A/N: important note at the VERY bottom.
-Tomb of The Giants-
A heavy, metallic thud. Shifting mail and a hint of plate and cloth adjusting.
Again, many more plates shifting this time and almost no cloth at all.
The sound of a burning flame.
So this is how I greet a Lord… With unearned arms and an unstable ally… "Unstable ally?" If that's the first thing that comes to mind, I'm being too pessimistic. She's stronger than I am, after all, even if she's got almost no restraint to speak of… And she killed a Lord all alone… Why am I even here-
"…let's see you make good on those words…"
And like that the negativity was gone.
Seiko tapped Jinta's shoulder with the back of her hand. Jinta visibly flinched, snapped back to the current place and time.
Seiko pointed instead of speaking. Just ahead of them, in the gloom, was a massive coffin. From out of the coffin, an even darker something was wafting into the blackness of the cavern. There was a pink flash from his right and suddenly Jinta couldn't move.
You will use your lightning from afar. You will leave this fight to me. You will live. You will win.
You will use your lightning from afar. You will leave this fight to me. You will live. You will win.
It was Seiko's Rapport. She had to know it wouldn't actually force him to do anything, but she'd used it on Jinta to communicate almost beyond words at a close distance. Jinta had seen Patches fight against it, struggle like it was painful, but Jinta instead felt every desire to obey. Mostly because he agreed with her will, he guessed. The little light went out and she was gone. She was gone from his mind, but the impression remained, like being grasped by a giant yet not crushed between its fingers. Like she had so much more will and so much more strength to spare, but had only used what was absolutely necessary.
So she does have restraint.
Seiko gathered a Fireball in her hand and threw it, in a high arc, at the top of the coffin. The flame, that would normally reach out and light the room, barely lit the air around itself. As it rose, it revealed the body of Gravelord Nito in the coffin, all the way up to the collection of skulls that surrounded his head, itself also a skull. There was a black miasma settled in the coffin. At last the Fireball struck the lip of the coffin, all the way at the top.
The burst woke Nito, who emerged from the coffin slowly. The miasma turned out to be attached to him, forming a cloak as he came to stand on the damp cave floor.
They keep getting up. Stands to reason, then, that Nito himself is keeping them alive.
Tetsuro drew his Silver Knight Spear and held it near the middle of the shaft. The spear was a blur about him, spinning this way and that to strike the skeletons around him. They shattered at the touch of its blade, which surprised Tetsuro.
A blessed weapon even I can use. This thing's definitely a keeper.
Tetsuro felt a wave of magic in the air, so he dove aside. He made sure to use his right arm to direct himself, letting the spear lay on the ground in his hand. The ground made contact with his back from his right shoulder to his left hip, and he was up. A glance back revealed he'd been correct to dodge, as a magic sword was jutting from the ground where he'd stood. He blocked a strike from a large skeleton, kicked its knee to the side, then yanked the blade of his spear up between its legs.
Two skeletons were left besides Nito himself. Tetsuro put his shield on his back and used the Silver Knight Spear like the old partizan he'd found a while back. Both hands on the shaft, he made use of both the slashing ability and the stabs one would expect from a spear of such length. A swat with the butt of the spear then a strike with the blade and one skeleton fell. A block with the middle of the shaft, then another sweep with the blade and the other died.
Tetsuro thumped the butt of the spear to the ground, opened his visor for a second, and drank Estus in while he waited for Nito to come around the massive pillar in the room. By the time Nito showed up, he was ready again.
Some Lord… I can only assume I'm far above average if so many people have died down here, and to this thing of all things. He's plodding and slow, even if he does carry toxin so vile it killed dragons. What a joke.
Tetsuro put away his Silver Knight Spear and drew Murakumo and his shield again. One more clash and it would be over…
Seiko jumped, flipping backward over a skeleton that was running up behind her. She threw two more Fireballs at Nito, then backpeddled away, keeping him in her sight. Jinta was running through the cavern, cutting down skeleton after skeleton to keep them away from Seiko. As it turned out, they were very well suited for this fight. Nito swung at Seiko with his bladed arm and Seiko dodged. Nito gathered his miasma and Seiko used Immolation to burn the air around herself. Nito readied his magic and Seiko dodged about too quickly for it to connect.
