Author's notes: That last chapter was a bit of a whirlwind, so I think it's time to cool things down a bit here... but how can we do that when we've got one of the most infamously tough areas coming up? If you've played the game before, you know that our heroes have just descended into the beautiful and deadly underground lake! Gaining an audience with the King is no easy task, after all. Then again, you've probably realized that by now!
Chapter 14 – The Royal Aegis! - "Give me something to work with!"
Shrine of Amana
Underneath Castle Drangleic was a sprawling underground lake, lit up by luminescent fungi and plant life. It was the only known path to the great crypt where offerings were given to the King's fallen men and all those who preceded him, during the time when Drangleic was called by another name. However, they were not the only ones to receive such treatment. It had been long-rumored that one of the last surviving demons made its home here, and that a line of maidens were sent to offer their flesh to satiate the demon, but one day, the Demon stopped receiving its offering. The now-hollowed shrine maidens, unfit for sacrifice, stood guard throughout the shrine, deterring any would-be adventurers from disturbing what dwells in its deepest chamber.
"Wake up, big fella. Ride's over." Vivi commanded, slapping LoveGame awake. The slow descent on the ornate, round elevator had given the man and his cohorts some brief respite; something they were in dire need of after passing the Looking Glass Knight's test. King Vendrick was within reach, and now was no time to slow down!
LoveGame cracked his neck, shook his hair dry, and donned his helm. He and the others gazed out in awe at the Shrine. Compared to most of the locales they'd visited on their journey, it was positively calm and serene. Sounds of chirping insects and light water currents were accompanied by... singing! Yes, no sound in nature could mimic the vocalizing that echoed throughout the lake.
Despite his body aching all over, LoveGame mustered up a bit of his colorful commentary. "Whatchu guys think? Lakefront property sounds kinda appealing, huh? And from the sound of it, we get a free performance every night. Maybe we oughta ask the ol' King how much this place is going for. Hope you guys have been saving up your souls."
Vivi shrugged and gave a scoff. "Fate of the whole kingdom's on us, and he's asking us about property. I wanna hate the guy, but I just can't." he said, smiling a little under his helm.
"Hey, from what I gather, positivity seems to be his strong point." chimed Melanie.
As they descended the spiral staircase leading into the water, the group continued to converse. Ilia had been trying to restrain her thoughts, but couldn't hold back what she was thinking. "So, uhh... are we gonna address what just happened, or is this some kinda prank on your old pal Ilia?"
"What do you mean?" LoveGame plainly asked, puzzled.
"I mean the two of you... getting together! After spending this whole adventure trying to kill each other... I dunno, it's so unnatural!" she answered, still a bit flustered at the events that had transpired after the Mirror Knight's defeat.
LoveGame sighed. "You know... I'm not completely sure why it happened myself, but... it feels so right! It's like she said before; when the world's on the brink of collapse, you gotta live for the moment, baby."
"It's weird saying this, but..." added Melanie, "...fighting him so much honestly added to the appeal of the whole thing. It's such a headrush, y'know?" her tone grew a bit sly as she added, "Come to think of it... if I didn't know any better... well, why are you so bothered by this? Jealous that I stole your boyfriend? Hahaha..." she teased.
Ilia groaned and rolled her eyes. "Would you give that a rest? He was never my boyfriend, you tart. I don't even know what gave you that idea."
Melanie wanted to push Ilia's buttons some more, but LoveGame cut her off and put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, dear. Are we comfortable with pet names yet? Anyway... Ilia's tellin' the truth. I value her a lot – you'll learn to do the same in due time – but she's my soul-sister. She'd sooner eat a hollow than think about layin' with me. Hahaha!"
The graceful cleric shot the knight a lustful stare. "Ooh, that reminds me... you think your body aches now? After all this is over, soon as I get the chance... I'll make you exhausted for a week straight."
Her statement garnered very different reactions from the others. "I don't doubt it. I've been bursting at the seams ever since you started rocking those desert clothes. Why do you think I made you change out of 'em? Either way, you'll be the first one to make that sorta claim." said LoveGame, completely straight-faced.
"Go on..." urged Vivi.
Ilia cringed and held her hands out. "No, don't! I don't even wanna think about that.. imagery! Ugh!"
The staircase lead down onto the natural rock path, surrounded by shallow water. Golden fireflies danced just above its surface in curious clusters. Many arching trees towered over the lake, but at this depth and this time of night, light could not hope to trickle through the gaps. The stone path lead up to a mostly-intact house of sorts, which seemed to be the source of the eerie vocalizing.
"Alright..." said Vivi pensively, observing his surroundings as the group weighed their options. "Enough horsing around, people. Call it a wizard's intuition, but this place doesn't feel as lovely as it looks... and well... nothing's been particularly easy for us so far, right? Stay alert."
