"Have you heard of the Finger Maidens?They serve the Two Fingers, offering guidance, and aid, to the Tarnished.But you, I am afraid, are maidenless."(Melina)

  I had heard this speech only once before, I usually skip through most of the dialogue, but it felt important to listen this time. Maybe it was because I was actually here in person instead of sitting on the other end of a monitor.

  "I can py the role of maiden.Turning runes into strength.To aid you in your search for the Elden Ring.You need only take me with you.To the foot of the Erdtree."(Melina)

  I figured this was the moment when an option would appear on screen, but I didn't get that. I was here, I was actually here, I needed to speak for myself.

  "I accept."(Alexis)

  Melina nodded.

  "Then it's settled.Summon me by grace to turn runes into strength.

  Ahh, another matter.I bequeath to you this ring."(Melina)

  Melina handed me a golden ring, I took it and put it on my right index finger.

  "Use it to traverse great distances.It will summon a spectral steed named Torrent.Torrent has chosen you.Treat him with respect."(Melina)

  I was definitely going to do that. Just like how you would treat your car or truck with respect and take care of it, I was going to treat Torrent with respect and was going to take care of him. I looked back at Melina.

  "Shall I turn your runes to strength?"(Melina)

  I nodded.

  "Let my hand rest upon you, for but a moment.Share them with me, your thoughts, your ambitions, the principles you would follow."(Melina)

  I put my hand upon hers, and a screen appeared asking me what stat I wanted to increase. I poured all my runes into my strength for the moment, raising it by five points. I felt thoughts flow from me into Melina, images and feelings, thoughts which embodied my concept of strength. It was an odd feeling. Then I felt something flowing from Melina into me, I felt my body ripple and change, my muscles felt denser. I felt stronger.

  So, this is what leveling up feels like... I might get addicted.

  I knew that sites of grace are safe pces, so I id myself down to sleep, basking in the warmth of grace.

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  As the sun was peeking above the horizon I began moving. I snuck up behind a soldier that was standing in front of a carriage, striking him hard a few times until he died. I then got on the carriage and opened the chest in the back. Once opened, I pulled out a rge sword.

  My first real weapon.

  I set the sheath for the bde on my back and brought the sword up. It was heavy, too heavy for me to use one-handed, but only just barely. I snuck around the ruins to the next carriage, where I waited for one of the soldiers to patrol further from the other before charging forward with an overhead strike. As I was finishing off the soldier I just attacked, I felt something pierce my shoulder and my body felt like it was on fire. As whatever pierced my retracted, I spun and rolled aside.

  I saw another soldier readying a sword. I drank my fsk and healed my shoulder, then I rushed forwards and rolled under the horizontal swing that would've cut clean through me. I spun and struck the soldier several times before he died, and I turned to the st soldier who was advancing behind a tower shield. He didn't st long, and soon I was adding a fil to my inventory.

  I began systematically killing every soldier in the ruins. I also got my hands on a map which was really good. Eventually I made my way to an underground room, within which was a chest. Opening the chest, I retrieved a whetstone knife, and a scroll. Opening the scroll, I saw instructions on how to impart a skill onto a bde. I also saw a bunch of other information, but I didn't bother reading too far.

  Upon leaving the underground room, I sneak-attacked the knight that was still patrolling the road. Because of the sneak-attack he went down easy. Once the ruins were clear I began walking down the road towards the ke.

  "Oi! You there! Could you help us out, cully?"(???)

  I looked around, I didn't really remember this bit. I just knew that Boc was a really tragic character. I saw him die after getting reborn thanks to Renna. After that I never went through his questline again.

  "You, yeah, you there! Stop pretending you can't see me!"(Boc)

  I started looking around for where he was supposed to be.

  "Why won't anyone look me in the eye?I'm not that ugly, am I?"(Boc)

  Oh right! He was turned into a tree.

  I saw a tree that looked different from the ones around it and charged into it. The tree exploded into smoke and then there was a guy only half as tall as me who looked like a skinny mouse decided to become a human one day.

  "Ow! What'd you go and do that for!Hm? Oh, yes, I remember. Some clod turned me into a tree.You were just breaking the spell, weren't you.Thank you. The name's Boc.I was pushed out of the cave. Told not to come back, not ever.Then I ended up as a tree.Lucky you came along, really."(Boc)

  He started searching his pockets while I looked him over. He actually looked a lot better in person than he does through a computer screen. I bet if he got a proper meal he would look even better.

  "Oh, what a shame.When they threw me out of the cave, they took everything I owned, and so this is all I have to express my thanks.I hope you can forgive me."(Boc)

  Boc handed me a bunch of mushrooms. I accepted them and put them into my inventory.

  "Or, if you can afford to wait for a while, I could sneak back into the cave and bring back something of actual value. Then I'd be of some real use to you, I reckon. Right, but I'll need a moment.I-I'm frightened of them... So, I have to gather myself.My knees start knockin'...just thinking 'bout that god-awful cave on the shore."(Boc)

  I simply turned and went on my way, I didn't want to see Boc get hurt but it's part of his questline so I couldn't do anything about that.