Jinta came around earlier than expected and ended up right behind Gravelord Nito. He ran past, dragging his falchion through Nito's shadowed cloak and cutting into Nito's hip. Nito slashed at him, and Jinta dove into a roll to avoid the hit. As Jinta came up, Nito made a move to grab him, but Jinta cut right through Nito's fingers. He cut down the last skeleton and regrouped with Seiko.
"We were worried for nothing. Seems like all this guy is good for is poison and summoning the dead. I can cure poison, and I can permanently ground Undead. We're both too swift for him to catch, too. Coming here first was the right choice, but I can see why Leeroy would struggle with that huge mace of his."
"Just stay back and don't let him catch you off guard. I've watched him enough now; he's not a threat. I wonder if this is how Tetsuro felt fighting people that were far too weak."
"'Far too weak?' He's a Lord!"
Nito stabbed forward and a cloud of miasma traveled down his sword and toward them. They both dove to the right.
"He's just big and poisonous. Quelaag was much scarier than he is. I'll watch him a bit more, then I'll put an end to this. If you haven't used too much magic, could you heal me so I can go all out?"
"Let's go around the center and get out of sight for a second first."
They both continued to the right where Jinta recited a miracle to refresh Seiko.
"I don't mean to wound your pride, but please stay back. You're the one who needs the soul, not me. If I somehow die, I should at least do enough to him to allow you to finish him off without a problem."
"'Wound my pride?' Because you're a woman about to fight in a man's place? Seiko, I've always been second fiddle in some way or another. Forget any stupid pride I have or anyone else has and just do what you know you should. That's how I-"
"Move!"
Seiko shoved him back and jumped away. Jinta went tumbling back and smacked his head on a rock, but when he got over the dizziness and looked up, he saw why. Nito had used his magic again to summon swords from the ground, and probably would have killed at least Jinta, who had been kneeling, had Seiko not moved him.
Now she was facing down the giant collection of bones, Fire Whips in each hand. She swung one in a wide arc and lashed it over Nito's left shoulder. The flames didn't stick, but they disrupted the miasma surrounding Nito. Nito swung his broken hand through the flames to try and grab Seiko with the stubs of his fingers, but she fell flat to the ground. Palms to the rock, she used Firestorm. She knew how wildly her Firestorm behaved, so she jumped up as the pillars of flame erupted from the ground and leapt at Nito.
Seiko wedged her boots into the skulls surrounding Nito's head and held on with her left hand. Her right hand's fingers went rigid, forming the same claw-like strike she'd used several times before. Seiko struck, drove her fingers into Nito's sockets and mouth, knocked out a few teeth in the process, and implanted her original Pyromancy.
She let go and pushed off, but she hit the ground earlier than she'd thought on her back. It knocked the wind out of her. Nito, meanwhile, had tried to sweep her off his face, but was too late. The implanted flame exploded and Nito staggered back into the wall of the cavern. When the embers cleared, it was plain to see that Nito no longer had a main head, but he wasn't defeated.
He's at least as durable as the Four Kings were all together. But they melted with hot enough flames, so he should too. I've got strength to spare, so let's try Chaos this time.
Nito started to recover, but hardly had his balance when the next attack struck. A Great Chaos Fireball from Seiko, famous for heat so intense that it melted boulders. Nito flailed through the flame and lunged at Seiko. The burning miasma that surrounded him appeared in that moment to be a skull, opened wide to swallow her.
Seiko sucked a breath, made up her mind, and punched her fists together in front of her chest with her eyes jammed shut. Power Within and Immolation activated together and a flame flowered from around her feet. It flared up and covered her in a candle-flame-shaped blaze, dazzling white fire with black streaks dancing through it every so often. Nito's charge stopped and he recoiled. Now the flame was hot enough to melt bone, but it was also the least efficient Pyromancy.