LoveGame flashed the man a thumbs-up. "Always on top. That's what I like about you, Viv. So what are you guys thinking; should we go in?"
"I think so." said Ilia. "Remember, we're just about out of supplies. If we're going to stand a chance, it might be worth it to look the place over."
Vivi nodded. "Right you are, Lord Protector! As you might know, the lifegem... it's formed from the very essence of the soul! Anywhere death is found, so is a bounty of lifegems! I need to stop before I excite myself too much!"
"I can't decide if that's fascinating or disturbing. I'm gonna go with both, equally." Ilia remarked, raising an eyebrow.
LoveGame knocked on the building's wooden door. "Err... Anyone there? I promise we're not solicitors."
His only answer was a collection of distorted laughter that sounded... somehow familiar. Filled with a sense of dread, Vivi held out both arms, signaling the group to keep their distance. In a blur, he dashed behind the house and smashed the sound's source – a cursed jar!
"...Should be safe now." said the wizard, sheathing his jeweled scimitar.
LoveGame and Ilia remembered those constructs from the Shaded Woods, though they agreed that they'd rather forget, and headed inside the house. As soon as the door creaked open, the singing ceased. They were greeted by a pale, sheveled looking woman in a light green dress, kneeling.
The knight in black limped toward her and asked, "Hey, uhh... you sounded pretty good! When's your album coming out?"
The lady ignored his question and looked up at him. "...we knew you were coming. We stopped singing when you drew close."
"We're, uhh... not tryin' to be quiet." replied Melanie.
"We are called Milfanito. The old dead one left us here long ago. We know nothing of the outside world." the lady said, presumably introducing herself.
Vivi gasped under his breath. That name... the mere mention of it makes my heart sink... but why?
"As for our singing," she continued, "it serves to calm the little ones."
Vivi gave a long sigh. "'Little ones'... I don't like the sound of that. So that means when you stopped..."
His thoughts were confirmed as he heard the previously calm water begin to slosh aggressively. The group readied their weapons as a pack of lizard-like beasts poured into the room! Though agile, they proved fairly weak and were dealt with fairly simply, being forced to enter one-by-one. The milfanito remained kneeling and unfazed, as if nothing had happened. Luckily, as Vivi had guessed, the house did have a few lifegems scattered beneath the water.
Continuing along the path, the heroes spotted several figures treading the water in a patrolling fashion. There were two distinct types; mages swathed in gray gowns, and more burly knights adorned in flowy white robes. Melanie instantly recognized the latter.
"What the... Lindeldt clerics?! ...but what are they doing here?" she said, sounding worried. "Don't you two remember, I was wearing that same robe when we fought the first time. If they're trying to keep us out... that makes this a little bit personal!"
LoveGame drew his Smelter Sword in both hands. "Don't you worry, my bride-to-be! I'll waste 'em like drank! Let's- aaaaugh! Oh, ssssshit!"
No sooner did he tense his body for battle than every inch of it ached with a shooting pain! Not even the mystical lifegems could make torn muscle feel like new... not all at once, anyhow.
Though his friends couldn't see it, he was cracking a very sheepish smile at them. "Umm... so that last battle took a little more out of ol' LG than I woulda figured. Could you guys maybe... pretty please... handle the resistance ahead? I'll give you all the moral support you need, I promise!"
Ilia, Vivi, and Melanie shot each other confident smirks. "You heard the man. That means it's..." said the Lord Protector.
"...open season." Vivi finished her sentence.
"Hey... Vivi, was it? You were mentioning supplies earlier. How you doin' on spells?" Melanie asked, motioning over to him.
He thought about it for a moment. "Ehh, kinda low, now that you mention it. Spearing those knights back in the castle was so cathartic, I'd lost track of all the power I expended!"
Melanie held out a white herb, broke it down with her fingers, and rolled it into some sort of leaf. "Here, this should have you feelin' up to par. LoveGame and Ilia can't use magic, so it's no use to them.
Taking a drag from the expertly rolled joint, Vivi slowly felt his magical energy revitalize. Melanie followed suit on her own, and the two tapped their joints together in something of a toast. "Forget what Ilia thinks, I like you already. My friend must have some supremely good taste." Vivi complimented.
"C'mon! She's getting ahead of us!" Melanie shouted, noting Ilia, who was already sprinting forth with her red blade aglow. "Don't let her have all the fun!" she took one last puff from her herb before tossing it into the water with a wisp of smoke trailing from it.
The three of them dashed toward the robed enemies, pulling them away from each other strategically. LoveGame trudged forward, using his greatsword as something of a cane as its tip hissed against the water's surface. He observed his friends' tactics, finding himself very impressed with how they fought in sync despite their considerable differences. Wow... I never took the time to notice it before – I guess 'cuz I was fighting too- but those guys fight like it's second-nature. Considering what I've seen 'em do so far, I shouldn't be surprised. If they can set aside whatever ill will they have toward Melanie, I think they'd be damn near unstoppable.
