Elden Ring: A Sword's Purpose

He wasn't going to find any of his clansmen in Caelid. Therefore, he had no reason to linger in the rotting land. Basic sensible logic.

Jin swung his blade, slicing through the beak then head of one of those birds. Another charged him from behind, those distant massive dogs drawn by the noise. He moved quickly, not wasting anytime with superficial wounds, each creature ended in a single slash or stab. By the end of it, the pitch-black blade of his katana was dyed crimson and the ground was littered with the corpses of those overgrown animals.

He sighed.

These creatures were too weak to entertain him but too much of a danger to let roam around so close to that cave.

Another sigh escaped him.

He didn't know those children. They weren't members of his clan. Their survival wasn't his responsibility. And yet here he was, roaming the vicinity of the cave they called home in the dead of night, and cutting down anything he came across.

Whatever the case, this would all be a waste of time if those kids succumbed to the effects of their affliction.

He needed to do something about that.

…

Mary and Amy emerged from the cave not long before sunrise. Mary didn't allow her new weapon to go to her head, carefully leading the way as they set out to hunt.

At the very top of the mountain the cave formed within, Jin watched the two set out through his telescope. Anything they brought back would be tainted with the rot which would only worsen their condition. It wasn't like they could stop eating either. These kids were truly caught in their own cruel little cycle, slowly being killed by the things they needed to live.

Whoever or whatever reduced Caelid to this wasteland of decay was capable of cruelty that far exceeded the likes of his clan.

Satisfied that they were far enough, he dropped, using cracks and indents to slow his descent until he landed at the mouth of the cave. He didn't bother with a torch, walking loud enough to warn the remaining kids of his approach.

"Stop right there!" A yell bounced off the walls the moment he reached the end of the cave. The as of yet unnamed sibling stood in front of the youngest and the sick one, dagger held up towards him. "Mary said we can't trust you so leave or I'll, or I'll kill you!" She tried her best to sound threatening but fell flat on her face. It looked like she took all of her effort just to be as loud as Mary was.

Not to mention the peeling on her face. It extended over her right eye, the golden hue beginning to be dulled by a fog. Could she even see out of that eye? By the look of things, it wouldn't be long before the effects spread to her other eye, the skin around that one beginning to show signs of decay as well.

"The weak don't get to make choices. That's the first lesson we learn in my clan." Jin said as he walked over to her. She instinctively took a step back but gritted her teeth and stood her ground, dagger steadied. "Your sister is right. You shouldn't trust someone you don't know." He entered her range and she stepped forward only to find herself on the receiving end of a swift kick to the stomach. She fell back, weapon falling from her hands as she hit the ground, a vicious fits of cough breaking out as she attempted to pull herself back up. "But it's a mistake to think that you have any choice in what I do."

He kneeled down beside the girl and dropped a hand on her head. Faint embers sparked around the hand, traveling from him and into her.

By the time her coughing ceased, he pulled his hand away. She silently glared at him, the fog around her eye cleared somewhat but very much still present.

"How's your vision?"

"I..its better? What did you do?" She said, bewildered. She shot up before he could answer. "Can you help Millicent? She's getting worse and-"

So Millicent was the sick one. That meant the baby was Polyanna.

"I'll see what I can do." He said, moving over towards the two, the unnamed sister eagerly following.

"S-Stay back. You'll get sick." Millicent muttered, her voice rough as if it hadn't been used in days. Despite how unfocused her eyes were she was coherent enough to worry about someone else while dying herself. Impressive. Foolish but impressive.

He ignored the warning and pressed a finger to her forehead. Just as her state alluded to, she was worse off. Helping to stem the spread of the rot took little to no effort on his part when it came to the other girl but with Millicent there had to be a focused attempt.

The embers that sparked around his finger burned hot, turning from red to orange. The rot nestled within her was rooted so deeply that the increase in power was the only way to combat it. Unfortunately, it came with consequences. Groans of pain filled the cave and she squirmed, trying to get as far from him as possible.

Luckily it didn't last long and soon the girl was slumped against the wall, her raspy breathing replaced by even breaths.

