waits.

Jiemma stares at her from halfway across the field. He takes in her posture, coiled like a spring. He knows she plans something, but he can not tell what. He can not feel any Ethernano, so he presumes there is no magic at play. And he is right, to an extent.

He is also too proud to keep his distance.

Once he charges again, Malenia explodes into motion. As one with her blade, she flows across the field toward her opponent. Steel flashes in the sun, gleaming streaks too fast for the naked eye to follow.

Her blade bounces off his protection at first, giving Jiemma enough time to flinch back. Malenia reverts momentum again and again, a ceaseless stream. The tip of Jiemma's hair goes flying next as Malenia lands, pushing off toward him again. A veritable torrent of steel follows, her blade seemingly everywhere at once. Jiemma grunts as his protection gives, then leaps aside.

Malenia lets go of her focus when she spots the trail of blood following his motion. There are tears across both his arms and chest, though none deep enough to matter.

What matters is him being out of position.

So she follows up a final time, an armoured knee slamming into his stomach. Jiemma goes down with a keening noise, then stills when he feels Malenia's blade at his neck.

His ragged breathing comes heavy now. Hers remains even. He stares up, she down. The battle is over.

"What are you waiting for?" Jiemma snaps. "Do it."

He does not shake under her blade, ready for what comes next. Malenia wordlessly raises it high. "You fought well," she acknowledges, then whips it down.

"No!"

And then, from one moment to the next, Minerva stands in Jiemma's place.

Steel that was meant to slice through a throat slams into her temple, barely slowed down in time to prevent the spilling of blood through her defenses. Minerva goes airborne with a pained cry, flying a dozen metres before landing heavily in the dirt.

"Minerva!" Jiemma calls in surprise, then lumbers over to check on his daughter. Malenia watches with a smidgen of interest how gentle these calloused hands are when handling the girl.

She can not recall her lord father ever displaying such worry for her. Not even when the Rot took its hold in her feeble body.

"Perhaps this is for the best," Malenia reasons softly. Her feet carry her foreward to the pair, blade ready. She pays no mind to how Jiemma cradles his child protectively, or how Minerva tries to escape his hold to attack. Her attention is on the man himself, his wild look.

He does not resist when she runs her sword's edge down his forehead. A gentle nip of steel in flesh, swiftly drawing blood. She makes certain to leave the eye unharmed.

"Let this be your eternal reminder, Jiemma Orland. Mercy is the ultimate form of might. For only in victory can one choose to spare their lesser."

His eyes widen fractionally, even when the crimson rivulet forces one closed. Minerva stops thrashing in his arms to gape up at Malenia, who now turns to study her. Now is the time she should make her offer. Power was established.

But even then, will Minerva agree? Will she let herself be taken from the father she is willing to lay down her life for? And in turn, will he let her be taken?

The answer is no. Rot churns in Malenia's gut as she warrs with the desire to take Minerva on. It spreads through her being, expanding.

Until something gives.

---

Policy change: approval voting is no longer allowed

---

She is not fully aware of what happens, but it does not matter. Her path is clear now.

"You could do well with proper tutelage," she advises Minerva. "Exceptionally well. I would offer to teach, but I can tell you will not separate from your father."

Minerva just nods, a little shaky now. Malenia takes the confirmation with grace, deciding to dispense some advice; whether the girl follows it is her choice.

"Obtain an education. Learn proper manners. Be graceful in defeat and humble in victory. Sophistication is what separates a beast from a lady of war."

She holds Minerva's gaze long enough to ensure the girl understands. Jiemma still seems out of it, so Malenia steps back.

"Perhaps we shall meet again in time. Fare thee well."

Then she turns around and walks away. Neither father nor daughter stops her, not that she expects them to. Malenia simply walks down the road until a hill takes away the sight of their cabin.

The next village is not too far away, but it is enough time for her to mull over the entire encounter. Malenia went into this fight willing to kill, yet changed her mind in the end. Be it out of respect for Jiemma's fighting prowess, or for young Minerva's determination. It ultimately does not matter.

She puts the thought out of her mind and returns to her own problems. Funds primarily, but also purpose. Her dedication ought to not be wasted doing nothing. She can not grow stale and putrid. But just like a stream flows ever onward, she can continue to drift along the road until a purpose is found. And even if none presents itself, she can always make her own.

Which means that for the time being, money is the important consideration.

Moreover, Malenia realises, a reputation would not be amiss. Like-minded souls may flock to her banner on their own. Miquella, should he be here, would eventually hear of her as well.

She chose Fiore to learn of this realm's magic. She could present the Scarlet Rot as an odd sort of magical ability and register as a wizard ahead of time. Likewise, she can easily pass as a mercenary. Those two avenues are not dissimilar, though wizards are closer to handymen than magical mercenaries.

She ends up stopping in that town, lost in thought. Either way would earn her the funds to study and support herself. She has time in spades.

---

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mip30YF1iuo

---

[] Mercenary

[] Wizard
-[] Malenia's choice of magic
-[] write-in a magic type or specific magic for Malenia to learn

[] write-in


If magic is picked, you may either leave the choice to Malenia or specify. You can keep it at the category of magic (e.g. offensive, defensive, support), or go as detailed as you want. You may as well name a specific magic type to learn. In the last case, please provide some sources or information on more obscure stuff

Also, this write-in is subject to increased QM scrutiny

---

For clarity's sake: neither of these options means that Malenia will join a guild. On the contrary, she plans to go it alone as an independent. Same for learning lots of magic; this is the only discipline she will learn here, if any at all.

If you have other ideas how she could earn her keep, feel free to suggest them.

And because I am in charge, I decided to provide a different ambience song this time. I stumbled over Bardcore as a genre late last year. A number of my ideas and imagined scenes for this Quest came hand in hand with this cover in particular.