Indeed, the way they fought together could bring chills down one's spine. Ilia's fluid mastery of the sword and shield, Vivi's endless barrage of spells and perfect spacing, and Melanie's brutal assault with her Blacksword. They clearly relished the thought of being able to show LoveGame what they were made of. The Lindeldt Clerics were able to move much faster in water than the heroes, but hollowing had left their combat skills loose and rusted. They were dispatched gracefully, and the group wasted no time searching their bodies for anything useful.
The stepping stone path lead into a natural cavern. When LoveGame caught up to the group, they proceeded in as he commended their efforts. "Hah, that was so cool! They way you danced on the water like that... I gotta know, what gave you such a rush?"
Ilia cracked her neck. "Call it... a chance to let off some steam. I got kinda bored just fighting on the defensive back there... and you know me. Last time I got bored, I decided to join up with you."
The other two chimed with agreement. "You're enjoying yourselves, and that's what matters." said LoveGame. "Keep puttin' on a show for your old pal!"
Vivi gripped his staff close. "It's something about the way their bodies hit the water. I haven't been this satisfied in a long time!"
"Ooh, you're growing quite the violent streak, my friend." LoveGame noted. "I'm a fan. Keep it up, seriously."
The cave let out into the other half of the lake. The glowing plant life was now joined by various ruins, too eroded by the currents to tell what they once might've been. Numerous gray-robed mages dotted the area, far more than what they'd encountered on the previous side. As the heroes emerged, the mages began to open fire on them! The soul arrows tracked their targets relentlessly, making evasion difficult. They took cover behind some ruins momentarily as Melanie readied her chime. "Oh, yeah! I've been waitin' to use this one. Check it out!" She jingled her chime as a white aura began to envelop her body! "Greeeeat... magiiiic... barrier!" she shouted, before placing her chime back onto her belt.
Ilia laughed a bit to herself. "Now she's calling her attacks too? Here I was thinking it might be awhile before LoveGame's tendencies rubbed off on her. Gotta hand it to the guy, he's contagious."
After the miracle had been cast, Melanie leapt out to engage the sorcerers! True to its name, the miracle laughed off the assault of soul arrows as she cut each enemy down, acting as though she didn't feel a thing. The maidens let out horrific wails as they collapsed in death, echoing all through the shrine.
Vivi gritted his teeth at the sight. That can't be true... you mean to tell me that miracle can... she could've been able to defeat me this entire time! No, I'm looking too deep into this...
As the last mage fell, Melanie planted her greatsword into the ground and struck a pose. "It's safe to come out now! Heh, I told you I'd make myself useful, didn't I?"
LoveGame nodded at her. "Not bad at all. But didja really have to use a technique like that? Seemed like it made things a little too easy."
"Hey, if it's there, I'mma use it. Whatever earns us the win, babe." she replied coolly.
The rest of the walk was far more leisurely, as the four were met with little resistance and the path grew wider and more straightforward, no longer did they have to worry about taking an unwanted dip in the deep waters. They were even treated to an encore of the hypnotic singing from before as they drew closer; the descending path lead into another house, and within dwelled another Milfanito. This one looked even more worse for wear than the last, but continued its singing nonetheless. When approached, the group collectively flinched as she let out a gasp of despair and disappeared in a blinding flash, leaving nary a trace of herself behind. This illicited a chorus of "Huh"s and "What the..."s from the heroes.
Even stranger than that, the singing didn't stop! As a matter of fact, it grew louder as they approached the fog wall at the building's far end. Knowing what was about to happen, they all prepared their weapons and stepped through, but none of them were mentally prepared for what was on the other side.
The inlet beyond the fog was very well-lit compared to the rest of the shrine... it felt off in every sense of the word. The air was dense and humid, permeated with an aura of malice. The creature resting at the other end, however, was something they'd have trouble describing later. The bulk of its body resembled a giant tailed frog, dewy black hide glistening over the calm water. Its face, however... its face was that of a withered skull, attached to a set of lanky arms that yearned to writhe itself out of the frog body's mouth. Disturbingly, it didn't even react to the presence of the heroes.. it merely kept singing.
The realization that such a hauntingly beautiful sound came from this... abomination made their blood run cold. Even worse, they knew they were going to have to fight it to proceed. LoveGame was the first to step forward. "Alright... I know what everyone's thinking... 'this thing looks seriously fucked up!', right? Well, don't even give those thoughts the dignity of slowing you down! I think I feel better now, so let me demonstrate... this one might me a little more unnerving than the rest, but... they all burn the same!"
With that, the knight charged forward to face the demon. It reacted swiftly, pulling the amphibian hide over its exposed face just before the Smelter Sword struck its body. The knight experienced a repeat of his encounter with the Writing Ruin; his whole body vibrated as the mighty blow glanced harmlessly off of the demon. It retaliated by reaching one of its gangly arms out and slapping the knight aside like an unwanted doll.