Seiko released both spells, then hit the ground on her hands and knees. She could hear a wind howl that turned into what she could only imagine was Nito screaming in rage at her. Miasma washed over her and, without Immolation to shield her, she was bowled over onto her back. She coughed violently and clutched her throat and chest. Her eyes burned from whatever it was that Nito unleashed. Every inch of her skin felt like it was being ripped away from her.
A/N: BRS TV, Heaven by Hiromi Kikuta
Jinta finished reciting Soothing Sunlight. He stood up and walked to the woman lying on the ground. She was calm for the moment, but it wouldn't last if he didn't heal the poison. Jinta recited Caressing Prayer over her, then drew his swords once more.
This thing. This thing did it. Nothing else is alive in the room. This giant assortment of bones hurt her. Kill it. Kill it. Remember why you're here. You are Jinta. Paladin Jinta now. Remember.
Jinta ran forward, dodged a swing from his enemy, a sword made of bone. He dodged a grab and cut through the arm as it missed. The enemy swept its sword over the ground and Jinta jumped over the attack. He got in close and held his breath. He didn't know what made him hold his breath, but he held it anyway. He slashed at this thing. Cut through a damaged hip and thick femur. He was too close so his enemy tried to blow him away with miasma.
Jinta almost gasped at the gust of foul air, but he kept himself composed. His stomach pumped involuntarily as his body tried to draw breath. Another slash, this time with his estoc. The enemy had fallen over, but wasn't dead. It flailed with its bone sword. Jinta went into a frenzy, carving up his enemy. Chips of bone plinked off his helmet.
Remember! Remember! I don't know what, but remember! Don't die! Kill this thing! Don't die! No more miracles! Just slash! It's easier than it looks! Like your weapons were made for this! Slash! You don't need to remember to slash!
More miasma. Another gust of death.
The girl! The miasma will get the girl! KILL IT!
"Ahhh!"
"-nta! Jinta! I know you're alive, damn it! Wake up!"
Jinta jerked awake, facedown on the cave floor. He let go of whatever was in his hands and supported himself so he could get up. Prone to hands and knees to kneeling. He looked around slowly.
"Jinta?"
Jinta head snapped to look at her.
The girl. She was here before. I saved her. Wait… No… The miasma… She would have died. Right? How was she here in the first place? Where is-
"Jinta!"
"Huh?! Sorry! What?!"
"What's the matter with you? Are you ok? You healed me, carved up Nito, started screaming in anger or something, then just fell over."
"Nito…?" said Jinta, not recognizing the name. "Nito… Nito… Nito. Ni- Gravelord. Gravelord Nito! Damn!"
Jinta jumped up to his feet and spun around, looking around the cavern.
"You killed him. Calm down."
"I did? Nito? Gravelord Nito's a Lord! How did I- I didn't, did I? You did! No, wait, I did. Those weapons."
Jinta turned around again and looked from his swords on the floor to the woman.
"Did you make those?"
"What? No, I-... Wait." The woman suddenly sighed with annoyance.
"You idiot," she said. There was less malice in it than Jinta felt like there should be.
Jinta suddenly found himself kneeling back down. The woman was pointing at him and there was a pink light shining from her finger. He took up the swords that had won the fight and sheathed them on his belt. He had scabbards that fit each of them, despite them both being different types of blade. They had glowed very softly when he touched them.
"You didn't make them. They were mine. I brought them here. Someone blessed them for me. I'm good with them, since they suit my style. I'm fast and agile, but my armor's not the best. And you… Who are you again?"
"Just calm down for now, ok? Stay here and don't move. I'll be right back."
Seiko left Jinta where he was and walked around the cavern looking for the giant coffin Nito had been in and the unlit bonfire near it. She found it, lit it, and went back for Jinta. She heard him screaming before she got back, so she ran. Seiko found him still on his knees, but his forehead was to the ground and his hands were on his helmet.
