- It happened a long time ago, in a land far, far away -

She first met him at Liurnia, following the tales of an aggrieved, hunchbacked girl who was too good for the world. Ivolethe wanted to throttle the utter bastard who caused such a sweet, innocent thing so much distress, and so she set out, in search of a locket and a thief.

Perhaps she would have to shake him up a bit, have the thief splutter and flail in the water. After all, there was an abundance of it in the area.

Luckily enough, she found him soon enough, though at the time, she didn't know he was the thief she was looking for.

"What are you lookin' at? You trying to start something, mate?" Ivolethe had met her fair share of foreigners, but he had such a unique accent that she couldn't help but be amused.

He was a prickly man, who made his annoyance obvious when she prodded him with questions. "Oh, piss off, what is it now?" A bit of his annoyance bled away, as if he had realized some great revelation. "Oh, I see. You want some of me prawn? Freshly cooked it is. Alright then. It's yours, if you can meet me price. I could be persuaded to sell you some other bits too, if you've got the runes."

He quickly mellowed out when he found her willing to share a meal with him. Ivolethe accepted the boiled prawns partly out of curiosity, since she had never had prawn before, and partly out of vengeful spite for all the giant lobsters scattered across the lake that liked to shoot pressurized fluids at her. Fluids, that flew across a range longer than most bowmen could aim from. She had honestly been laid low by those very same lobsters with a consistent frequency than far surpassed what she had suffered under a Dragon's ambush for crying out loud! She would gladly have her revenge! Even if it was only against their lesser cousins.

It turned out to be the most delicious thing she had ever had the pleasure to eat.

"Marika's tits, you must be 'ungry." And then there was his language. Ivolethe was both scandalized and hysterically entertained by his casual cursing of the goddess and his choice of words in particular.

"Ha! I wonder if you have the guts to say that in front of a Finger Maiden." She challenged, raising an eyebrow.

"Ah." He laughed, sheepishly. "Whaddya think got me arrested in the first place eh?" he replied, gesturing at his prisoner's garb, and the distinct iron mask which was forced upon convicted prisoners.

"Wait, seriously?"

"No. I'm messing with ya. I used to be a petty thug and let's leave it at that, yeah? Though… I've never met someone with a taste for prawns I couldn't trust. We'd make good mates, I reckon." He nodded to himself. "Well, alright then. Call me Big Boggart, will ya?" And just like that, a beautiful friendship was made…

Though, she did eventually find out that he was the very same thief that she had been looking for. By that time, they were close enough that Ivolethe didn't want to break her friendship with the man over it, so she bought the locket off him without much complaint.

-x-

The second time she met him, it was right after she had consumed one 'Dragon Heart' too many. She had already had several of them, and the last one nearly set off the blood curse inherent in it that would have seen her transform into a malformed, land bound wyrm. She was a bit different from the other tarnished who had suffered a similar fate though; she was the bearer of multiple great runes, and had enough raw power, will and inner strength that she was able to halt the transformation in place with determination alone. Though, nothing would have saved her if decided to continue the ritual still… In the end, it still left its marks on her body. Ivolthe knew that she had achieved the most she could ever hope to receive from the strength of dragons at that point, any further and she would change completely and utterly into something other than human.

Despite all she had done, she still felt so weak, so… unworthy.

She had slain General Radhaan only weeks ago, but even in his rotting, maddened and diseased state, his strength, speed and skill far eclipsed anything she could bring to bear. Even in that state, he was still more than she could ever hope to handle alone. She and her companions had fought and bled and challenged the demigod, again and again and again, until they finally achieved victory by the skin of their teeth.

It was at that moment, that she truly understood what Gideon Ofnir's words truly meant, when he said that 'Godrick was the runt of the litter.' Such was the power of an actual demigod, and Ivolethe didn't know what she would do if she were to face one in their prime. She felt so helpless at the idea that she had to fight opponents even more daunting if she were to complete her journey; her purpose.

She needed more power, but she didn't know what to do. The power born of runes were truly great, permanent and stable, but the cost of strengthening it got increasingly heavier at each turn. She had already exhausted what strength she could drain from the hearts of dragons too.

It seemed like she had hit a ceiling in her abilities and she had no idea what to do in order to go about surpassing it.

It was in such a despondent state, that Big Boggart had found her, and decided to sit her down at his shack and tried to lift her spirits.

"Oi, why do your eyes look like you swiped 'em off a cat?"

"Oh, piss off, Boggart, my eyes are fine."

"No, they're not, you had pretty green eyes before. These though? They be giving me the chills when I look at 'em. Are they any good though?"

"I… don't know. I think so? My vision's better, but I never got to test by how much."