Crashing against the water, he pushed himself back onto his feet. "Ughh... okay, 'better' was... relatively speaking. Doesn't look like we can crack this thing open my way... Got any ideas?" he asked, looking to his cohorts.
Vivi's eyes drew toward the water it made its home in. It was then that the strategy was clear as day! "Easy! If I'm not mistaken, your new girlfriend over here is packing some of those lightning miracles I hear so much about. Getting all wet like that seems like it makes this monstrosity feel right at home, but I'm willing to bet it won't take kindly to a few thousand volts! It's the one-two punch!"
Melanie gave the wizard a distraught look. "Point taken, but... I burned all those lightning spears up just fighting my way here! That twilight herb only gets a girl so far! Your idea's our best bet, but... you gotta give me somethin' to work with!"
LoveGame held up one finger. "I've got it! Ilia! Vivi! Keep the ugly toad off of me for just a few seconds!"
Trusting him with all their faith, the two jumped in to engage the demon as LoveGame approached Melanie, producing a yellow scroll from his bag. "Use this one, if you can!"
Melanie looked at the parchment with her mouth agape. "Seriously?! But that's the... where'd someone like you get your hands on this?!"
"I'm not entirely sure!" answered the knight. "Ever since I swore into that glorious covenant, I keep finding these medals from the monsters we've defeated so far. Once I amassed about... I dunno, thirty of 'em? This thing just kinda showed up in my bag! Pretty sweet, huh?"
The curvaceous cleric swiftly snatched the paper from the knight's hand. "Give that here! Someone like you doesn't deserve it."
LoveGame crossed his arms. "Hey! You should be thankful; I don't normally give out such extravagant gifts on the first date!"
"Don't flatter yourself." scoffed Melanie. "Here. Take this and go help your them wrangle that bad boy! I'll show you how we do it in Lindeldt!" she boasted, handing the knight a massive lifegem. The sound of it crushing in his hand echoed loudly through the demon's chamber as he joined his allies. The battle so far had been relatively breakeven – Ilia and Vivi were able to block most of the onslaught, but vicious slaps and roaring jets of pressurized water from the beast's mouth prevented either of them from getting close enough to do damage!
"Listen up!" commanded LoveGame. "The way I see it, it's only got two arms... and, well, there's three of us! You followin' me?"
Vivi nodded at him. "Loud and clear! Looks to me like the only way we can hurt this thing is in that grotesque face under the skin. It's a little shy, but has to expose itself to attack, see?"
"Yeah, well... I don't feel like waiting, feel me? So what we're gonna do is... hold its lips open by force! That'll be the perfect opening for the thick girl wet dream to zap 'im to the extreme!" he explained, motioning over at Melanie. "Just like you said, Vivi!"
Ilia's eyes widened. "Seriously?! Oh, who am I kidding? It's not like I have a choice at this point... Lemme see that smile!"
In a show of their coordination, the knight, the wizard, and the lord protector all rushed the demon down! Sheathing their weapons, they took hold of the frog skin's lips and forced its skeletal head into view! LoveGame and Vivi held the bottom lip firmly in place, while Ilia had jumped clear onto its back and gripped the top!
"This one's you, Melanie! It's now or never; light this bitch up!" roared LoveGame.
She took a deep breath, focusing power into her sacred chime. Holding it out in front of her, she began to line the shot up! It was no easy task, as the slippery creature writhed, flopped, clawed, and jerked every which way! The other three used up every ounce of their strength to hold the fearsome demon's face open! What emitted from her chime definitely resembled a standard lightning spear, only its glow resonated golden and blinding. What the others failed to take into account was just how much larger and more powerful this variant was.
"Hey, now! Careful with that big thing, or we're gonna get caught in the-" stuttered the wayward knight fearfully.
Melanie's face was overtaken by an intense smile, her piercing red eyes lit up like embers. "Don't you worry. We're gonna have fun with this thing." Readying the shining bolt of light several times longer than her body, she shouted, "Watch this! Sunlight... SPEAR!"
Her voice was followed by the crackling of thunder as she loosed the destructive miracle upon the unfortunate demon! Blinding sparks flew in every direction as it hit its mark, sending a surge of electricity through its body, amplified to a frightening degree as its own dwelling betrayed it. The air was almost instantly filled with the stench of blackened flesh; the demon had been thoroughly cooked to death. The rest of the heroes were considerably less cheerful than Melanie, still recovering from the collateral damage.
LoveGame stared in awe at the monster's body before it faded to ash and he absorbed its souls. "Man.. what the hell is she?" he said to himself as he removed his helmet to drain it of water again. "I should be used to this by now, but... couldn't you tone it down a little?"
This protest was met with agreement by the other two, but Melanie brushed it off. "I either do it big, or not at all. The sooner you realize that, the better, hon."