"Jinta!"
"Too much! Too much! I used too much! Damn it! I can't remember! I can't! Remember!"
He started scrubbing his hands over his helmet.
"Remember! Rememberrememberrememberrememberrememberremember!"
"Shut up!"
Jinta flinched and stopped.
"You told me about this. You did too much with miracles, didn't you? You don't need to remember anything else right now but this: Is this temporary, or are your memories gone for good?"
"Temporary? Temporary. Temporary. 'Miracles are a test of faith. You must believe absolutely to have power absolutely. But beware absolute power, for your human mind cannot fathom the gods and their power over the absolute. If you should fly too close to the sun, the lightning of the clouds below you will strike you from the sky, and to ash will you return.'"
Big help. At least he remembers that drivel.
"So, you don't know? Maybe you should sleep, then. Come on, get up."
Jinta didn't move. Seiko used Rapport again. He shook, but didn't move.
Seiko grunted in frustration and Jinta jerked up, then stood. He was still shaking, but he was obeying. He followed her like a wood doll with too few joints. Seiko led him to the bonfire and had him sit down with his legs crossed, his left shoulder facing the fire. He took off his helmet.
"Now go to sleep."
Jinta fell back and his head landed in Seiko's lap.
A/N: BRS TV, Waltz of Loneliness by Hiromi Kikuta. The original one, track 7. Continues through here and after the chapter ends until about two and three-quarters minutes in. After that it gets a bit too aggressive...
Seiko waited and Jinta slept. Seiko looked back over their interactions to pass the time. Somewhere along the way she'd resigned herself to helping him, and she knew herself well enough by now to know how that would affect her. She knew she'd be willing to die to reach her goal, but even she was a bit surprised by her own behavior.
She looked down at Jinta. She wasn't surprised by his behavior. He liked to pretend he had a better grip on life than she did, but he was just as reckless as she knew herself to be. Even asleep, Jinta appeared to be agonizing over his cracked sanity.
Seiko's gaze wandered to the bonfire and she had a new thought, from nowhere. A bonfire was fire. Pyromancy could never recreate the First Flame, from which the bonfires drew their power. But why couldn't a Pyromancer's flame be soothing too? It was an extension of the self. An actualization of will. Seiko had already made a new Pyromancy - I might call it Dire Combustion… Or Blaze? - so she knew it was possible. Pyromancy couldn't be for nothing but pain and death. There had to be more to the flame than just fighting.
Seiko looked back at Jinta, who had healed her, cured poison, and saved her life. She, instead, harmed, spread poison and toxin, and took life away. Perhaps it was better this way, then, that they travel together. If flame was only good for death…
Death. The Dead Soul was Nito's. The Witch of Izalith discovered Pyromancy, and she held the Life Soul.
In her revelation, Seiko looked down and turned a palm up. A small ember flowered into a candle's flame, small enough to grasp. But this flame was orange, and untouched by the streaks of black that had wormed into her Pyromancy. It grew, slowly, and rounded out, like a flame unaffected by gravity. From this little bubble of fire in her hand, Seiko could faintly feel the same soothing aura of a bonfire. She knew it was beyond her to do anything with this newfound power in her current state, but it still brought a slight smile to her face.
She curled her fingers over it, holding the lingering warmth in her fist.
"Ahh… So there is more to it…"
A/N: Blame the fight with Nito for this being late. I've always found it boring, and I've never liked the boss himself either. Or his covenant. I didn't want to gloss over the fight, or write it when I wasn't motivated. I know there's gonna be at least a few of you mad at me that no one died, but then I'm sure there will be people later saying people died too often in later fights. I guess as long as someone enjoys it, it's still worth doing. This was done April 29th, a little over a week late. I'll try to get another one written before next Friday so I can start my buffer up again. Thanks for reading.
Discord at /eaHKXUf for anyone who cares and wants a direct line to me. No one posts reviews anymore, after all. Maybe you'll be more comfortable this way? Updated May 3rd, 2021