Elden Ring: The Age of Mending (Because Everyone Needs a Hug)

Stop Calling Me Maidenless, Damn it!

Melina watches her chosen Tarnished from afar. Safe to say, she regrets it.

Limgrave

Melina wasn't expecting her Tarnished to wake up shortly after his undeniably high fall. The embedded Unalloyed Gold Needle in his chest was unexpected, as well as the mention of both the twin demigods. Melina felt her cheeks flare when she remembered how she first met her chosen Tarnished. She locked eyes with him while sitting there in a puddle, half-naked with his muscular torso on display. Never had Melina seen a body so littered with deep scars and burns until Mattheas took off his chest piece. Unfortunately, Melina was caught staring, and her Tarnished cleared his throat to get Melina's attention. The poor maiden felt embarrassed for the first time in her life, breaking her serious demeanor. Not knowing what to do, she and Torrent disappeared right in front of Mattheas. Leaving the poor fellow to be more confused by this strange new world he was forced into.

As Melina watches Mattheas from afar in her spirit form, she couldn't help but be irked by his actions. First, he talked to a white-masked person standing outside the graveyard as if he was waiting for him. During Mattheas' interaction with this white mask individual, he was called maidenless. Because he is a Tarnished with no maiden to guide him and no way to turn runes into strength. Mattheas took that sentence the wrong way and slapped the white mask individual with such strength that he was sent to the ground, cradling the broken side of his mask. Mattheas grabbed the white mask individual by the neck and brought him close to his face, warning him about calling him maidenless one more time.

After he was done "talking" with the white mask individual, he touched the site of grace nearby, enabled the nearby summoning pool, and went straight towards the Tree Sentinel. Melina pales at this, for Mattheas was not only underequipped for this fight, but he didn't have a steed with him. If he had Torrent, maybe he would have had a fighting chance, but how can he fell such an enemy if his weapon is nothing but a short sword? Now he's talking to the Tree Sentinel, and the Tree Sentinel just stares at him before rushing in with the golden halberd high in the air. Melina had no choice but to watch as her Tarnished gets felled in one single swoop of the Sentinel's halberd.

Melina's jaws hung loose when Mattheas PARRIES the blow with his buckler! The kindling maiden GREATLY underestimated his strength. Then, he does something unexpected that sends chills up her spine. After breaking the Tree Sentinel's stance, Mattheas ran toward the stunned opponent and quickly got behind the Sentinel's back. The fight went from a one-sided battle to a bloody, craven display of power, for Mattheas began stabbing the Tree Sentinel through the slits of his armor. Cries of pain echoed throughout the sunny sky of Limgrave. Melina pales even more as Mattheas gives the horse a kick that sends him forward towards an opening between a church and a thicket. Where a few of Godrick's Tarnished hunters are stationed to look out for weak Tarnished.

A nomadic merchant and Godrick's Tarnished hunters were appalled by the sight of a Tree Sentinel getting mutilated by a Tarnished. Once Mattheas had enough, he thrusts the short sword precisely aimed between the gaps of the Tree Sentinel's armor and stabs him in the neck. The Tree Sentinel chokes on his own blood before falling off his horse and turning into ashes. The horse, for some reason, turned to ashes as well, despite being unharmed during the ordeal. Melina felt Mattheas receive a hefty amount of runes from killing the Tree Sentinel. His moment of awe changed into a frown as he remembered the words of White Mask Varre.

"So I can get even stronger? Interesting." Mattheas said before looking around. Godrick's men fled into Gatepoint Ruins, and the nomadic merchant came back to his spot so he could practice his lines in case the Tarnished came to buy his wares. Mattheas decided that the church was his first destination. However, Mattheas found the Golden Halberd lying on the ground before going inside. The warrior took great interest in the halberd and lifted it up effortlessly with one hand. Mattheas gave it a few thrusts and swings before deciding it was a good weapon and strapped it behind his back.

Melina couldn't believe what she had just seen. She didn't expect Mattheas to be so... intense. Melina also didn't expect him to be so brutal. Melina expected him to be cautious and guarded because of the state of the Lands Between. Still, she was also wrong in that department, too. Now that he's done talking and buying things from the Nomadic Merchant Kale (the merchant seems delighted to see him despite his brutal display earlier). Touching the site of grace inside the church, Melina watches as her Tarnished marches into the thicket near Gatepoint Ruins. It was already sunset. It's almost time she would have an honest talk with her chosen. Hopefully, he is more amicable than he was with the white mask individual.

Melina will give him an offer, an accord that he couldn't refuse.

(A/N): Oh, Melina. You haven't even covered Base 1. There's still more to him than meets the eye.