Sighing, LoveGame called Ilia's attention to the large soul it left behind. "Check it out. This one feels way different than the rest... kinda like the one I used to make my Smelter Sword."
"That confirms my suspicions. It's a demon's soul. This is... astounding, honestly. All my old records are pretty consistent in saying all the demons were wiped out ages ago, but keeping in mind what we found in the Earthen Peak, and your own encounter in Iron Keep, it's clear there were more than a few outliers. Man, I'm gonna be something like famous if I can make it home with all this research." Ilia said.
"You will, I promise." affirmed the knight, putting his helm back on.
Hidden by a clever rock formation was a pathway leading out of the demon's dwelling. Following it brought the group to the lake's terminus and another small stone building. Within lied yet another round elevator, which they proceeded to ride down. Though our heroes were still reeling a bit from the battle with the amphibious demon, the same thought lingered in all their minds: Just how deep were they going to have to go in order to reach this King of legend... the seeds of doubt sewn by Melanie's warning began to grow into fear.
Undead Crypt
The human-giant war, contrary to what some historical documents say, was not incited by King Vendrick himself. Though his men sung his praises as a leader, few know the truth. Officially, the war was indeed won, but at the cost of nearly every solider at the King's disposal. To honor their sacrifice, they were given a final resting place in the halls of a great crypt, rumored to house the bodies of past kings, in the time when Drangleic went by another name. After the King went to war, he entrusted the protection of this sacred ground to his right-hand and valued friend, who to date has not been heard from again.
The elevator was near-identical to the one that brought them into the shrine, and the ride felt even longer, but this gave the four time to take a breather. They arrived in a dark, open room with a single staircase leading up in the middle. Immediately, the first thing they all noticed was the distinct odor of rot. A chorus of coughs, retches, and gags filled the chamber. LoveGame was sure he was going to puke any second. Clearly most of the departed that were buried here had yet to fully decompose... or, more likely, had simply refused to do so...
"To think this is only the entryway. Try not to pass out when we get deeper in, everyone." Vivi said, teasing them a bit.
"...noted. Still, I dunno how I feel about grave-robbing." LoveGame thought aloud. "Sounds glamorous if I were a thief, but... it sorta goes against my honor as a knight. I won't do it!"
Melanie winked at him. "Fair enough. How about you leave that part to me, then? In case you haven't noticed, I have no honor, hahaha!" she said, clearly proud of her claim.
"...I noticed it, all right." muttered Ilia.
With that, the heroes forged on through the crypt. It was far more confined and straightforward than the shrine, and resistance wasn't nearly as heavy. Early on, they were beset by a handful of Leydia mages, who were dispatched in due time with the help of a timely Great Magic Barrier and Vivi angrily returning fire with a burst of hexes or two. The resulting brawl had smashed open the strange urns that littered the crypt, releasing corrosive acid onto the ground; it only took a few missteps for the four to watch their footing closely from there on out.
The crypt's remaining defenses were, quite honestly, depressing. They consisted of little more than emaciated hollows, likely once soldiers, barely clothed in worn rags. Initially, the four would jump a bit at the sight of them digging their way out of the soil, but the fight they put up, if you could call it that, was rather pathetic. They'd shamble toward the target and take a slow, labored swipe with both hands, inflicting very little, if any damage. Each one was cut down in a single halfhearted swipe. True to her word, Melanie handled most of the looting, going out of her way to bend over seductively with each object she picked up, in hopes that LoveGame, and the other two for that matter, would get a good look at her massive rear.
However, the real threat emerged when the group began to ignore them and attempt to move on for time's sake. As soon as one reached one of several bells that were erected on the grave sites, a ghostly Leydia spirit would be summoned! These wraiths had considerably more fight in them, quickly separating the heroes and laying into them with aggressive sword strikes and stopping their advances with columns of flame and soul spears! Even when one was struck down, another would come in its place!
Cleaving one of the spirits in half with the Smelter Demon's blade, LoveGame voiced his frustration. "Come on! There's just no end to these guys!"
Vivi, who was having a marginally easier time thanks to the advantage of range, spotted something out of the corner of his eye. The spirits were emerging from tall gravestones, placed strategically around the room! "Can't believe I didn't look for something like that... everyone! See those stones? Do your old pal Vivi a favor and grind them to dust, would you?! Looks like our entourage here needs them to get through!"
By the wizard's command, the other three sprinted toward the stones and attacked them with all their strength! One by one they crumbled, and the hollow's bell-ringing became futile. The remaining spirits found themselves caught in Vivi's Dark Hail, fading into the aether and leaving behind only their weapons. The bell-ringing ceased, and the crypt fell silent for the time being.
