I made my way down the road and across a bridge. I had to fight a warrior who was riding on horseback, but a jump attack stuns them long enough to kill their horse, which leaves the rider vulnerable. As I crossed the bridge, I saw two trolls marching up the road, chains pierced through their backs hauling a carriage behind them. I quickly snuck into a bush and observed, the trolls and their carriage were alone.

  Usually, these caravans have an entire army tailing behind them... where is that army?

  I looked further down the road and saw a group just making their way down a distant hill.

  Oh... So, the trolls outpaced the army that was accompanying them.

  I knew this was my chance, not only for a new weapon but also for a bunch of runes. I ran up to one of the trolls and cut a slice of its leg. The trolls stopped moving and I went around to the trolls back. The troll didn't turn around. I went to stab the troll's leg and then I had to back up as the troll stomped down, almost crushing me. This repeated a few times, until I cut something important, and with a roar the troll fell down. I ran around to the troll's head, and I saw a gleam of gold around the troll's eye. The guidance of grace showing me a weakness I could exploit.

  I stabbed the troll's eye, twisted my bde, and wrenched my sword from the troll's head. The troll roared and began to turn into ash. It was dead. I then went to repeat the process on the second troll. I stabbed it until it fell and then I pierced its eye and wrenched my sword free. After the troll fell back, I started walking away, only to freeze as my sixth sense saw the troll standing up, not quite dead yet. I turned and readied another strike as the troll let out a mighty roar and started running towards me. The broken chain filing about behind it.

  What!?

  I rolled aside as the troll brought its arms down right where I was just standing. The ground crumbled underneath them and the shockwave blew dust all around. As the troll began filing about trying to crush me with a flurry of smashes, I rolled and weaved through the onsught until I was behind the troll again. I brought my sword around and struck the back of the troll's knee. As the troll turned around, I ran around it and cut through the troll's spine. I was rewarded with a roar and a falling troll that began turning into ash.

  Sheesh!... Yeah, I don't want to fight any of those trolls like that. Best to not engage.

  After this I looted the chest in the back of the carriage, obtaining a greataxe. I couldn't use it though, since it was much too heavy. I then went to the straggling army and began picking them off one by one. Once I was done, I looked at the hill above the road where I fought the trolls. I could see some ruins and when consulting my map, I could figure out that these were the Waypoint Ruins. A Mad Pumpkin Head Boss and an NPC that teaches sorcery. But I probably couldn't handle a mad pumpkin head as I was right now. So, I tried to teleport back to the church of Elleh. I felt for my grace, then I tried to feel for my connection to the sites of grace that I had touched. I could feel something like a string that trailed off into the distance. I thought about the church of Elleh and tried to follow it back towards the church.

  I felt the warmth of grace envelope me and carry me through the air until I emerged at the church of Elleh.

  I sat down at the church site of grace. I then heard Melina appear and so turned to face her.

  "This tiny golden aura is the grace of the Erdtree. This light once shone in the eyes of your Tarnished brethren. But now it is all that guides you. Or so I hear."(Melina)

  Melina looks down at the grace, and I follow her gaze.

  "You can see them, can't you?The rays of grace, that guide you through your burden."(Melina)

  I nodded, looking back at Melina who was now gazing towards the castle on the cliff.

  "Upon the cliff, in Castle Stormveil, is a shardbearer.A demigod who inherited a fragment of the shattered Elden Ring.If the rays of grace signal the castle, then the Elden Ring beckons you."(Melina)

  Melina turns back to look at me.

  "As an ally by pact... I pray that you are fit...To face the challenge presented by the Ring."(Melina)

  I nodded, then raised my hand to her.

  "Shall I turn your runes to strength?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 spread 5 points to my vigor, and 2 points to my endurance. I was going to need more health for general safety, and I needed stamina to do everything. I then took a nap so that night could come.

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  When I awoke, the church was filled with a chill mist. Looking at Kale, he seemed to be asleep.

  "This way, Tarnished.May I have a word?"(???)

  I looked over to see a blue-skinned woman dressed in white clothes with a white witch's hat. A ghostly image of her face was present emerging from the right side of her head. and she seemed to have four arms.

  Ranni.

  I approached her.

  "A pleasure to meet thee, Tarnished. I am the witch, Renna. I'd heard tell of a Tarnished hurtling about atop a spectral steed. And upon looking into the matter, the talk, I surmise, is of thee.

  Thou'rt possessed of the power, no? To call forth the spectral steed named Torrent."(Ranni)

  I nodded. "I can call forth the spectral steed."(Alexis)

  "Ah. As I had hoped.I was entrusted this, for thee.By Torrent's former master.'Tis a bell for calling forth spirits."(Ranni)

  Ranni, who is not Renna by the way, handed me a bell and a box of ash. The lone wolf ashes.

  "Summon them with it, from ash unreturned to the Erdtree. The spirits will obey thine command but briefly, as they recall battles past. Now it is thine. To do with as thou wishest.

  Forgive mine intrusion, Tarnished. I doubt we shall again meet. But all the same, learn well the Lands Between.

  How long will it be, I wonder...Before the Tarnished tire of obesiance to the Two Fingers?"(Ranni)

  Ranni's body then turned into snow and flew away as if by a breeze. The sleep mist that had covered the church had vanished.