Clack!
Clack! Clack!
In Leyndell, Royal Capital, before the Elden Throne beneath the Erdtree, a fearsome Dragon Tree Sentinel slowly rode forward. A grotesque dragon armor covered him, its pieces resembling the ribs of a dragon and adorned with the dragon's many forms. He wore a matching helmet, carried a vicious dragon claw greataxe carved from an Ancient Dragon's claw over his right shoulder, and held a dragon claw shield in each hand, both made from the same material. Even his warhorse wore similar armor. In this terrifying, imposing manner, he rode to a halt a dozen paces before the empty throne.
"..."
He was a Dragon Tree Sentinel, a knight of the Erdtree, and so he had the right to ride here—to the throne and before the Elden Throne—to pay his respects to the Erdtree or to the throne that had yet to welcome a king!
At that moment, the throne was empty, with only a crown resting upon it. All around the throne room stood rows of motionless Leyndell knights, clad in golden armor and holding golden shields and spears.
Unlike the Tree Sentinels, those knights were Golden Knights in the service of the royal capital. They had always been the city's elite guards, protecting Leyndell—and, naturally, the Erdtree as well.
The crowns atop their heads, symbols of the glory of the Erdtree's guardians, the golden greatshields in their hands, and the Erdtree emblems on their left breastplates all served as the best proof of that.
But none of that mattered...
"..."
The Dragon Tree Sentinel, still mounted, first looked at the Leyndell knights on either side of him, then at the empty throne ahead. Finally, he raised his head to gaze upon the towering Erdtree. Only after seeing that its light remained as dim as ever did