Further in was a long, snaking hallway with some sort of track in the middle, as if mine carts had once been attached. Following it lead to little more than a dead end, in the form of a wall. At least, it might've passed for a wall to those with little to no observational skill. To anyone with enough brain cells to rub together, the 'wall' appeared to be a pair of hulking knights, wielding only shields. One in each hand, held firmly together and unmoving. In a deep, grumbling voice, one whispered to the other, "...hey. D'ya think those guys noticed us yet? I think our trick worked!"
"...you two can drop the act and fight us, now." Ilia said flatly. "I'd feel sorry for anyone who was fooled by that stunt, honestly. You aren't even lined up properly!"
The shield warriors gave a panicked gasp and lurched forth, attempting to flatten the group with their improvised weapons. Even when outnumbered, they did manage to block the heroes' attacks with relative ease, but Ilia, using the same move as she had against the Looking Glass Knight, bashed against their defensive wall, causing the shields to separate and creating an opening! A few stabs through their cracked, decrepit armor was all it took to fell them.
"Hah, no way!" said LoveGame excitedly. "I heard about that before, but would've never believed it if I didn't see it here!"
The other three looked at him in confusion.
"You guys'll love this! Where I come from, everyone would tell these wild tales about a group of warriors who exclusively used shields to fight with. 'Course, I can't think of much of a reason for it... maybe they were challenging themselves? This'll be a great nugget of info for your research, Ilia!"
The knightess sighed and said, "I'll, uhh, be sure to write it down when we're done here... Now what?"
Vivi silently pointed at the circular hole before them. The drop down wasn't very far, and seemed to be the only logical way forward. One by one, the group plunged in and continued forth. A corridor or two later, they reached what they could only assume was the deepest part of the Crypt; a wide, grand hallway decorated with many carved pillars and statues of men who's names were lost to time. It only took a single glance down this hall to realize why this room was so important – unlike the rest of the area, it was almost too heavily guarded.
The main defense force was made up mostly of Syan knights, with tower shields raised and heels dug firmly into the ground. They were supported by more Leydia mages, channeled through the pillars that lined the hall. At the very end stood a Dragonrider, just like the ones they'd faced before. Whatever was beyond this point was evidently to be protected at all costs, and these remaining guardians clearly meant business.
Ilia reached for her binoculars and took a closer look at their opposition. "Hmm... I count at least fifteen knights... and ten of those spirits. It's a tight formation, so splitting them up won't be an option. What are you guys thinking?"
"Do we really have a choice?" asked LoveGame. "We never have any solid strategy for this things... I guess we've just gotta get in there and put in some serious work. If I remember right, those gold knight guys weren't even that tough.
"Correct" replied Ilia. "They weren't tough when we fought them one at a time back in the castle. We won't be able to use the same tactic of circling them until their backs are exposed. I would suggest trying to knock away those shields and attack while they're stunned."
LoveGame cracked his knuckles. "Not a bad idea, sis. Looks fun enough when you do it, anyways!"
"Vivi, you keep the casters off of us with some of that black magic of yours."
The dark-skinned man nodded. "Yes, ma'am. And if you would, please don't use such belittling terms for my hexes."
"Everyone ready?"
The other three gave the Lord Protector a thumbs-up and assumed battle stances. LoveGame, Ilia, and Melanie all ran ahead of Vivi, who drew in the mages with a few well-placed dark orbs. The ensuing battle quickly went from an organized effort to a frantic, unstructured mess. Even still, the warriors put all their focus into felling the Syan knights! One would bash their shield away while the other switched positions and cut the golden knights down! They retaliated with swords and halberds surging with bright lightning! Evading their long reach was no easy feat, but the knights' numbers began to dwindle until those that remained became far more manageable. The adamant manner in which the heroes fought spoke for itself; they wanted to reach the King at all costs, and had lost their patience long ago.
The Dragonrider was the last to fall, and all that stood in their way was another wall of mist. Part of them hoped that the King would be just beyond here, but after the sheer number of these they had come across, they knew not to get their hopes up. As if their thoughts were in sync, they all took deep breaths and steeled themselves before entering.
It was a sizable, but mostly unassuming room with little more than pillars lining it. At the end, a tall figure clad in brass-colored armor knelt, facing away from the group. He sensed them almost immediately, rising to face them and slinging a giant hammer over his shoulder. His squid-shaped helm was open-faced, revealing stone-like visage. Rising to his feet, he spoke at them. "Oh, dear... it has been a very long time since anyone deliberately sought me out... Then again, I'm not that important, at least, not anymore. Let me guess... you seek Vendrick?"
"That's right." answered LoveGame. "Are you gonna be kind enough to let us through? Where is the big guy, anyways?"
The man's tone turned slightly aggressive. "I knew as much... My comrade the King lies just past this door. However, you will not be allowed an audience with him as long as I, Velstadt the Royal Aegis, stand before you."
