Event 9: Not So Easy
Like mist over a lake in early morning, the bonfire in Firelink Shrine released Jinta and Seiko. At the moment, the usually cloudy sky was parted, letting pleasantly warm sunlight peek through. With no pressing missions, Jinta received the Lord Soul of Gravelord Nito from Seiko and let to offer it to the Lordvessel. While he left, Seiko removed her coat, gloves, and boots to lay in the sun. She had naturally pale skin, and she never seemed to tan, but she also took a long time to develop sun-burn. She stayed, waiting for Jinta to return. When he did, it was with news of their next target. Their wisest option to continue was to head into Lost Izalith, which they had glimpsed while in the Tomb Of Giants. The quickest way was through New Londo, below Firelink Shrine. Seiko refitted herself and they walked down to the elevator. In just under an hour, the two were walking down the rickety wooden ramp into the bog at the base of Blighttown. Seiko had no idea where to go, but Jinta had seen the way to Lost Izalith in his fight with Quelaag.
Seiko's boots would protect her from running water and dangerous floors, but the poisonous sludge in the bog would seep in if she tried to cross. Jinta, with golden boots, sealed against any threat, offered to carry her across. Using Abyss to suspend her bow and arrows in the air behind them, Seiko accepted. As Solaire had done so long ago, now Jinta picked Seiko up, carrying her as a bride and trudging through the bog. Quickly, they reached the other side, a section of the bog woven over with massive spider webs long ago. No longer sticky, the webs made a hill up to a cave. Sitting outside the cave, waiting for them, was Quelaana of Izalith. She was the only uncorrupted Witch of Izalith and Sister of Chaos remaining, and she had been the one to name and train Seiko. Quelaana stood as the two approached.
"Hello, Sister," said Seiko, removing her hood and bowing.
"Hello, Seiko. I've been expecting you and your partner for some time now," responded Quelaana, bowing herself. She did not raise her head, and instead began speaking.
"I have a favour to ask. My mother, the Witch of Izalith, was one of the primeval Lords. Her power came from the soul that she found near the First Flame. She focused this power to light a flame of her own, but she failed to control it. The Flame of Chaos engulfed Mother and my sisters, and molded them into deformed creatures. Only I escaped, and now I am here. But my mother and sisters have been in anguish since. I beseech you; free Mother and my sisters from the Flame of Chaos. I cannot do it myself; I lack the strength, and the bravery... But you... I realize what I am asking, but please, free their pour souls... Mother's ambitions were misguided, no doubt, but surely a thousand years of atonement is enough..."
Seiko stepped forward and hugged Quelaana, taking her by surprise. Quelaana seemed astonished at first, her hands hanging, her face ever hidden under her hood. After the initial shock, she placed her hands on Seiko's back, not exactly hugging back, but accepting it. Seiko stepped back, smiled, and replaced her hood. She bowed again, her face serious when she rose.
"I will, Sister," she said.
Quelaana could only dip her head, the lump in her throat preventing her from saying any more.
Seiko looked to Jinta to lead the way, following him through Quelaag's Domain to the resting place of Quelaag's sister, known now only as The Fair Lady. Rather than disturb her or her followers, Seiko and Jinta avoided The Fair Lady, entering the tunnel to Lost Izalith. The tunnel became more and more red-tinted until it opened into a chamber so large it could almost swallow Anor Londo. Lava pooled in most of the chamber, oozing not from the ground, but a beast that stood near a cliff on the opposite end of the chamber. The only way toward it was a bridge and along the cliff. Seiko and Jinta crossed the bridge and approached the massive thing. The monster, called the Ceaseless Discharge, had long humanoid legs that connected to a bulbous upper body or head. The upper half had contorted faces, tentacles, and boils, all colored red or orange. It stood peacefully in its place, not even acknowledging the two who had come to kill it.
"This is the thing keeping us from advancing, right?" asked Jinta.
Seiko nodded, as confused as he was.
"Then why isn't it attacking us? Should we start the fight?"
Seiko looked around, searching for a sign either way. She spotted a dead figure near an alter, around the corner from the wide area in front of Ceaseless Discharge. The figure wore the same robes as Quelaana, and clutched some rotten and singed diary page in its hand. As Seiko approached the figure Ceaseless Discharge wailed in anger, raising a long limb to slam down and crush her. Seiko jumped aside and hurled a Flame Arrow at the demon, only for it to splash against its skin and dissipate. Pyromancy was useless. Seiko was about to bring out the Abyss when a flash of light shone near her. It was Jinta, holding his talisman, the bundle of cloth from his belt. White light washed over him and he drew both his rapier and falchion.