Then there was the baby. Polyanna grabbed his finger, giggling as he poked her forehead. A momentary spark of flames and he was done, the experience no more than a colorful lightshow for the young one.

It was odd. The Scarlet Rot didn't seem to have progressed too far on her, yet it had too tight a hold for his flames to properly handle without consequences.

Was it because of their diets? By the look of things, they'd been here for a while and from he's seen had no choice but to stick to rot tainted supplies. Who knew what something like that did to a person.

They needed another source of food.

Another problem added to the list he supposed.

"She'll be fine." Jin said, shaking off the giggling baby's grip and standing up.

"T-Thank you." The unnamed redhead stood up and quickly bowed her head to him. " I-We…thank you."

"Don't be mistaken, I haven't cured any of you. The rot will return." He said, turning to leave. In the end all he was doing was delaying the inevitable fate of these children. All on a whim, nothing more.

…

On the outskirts of Limgrave, near the enflamed walls separating Caelid from the grassy land, Jin threw a pair of dead deer over his shoulders.

"Do you truly intend to care for those children?" Melina appeared at his side atop her spectral steed, the horse lazily trotting beside him as headed back toward his camp.

"Maybe."

"There exists no cure for the Scarlet Rot. No cure other than the certainty of death." She said, hammering home just how meaningless his current endeavor was. "Yet somehow, you managed to help those children. Flames can keep the spread at bay, but I've not heard of them being used to treat those already afflicted. What manner of pyromancy is that?"

"It's not pyromancy." Melina awaited further explanation, but he offered none, the gentle breeze and the horse's steps all that spared from them total silence.

"With that power, the Elden Ring would not be beyond your reach. There is a reason you are one of the few bestowed the Guidance of Grace." Melina continued.

Jin grunted, opting to ignore the woman just as he did the rays of golden light that laid claim to the edges of his vision, directing him in several different directions. He had no interest in restoring the order that exiled his people. He had even less interest in becoming lord to the so-called goddess directly responsible for making that call.

His people had offered up their blades to Queen Marika and her people long enough.

…

"Why are you helping us?" The next morning, Mary stood at the cave's entrance, arms crossed and eyes narrowed, clearly having waited for his arrival. "Well? Hurry up and answer my question." And that attitude was still around. Guess he shouldn't be surprised one thinly veiled threat wasn't enough to stick with a child. They never stopped him in his youth.

Jin tossed her a thick cloth wrapped package and turned, saving himself a trip inside.

"Hey!" She called out after him. "I know you hear me, old man!"

Jin's eye twitched and for a split second he froze. He resisted his instincts and kept walking.

"Hey! It's you!" A yell and series of footsteps prompted him to turn back around. Amy, likely the shortest one of the sisters excluding the baby, skidded to a stop in front of him. "Is it true? Maureen said you're the reason Millicent is better." She said, practically bouncing in place.

"…Yes." Jin said after a moment, taken a back by the excitement. He barely had time to figure out how anyone could be so happy in a land like this before the child shot at him. He caught her by the back of her rags and raised her up to his face. "What are you doing?"

"I wanted to hug you!" The girl exclaimed while trying to reach out to him.

Huh…how about that.

"Don't be stupid, Amy. No one wants dirty kids like us touching them." Mary chided her.

"You're dirty!" Amy yelled back childishly.

He ignored the girls and poked Amy's forehead, giving her the same brief treatment as the others. There were no visible changes in her case. Like Polyanna, the rot hadn't spread far despite being so deeply rooted in her. He dropped her on her butt and she bounced right back-up, jumping at him.

He didn't dodge, allowing the girl to catch him in a hug. Short as she was, she ended up dangling in air, hanging off his waist.

Mary's couldn't hide her surprise. "Aren't you worried about the rot?"

"No." Jin said, and after giving her a few seconds, he pried Amy off of him and tossed her beside her sister, turning to leave.

"Hold on, you still haven't answered my question."

"I feel like it." Simple and true.

"You're helping us because you feel like it?" Mary repeated as though he said the stupidest thing she'd ever heard.

"That's how the world works for those who have strength. That's more than enough reason to do what you want." He said, taking off without turning back. "The rest are just victims of circumstance."

Hypocritical to some extent but it was a good rule of thumb.