The sound of LoveGame's neck cracking as he prepared for combat echoed along the walls of the chamber. "...is that how it's going to be? Look, buddy. I didn't decide to seek the guy out on my own accord. If you must know, I was given this quest by an emerald lady. You'll move aside one way or the other. Besides that, you don't even look as tough as the Looking Glass Knight. Now that guy, he was a..."
"Enough!" interjected Velstadt. "He was merely a test to see who was worthy of serving under the King. He was unfit for guarding the Royal Highness' life, unlike myself. Had you not disgraced me with your doubt of my skill, I might've given you a chance. Now, however... join the rest of my men in death!"
Velstadt twirled his great hammer in one hand, perhaps to display his immense strength. He followed this movement up with a forward dash, nigh-impossible for any of the heroes to trace with their eyes. In a single movement, he'd closed the distance between himself and LoveGame, and delivered a brutal punch to his spine!
"Aaaaaaauuugh! Damn, I didn't see-!"
Before the wayward knight could react, the royal aegis brought the hammer down on LoveGame's leg, bending it horrifically out of shape as he heard the sickening crack of bone! He let out an agonizing scream as his body tumbled to the ground, bringing a smug grin to to Velstadt's face. "Still think you can compare me to that foolish Mirror Knight? …and as for the rest of you... are you still willing to resist me? Are you prepared to meet the same fate as your friend?"
The other three appeared to remain steadfast. They firmly held their weapons and stared the brass warrior down with intent. "Honestly, Velstadt... I feel insulted!" taunted Vivi. "To answer your question, yes, we will go through you to reach the King. I know what you're thinking... that you'll just take the three of us out the same way you did my friend over there... What you didn't take into account was, well, that was a surprise attack..."
"Listen, just feel 'im out!" shouted LoveGame. "I woulda done the same, but I was goin' for the first strike... He won't hit you!"
Just as before Velstadt lunged forth at breakneck speed! "...and those only work once!" Vivi roared, spinning around Velstadt and digging his scimitar right through the back of that gleaming armor! "Now!"
On Vivi's signal, Ilia and Melanie rushed forth to follow up on the attack! They both landed clean hits, causing the Aegis to stagger! His face contorted into a grimace, but he quickly recovered and smiled once more. "If that's how it's going to be... no more words! I'll let my resolve speak for itself!"
The battle raged on with LoveGame unable to do more than watch in anticipation. The Royal Aegis fought true to his claims, able to handle all three warriors as though it were a duel. Every time one of them evaded his hammer, he'd react with a swift punch or kick to subdue them a few seconds. However, each marginal error he made was punished heavily by another clean hit from one of the heroes. After sustaining enough damage, Velstadt's body released a pulse of darkness, knocking all three of them away. While they were stunned, he knelt down and began to ring the bell within his hammer.
"Forgive me, Vendrick. Though the queen bestowed me with this gift, I had hoped to never have to resort to using it... This will be the first and last time!" he said to himself as his body took on a deep purple glow, growing in brightness at the head of his hammer. His heavy swings became more and more aggressive, with next to no pause in between them! His technique devolved into a blind rage, turning the pillars within the room into dust! Growing impatient, Melanie rushed forth with her Blacksword, growling louder with each step! Velstadt saw this as the chance to claim another victim! The moment she sprung forth, he brought his hammer all the way around, swatting her away like an insect with a dark-infused smash!
Ilia gritted her teeth. It was now two-to-one, and this towering guardian easily equated to five good men. "Vivi! It's no use trying to break his defense like this! We've gotta get some distance!"
Vivi nodded at her. Indeed, he was the only one with a reliable ranged counter, but he'd need the space to cast something. They sprinted way from Velstadt... but he curiously did not give chase! Instead, he held his hammer out in front of him again and rang the bell, summoning forth his own ranged attack; a devastating wave of dark orbs!
...and that gave the four of them exactly the opening they needed.
Ilia and Vivi took the assault of hexes head-on. While the Lord Protector was slowed a little as she blocked with her shield, the wizard trudged forth relatively unfazed. "That was the worst move you could've made. Those spells, you said the queen gave them you, right? I happen to be a practitioner of them myself... and I'm beginning to think I'm made of the damn things!"
On the other end of the chamber, LoveGame held up his Smelter Sword in both hands. I may not be able to walk... but these ol' arms still got somethin' in 'em! If I surge this thing with enough souls... he thought, before chucking the molten blade with all his might!
Velstadt made a valiant attempt to dodge, but the sword buried itself clean through his chest, creating a searing exit wound! This appeared to do little more than anger the towering guardian further; a true testament to his immense pain tolerance! The moment he turned toward LoveGame, eyes ablaze with a primal rage, Melanie launched a volley of lightning spears right at his back! As Velstadt convulsed from the shock, Ilia dashed in to retrieve the Smelter Sword, damaging him more in the process! As soon as she was out of range, Vivi brought the house down with a mighty Crystal Soul Spear to the enemy's head... and just like that, the Royal Aegis was no more. Fading into aethereal ash, not even his weapon remained. Only silence.