"Finally. I've waited for a chance like this!" said Jinta with passion. As Ceaseless Discharge swiped one of his burning orange tentacles over the cliff, Jinta simply held his sword in the way. The holy metal flashed white and the limb rebounded, the massive demon wailing again in anger.
"No demon underestimates a paladin! Today, you learn!" declared Jinta, raising his rapier in his left hand.
As if it could hear him, Ceaseless Discharge raised every one of its limbs, preparing to smash its entire upper body down on him. Jinta stood his ground, confident. As Ceaseless Discharge attacked Jinta dropped to one knee, the fist holding his falchion pressed against the front of his helmet. Discharge drew within arm's reach and made contact with a white shining bubble. Several faces rose from the contact streaming smoking blood and the demon howled in pain. All around Jinta the cliff was dimpled from the force of Discharge's swing, but under the bubble he'd made it was untouched. Jinta slashed towards the demon and white light arced from his falchion. When it made contact with the demon it splashed in a white flash, sending Discharge reeling from the force. Jinta slashed over and over with both his swords just the same way, hammering Ceaseless Discharge. Seiko a good distance away, was in awe. Jinta had seen her potential, but she'd never seen his. Using Emit Force with pure mastery, Jinta was fighting a lava demon on equal ground and winning. It seemed Jinta would win easily, until Ceaseless Discharge began shaking its upper body, faces open-mouthed and spraying lava all over the cliff near Jinta. If it couldn't make contact with him, it would just burn him to death. Seiko swept a line with her hand, sending a wave of Abyss to push Jinta away from the lava, separating them further.
"Look out!" yelled Jinta, across the lava-covered section of the cliff.
Ceaseless Discharge rose up and prepared to slam down on Seiko this time. Seiko raised her hands over her head and chains of Abyss ripped out of the ground to form a make-shift cage around her. The cage did not repel Ceaseless Discharge, as it was not holy, so Ceaseless Discharge hammered the cage again and again. The cage did not falter, but every time Seiko sank lower and another chain disappeared. One final slam and Seiko's cage of Abyss chains shattered, knocking her unconscious from exertion. Ceaseless Discharge rose once more, slamming down and crushing her under its weight. Flattened, Seiko wilted to dust on the spot, to awaken in three days at the bonfire near The Fair Lady...
In the end, Jinta threw himself at Ceaseless Discharge in a rage, jumping from the cliff and brutalizing the demon until it fell into the very magma it created. As it died, the lake of magma cooled, revealing the way to Demon Ruins, the path to Lost Izalith. Jinta went back to the cliff, taking Seiko's remaining power to be returned to her when she revived. Exhausted, Jinta returned to the bonfire in front of The Fair Lady, disturbing her covenant's leader a bit, but avoiding offense. Jinta sat down with his back to the wall, watching the fire and waiting for Seiko to emerge. He removed his helmet, rested his head against the rock wall, and fell asleep in sorrow and weariness. Spitting and sparking in the flames woke him from another sleep, three days later. Ash from the bonfire surged forward, glowing orange and beginning to heat. Heat bubbles popped and sizzled, the mass of ashes surging and twisting. A hand, skin stretched over bone and withered, thrust from the ash and gripped the floor. As if pulling itself from tar, a Hollow woman with singed and dead black hair writhed out of the ash, naked but hidden by her form. When at last she was freed from the ash and whole again, the flames of the bonfire devoured her for a moment, pulling away to reveal a black coat, gloves, and boots, as well as a modified Dragon Slayer bow and arrows. An Estus flask weighed down one pocket of the coat, filling with power from the bonfire. Seiko, on her hands and knees gasping for breath and in shock, had revived at last. Without looking up she reached behind her head and pulled on her hood to hide her face. If her coat could be done up, she would have closed it to hide all of her Hollowed flesh, but it remained open, exposing her to anyone who saw her standing.
Seiko prepared to stand up, sure she was alone. When she wondered how she'd find the strength to lift herself up and face Jinta, wherever he was, she felt energy from souls pouring into her. Everything she'd lost was returning. Seiko raised her head to see Jinta, his hand hovering near her head. He returned her lost power to her, leaving his hand down to offer to help her up. Seiko looked away. She had no Humanity to restore herself with. She was trapped Hollow, hideous and dead once more, as she had been for time undetermined at the Undead Asylum.
