Elden Ring: 2,000 Hour Speedrunner Becomes a Dragon Chapter 21 21: Wings Over Altus

The encounter was not their first. As far back as three months ago, when the Supre Egg first pulsed with the tremors of life, Lansseax—High Priest of the Ancient Dragon Temple in Leyndell—had imdiately abandoned the capital and rushed back to Farum Azula.

She had acted with thunderous resolve, suppressing two opportunistic elders who sought to sow chaos in the wake of the miracle. After rallying the loyalists, she personally led four court elders to weave a Runic Great-Array of divine power, insulating the sanctuary from external interference to ensure Lucia's safe birth.

Once the crisis was averted, however, Lansseax hurried back to Leyndell. At that ti, Lucia was still grappling with the reality of his transmigration, his mind a fractured map of two worlds. During those few, fleeting days they shared, communication had been nearly nonexistent.

Until half a month ago, when the formal summons from the Golden Dynasty reached the sky city. The Council of Elders—a gathering of drakes whose average age exceeded five centuries—had devolved into a shouting match over whether the prince should accept. They ignored Lucia's own perspective entirely, nearly coming to blows before a storm hawk arrived bearing a letter from Lansseax, tens of thousands of miles away. Her ssage was simple: she fully supported Lucia's own decision.

The mont that letter reached Farum Azula, the Council cooled instantly. The resolution for Lucia to travel to Leyndell passed at lightning speed, and a diplomatic escort was organized with uncharacteristic efficiency.

Days later, Lucia and his party stepped through the "Eye of the Storm," the massive spatial gate of Farum Azula, and erged at the Altus Portal. They were officially within the borders of the Golden Dynasty.

Lucia had expected a long, diplomatic stalemate. He had intended to wait for a formal reply from the capital, never imagining that Lansseax herself would descend to break the deadlock.

"Priestess Lansseax, you..." Lucia began, but he was cut short as that sa devilish hand that had ruffled his hair now reached out to pinch his cheek.

"If Your Highness doesn't mind, you can call Sister," Lansseax said, her smile beaming. "I may be several centuries your senior, but if you count the ti you spent growing inside the Supre Egg, 'Sister' is quite appropriate."

Lucia felt a flicker of doubt. Though both were mbers of the Ancient Dragon Royal Family bearing the na Sanks, he had remained within that egg for over a millennium. By that math...

Lansseax gave him no room for contemplation. She continued to ravage his cheeks, muttering to herself, "Tsk, I knew it. The bloodline of the Goddess and His Majesty truly is sothing else. Look at this soft silver hair, this smooth face. If that little brat Fur had even a third of your cuteness, I would look ten years younger than I do now!"

"Uh, wu... Priestess Lansseax..."

"Hmm?"

"Sister Lansseax..."

"Yes, what is it?"

"Look, the situation at hand—"

"Oh! Right, we should handle this ss first." Lansseax withdrew her hand as if finally snapping out of it. The dragons nearby remained perfectly calm; they were clearly well-acquainted with her whims.

"Elder Muriel, Elder Atok," she commanded, addressing the two elders. "I will take His Highness to Leyndell ahead of the party. Lead the mission to follow; a reception will be waiting for you outside the city gates."

"By your command!" the elders responded in unison.

Lansseax turned back to Lucia, placing a hand on his shoulder and leaning in close. "And what about you, Lucia? It's been a while since I saw you. How are your flying techniques coming along?"

Lucia opened his mouth to boast that his mastery was perfection, but rembering the terrifying speed at which she had just arrived, he settled for a dry laugh. "It's... okay. I can't compare to you, Sister, but I can manage."

Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Wait, you an we're flying up?"

Lansseax offered a slight, knowing smile. Her slender hands tidied the lapels of his chest before patting his shoulder. "Well? What is your answer?"

Lucia felt his heart hamr against his ribs. He took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm ready."

"Then let us take to the sky."

She pushed off lightly with her toes. Her tall, graceful fra dissolved into a streak of white light that pierced the heavens. High above, four wings unfurled, snapping against the air with an explosion of storm as she swept through the clouds.

Lucia spread his arms. Beautifully shaped silver-white scales replaced his clothing like flowing water. His limbs shifted into vigorous dragon claws, noble wings erupted from his back, and majestic horns crowned his forehead. He raised his head, letting out a roar that shook the surrounding fields before soaring upward to join her.

On the long steps of Dectus, the Golden Knights stared blankly at the departing shadows. Long ago, in the tales of their predecessors, they had heard of dragons sweeping across the sky like this, casting indelible shadows over the Erdtree's domain.

At that mont, even the proudest among them realized one thing: even for the Golden Dynasty in its pri, there were still wings they could not obstruct.

Two dragon shadows, one massive and one small, raced through the firmant. They soared over the barrier of Dectus—the great natural chasm—as the magnificent scenery of the Altus Plateau unfolded beneath them like an endless scroll. At this height, the clouds were a carpet at their feet, and the sunlight and moonlight wove together to form their robes. In all the world, only the supre Erdtree stood as their equal.

Lucia narrowed his eyes, savoring the bite of the cold air currents against his scales. Since his transmigration, flying had beco his sanctuary. Only here could he shed the heavy mantle of his demigod status, leaving the blood, the storms, and the intrigue behind to enjoy the pure, unadulterated sensation of freedom.

"Lucia, I saw marks of Black Fla on Elder Atok," Lansseax's voice carried through the wind, laced with concern. "Were you attacked by a Godskin Apostle on the road?"

"It happened like this..." Lucia began. He recounted the assassination attempt three days prior, then moved on to the disturbances in Caelid and the blood feud between Hectov and Clavell. As he spoke, Lansseax's expression shifted from concern to sheer disbelief.

When he finally ntioned that he had recruited Clavell and sent a recomndation to Queen Marika to install him as governor of Caelid, Lansseax flew in stunned silence for a long ti.

"Sister Lansseax? Is sothing wrong with how I handled it?"

"Huh? Oh, no..." She snapped out of her daze, looking at Lucia with wide eyes. Even in her dragon form, her shock was palpable. "If I hadn't been the one to watch you hatch, I would suspect you'd been possessed by so ancient evil god. You've only been out of the portal for three days and you've caused this much trouble?"

Lucia gave a bashful smile, though on his draconic face, it appeared as a ferocious snarl. "This... my apologies. I suppose I'm just too capable."