Before the group could celebrate, another one of the Crypt's secrets was made very clear to them; Velstadt's soul was evidently tied to the stone door behind him, as it ground its way open just as he fell, shaking off untold years of dust in the process. Ilia handed LoveGame his sword, which he used as a makeshift cane to keep up with the group. Melanie supplied him with several more lifegems as well. They weren't going to put his bone back into place, but they worked wonders at dulling the pain enough for him to move.
Upon passing the stone door's threshold into the deepest, most forgotten chamber of the crypt... the heroes' hearts collectively sunk. A terrible mixture of disbelief and shock washed over them, quickly overtaken by a wave of realization and sadness.
The chamber's sole occupant could have, at some point in his long life, been called King of Drangleic. His sheer size, rivaling that of the guardian they'd just defeated, was proof enough of his once-immense soul. The gaunt, shambling figure that stood before them now, however, was no king. Hollowed beyond recognition, the former monarch dragged his tarnished blade along the floor with a grating scrape, pausing every few seconds in accordance with his staggered movement. At the far end of the room, his sturdy armor lay in a sad heap, having long since been discarded. Aside from the rags, indistinguishable from the common hollow, his sole garment was his old crown; perhaps the one thing he refused to give up...
...just as the wayward knight refused to believe what he saw before him. Mustering the remainder of his stamina, he hobbled toward the former king and began to shout through misty eyes for his attention. "H-Hey! Vendrick! Your highness! B-big guy! Come on, I know you're in there somewhere... I know you're... I know you're all important, but you're not too stuck up to talk to me, right? I'm pretty important myself, so- s-speak up! Don't you... don't you dare ignore me!" he demanded, choking back tears as he laid a fist into the hollow king's leg.
Neither his words nor his attack fazed Vendrick one bit, as he continued to wander aimlessly around the ceremonial chamber. A second look revealed the place to be hauntingly beautiful, with endless rows of statues and engravings made in the King's honor. The room was very clearly built for him. Melanie shot Vivi a look. "Guess we were right... for better or worse... Dammit, and here I was hoping we weren't."
LoveGame collapsed to his knees and began to sob angrily. He pounded the ground with enough force to make small shards of the floor to break off. Ilia came to his side and put one hand on his shoulder. "Come on... we all had a suspicion this was going to happen. Those two... their claim didn't exactly come out of nowhere. They just put two and two together before we did."
"...I did my best to suppress the thought... I knew it would happen, but not like this. What kinda fate is this for a king, anyway?! I respected the guy without knowing a damn thing about him! That says a lot, doesn't it?! Rrgh... listen up! The four of us are gonna find whoever did this... and tear their heart out clean at the chest!"
Vivi approached LoveGame, doing his best to bring him to his senses. "We all want to do that, comrade. No true monarch deserves an end like this... but let's think first. Could anything here help us?"
"Take a look at this find!" said Melanie, pulling something from Vendrick's discarded armor. She held it up for the others too look at. It was a dark gold ring inscribed with some sort of ancient text, which none of them could decipher. Just when they began to inspect it further, they heard a very familiar voice from the other side of the king's chamber.
"Bearer of the curse. I too feared this would happen."
"Huh? Emerald Lady?" said LoveGame, picking up on the voice rather quickly. Surprised, the group approached her with inquisitive looks.
"Indeed. That ring... think of it as the king's own contingency plan. It is, after all, the symbol of the king. Listen well. Far off to the east, there is a shrine dedicated to the dragons of ancient times. Visit the dragons, and they shall guide you further. You must ascend the throne, bearer of the curse. It is the only choice left to you now. Without the assistance of the dragons, such a feat would be impossible. Normally the king's gates would stop you... but it will no longer be a problem with the ring you retrieved."
Wait..." replied LoveGame. "You feared this would happen? Hold on, were you-"
"It's true, I was the one who told the cleric that you sought the cure... and the one who made her change her mind." she confirmed, meriting a sigh from Melanie. "Your journey so far has been arduous. When I opened the path through the Shrine of Winter, I feared you would not return. Take this." she offered, handing the knight a feather on a string. "It will allow you to return to Majula. If you are to head to the east, the four of you must take a rest to heal and ready your supplies. Think of it as my gift to you, for fulfilling my wish... even if the result was not what you had hoped for..."
With their next objective clear to them, our heroes gripped the long feather tightly, vanishing from the Crypt and reappearing in the closest thing they had to a home. Their initial quest had unfortunately ended without resolution; the promise made to them of a king and a cure, thoroughly broken. Now, it was clear that their journey was far from over, and they would need all their spare time to heal and rest, beside the bonfire's warm and inviting embrace. They could only hope that these dragons in the east spoken of by the Herald would bring them a step closer to salvation...
~