"Seiko... Please, stand up... It's not as bad as you think. I defeated Ceaseless Discharge, but more importantly, I vanquished my predecessor, Paladin Leeroy. You know those dark spirits drop Humanity. I am more than willing to let you have it so we may continue, if you wish."
Seiko wouldn't look at him. It was a strange feeling not to want him to see her Hollowed. When she'd began chasing after him, it had never crossed her mind as a concern. What was it that made him seeing her this way unacceptable?
Jinta lowered his hand to where Seiko could see it, but he could not see her. The Humanity he spoke of rose from his hand, a black sprite with a white glow. If Seiko had eyes she may have cried again, in gratefulness and shame. She reached for the Humanity and it reached for her gladly, whooshing into her hand and sinking into her. Seiko turned to the bonfire, making sure to turn in such a way as to hide from Jinta, and offered the Humanity to the fire. Just as it had restored her life, now it restored her flesh, the flames enveloping her and returning her pale, smooth skin to her. The Undead had no scars, for in Lordran anything bad enough to scar you will kill you eventually, and the flames did not understand such imperfections.
Seiko heaved a sigh, disappointed with herself. Her first death since her arrival in Lordran, and they hadn't even descended into the Demon Ruins yet. Jinta, still behind her, knelt down nearby. He reached for her hood, pulling it off and turning her to face him. He pulled into an embrace, unable to understand what exactly made her so ashamed. He had died many times to reach this point, and to him, death was only delay. But Seiko, who could never put it into words, death, especially in front of Jinta, was a disgrace and an insult. She was supposed to be better than that. But where Jinta could not understand, Seiko knew why he had hugged her, and was again grateful for his kindness. There was no sense that he was kind out of obligation to his faith, nor the sense that he was kind to achieve some goal of his own. It was kindness for the sake of kindness, righteousness for the reason that it was righteous...
The moment past, Jinta and Seiko renewed their journey to Lost Izalith, walking down a winding rock path to the solidified magma lake. In the distance, huge demons shaped like standing bulls stood guarding something glowing. To the right, however, the path continued into the Demon Ruins, and was guarded by a sole goat demon. It stood twice as tall as a man, holding large swords made of bones. The demon waited until they approached, then charged Jinta to crush him beneath its swords. Jinta held his falchion over his head, repelling the attack and stabbing the demon in the chest with his rapier. Jinta jumped forward, straddling the demon and forcing it to the floor where he shoved the rapier down to the hilt. The demon convulsed and howled, white light streaming from its eyes and mouth. It went limp suddenly, dying. Jinta ripped his rapier out of the demon's chest, revealing a smoking crater all the way to the ground. Seiko might be useless here, but Jinta's faith-based nature made him perfect for the mission.
The two continued forward, meeting many more goat demons, with Jinta referred to as Lesser Capra Demons. After a fight with one of the bull demons, a Lesser Taurus Demon, Jinta and Seiko entered a chamber guarded by a familiar face. A demon like the Asylum guardian, with orange scales instead of green scales, stood in their way. The fight was difficult, especially since not even Dragon Slayer arrows would pierce its skin. Eventually, Seiko was able to wrap Abyss chains around one of its legs, tripping it. Jinta placed his foot on the back of its head and sliced through its neck with his falchion. The demon's soul split between himself and Seiko and they continued forward. Several more times, Seiko found herself on the defensive. Demons with stone skin were impossible for her to simply punch, and her flames did nothing to them. The Abyss was risky to use, and if she overdid it, she might forget to recall all of it and begin a new crisis. Even a small amount left alone would swallow Demon Ruins, Lost Izalith, and eventually Blighttown. With no great sealers to be found, it would certainly devour Lordran this time. Seiko ended up dodging, blocking, and relying on Jinta. Eventually, the two came to a bonfire above the next chamber, which was down the roots of some unknown tree. Such roots were everywhere, oddly enough. Resting before moving on, Jinta and Seiko could only wonder what awaited them in Lost Izalith...
Event 10: The Bed Of Chaos coming soon...
Author Note: Sorry I didn't update last night like I wanted. I recently got Dead Space 3, and I was hooked like you wouldn't believe. That won't be the last death in the series, I assure you. Nito was easy because both of them are powerful and powerful in all the right ways to kill him off. In Chaos, Seiko's useless while Jinta's still powerful. And if Seiko's already beaten The Four Kings, what could possibly be left... I'm sure my readers will figure it out... But then, who said there won't be detours? After all, there's still a few things I want to showcase in this fic... *evil laughter*