"Oi lass, you telling me that you have an entire new set of eyes, and you didn't even bother to check what's different about them?"

"When you say it like that, it sounds… bad. I was just preoccupied, you know? I have a lot of things troubling me, though I won't bother you with them."

He nodded. "Yeah, this Tarnished business be heavier than what most folk can handle. Alright, you know what? Let's put them bloody eyes to the test! I'll teach ya how to fish some prawns off o' this new spot I found. It's one of those places where the flood hit a bit deeper than the usual you see, all you have to do is-"

And that was how he taught Ivolethe one of the most important lessons of her entire life; that the little things matter. That she had to look at the world for what it is, in its simplicity and bask in the mundanity of it all. For what better way to remove herself from the looming shadow of her fate and her quest for power, than to enjoy all the simple things life had to offer. Just because she had a quest to complete, didn't mean that the entirety of her long and arduous journey had to be a solemn affair now, did it?

-x-

His reaction at seeing the bloodshot crimson eyes resulting from the Formless Mother's touch after she had painfully (for her) thwarted Mogh's ambitions was hilarious to see.

"What is wrong with you, girl? You be testing out all the color of the damn rainbow with them eyes at this rate!"

-x-

Ivolethe felt unnerved. She had found a 'seedbed curse' in the Capital, and had brought it to the 'Loathsome Dung Eater' to confront him about it. Despite her skepticism and Roderika's terrified ramblings, she had decided to open his cell, if only so that she could confront the wretched monster directly to either set him on another path, or to finish him off for good. Unfortunately, she was interrupted by an omen warrior locked underneath the sewers with them. A warrior who decided that it was a good time as any to attack the both of them. And just like that, the insane criminal had escaped in the chaos.

It was only when she met up with Boggart again at the outer moat, and listened to his terrified voice as he warned her, that she realized how big of a danger she had unintentionally released upon the world in her arrogance. She truly felt remorse then, if only because she had caused her dear friend much distress. She eventually had to leave though, to the North, in search of a flame that could burn through the Erdtree's barrier. Boggart encouraged her to do so, her duty as a Tarnished took precedence above everything else. It wasn't as if she was any help here anyways. It was going to be extremely difficult to find a criminal as elusive as the Dung Eater, especially in the winding streets and tunnels of the capital. Unless the Dung Eater wanted her to find him, any attempt to search for him or draw him out was an effort in futility.

-x-

As they grew closer and closer to the kiln of the Fire Giants, Ivolethe began to notice the oddities in Melina's behavior. Eventually, Ivolethe managed to put the pieces together.

"The damned fool is planning on sacrificing herself." Ivolethe mumbled in horrified realization. It made sense! Of course, harnessing such a power will require some sort of sacrifice! They would be literally wielding the power of the 'Fell God' of the fire giants! Even harnessing power from the hearts of lesser dragons were lethal, much less the flames that were the direct inheritance of a sealed God!

"No! I won't let that idiot kill herself for my sake. Her 'sacred duty' be damned. It can get lost for all I care!" And just like that, she turned around and headed south, back towards the capital, where she had heard rumors of a yellow flame with the power to consume everything. A flame that carried authority and power…

And most of all, a flame that didn't leave her with one of the only friends she had left in this accursed world dead…

-x-

"…They howled without words. Saying they wished they were never born. Become their lord. Take their torment, despair. Their affliction. Every sin, every curse. And melt it all away. As the lord of chaos. No more fractures… no more births…"

"Melt it all away with the yellow chaos flame. Until all is one again."

Those words, uttered by the traveling maiden, Hyetta, who was once a sweet and innocent young woman. Now though, even if she looked the same, seeing and hearing the insane and unnerving thing that used to be Hyetta, stopped Ivolethe cold. There was something deeply unsettling about those words. It was as if they were speaking a universal truth… it was as if Hyetta was weaving such a truth, a destiny, into existence. For the first time in her life, Ivolethe felt pure, unadulterated terror. It was a kind of terror that wasn't tainted by rage, or sorrow, or anything else so mundane. It was an existential horror she had felt from the very moment she had stepped foot into the tomb so far, far below the surface. It was a fear that stayed as she talked to the maddened thing that was once a naïve young woman. It was a fear that lingered as she stripped herself of all her clothes and garments in ritual as she stood before gargantuan monolithic gates, scorched and charred by embers that did not seem to ever go out.

It was a fear that stayed, even when she pushed open the doors and was met with the horrifying visage of the three fingers, the corrupted emissary of the Frenzied Flame. Its form was a gigantic facsimile of a human hand, stretched and elongated beyond reasonable proportions. Its stone-like skin was cracked and charred, with barely contained fire burning through it, snaking its way across its form like veins pumping blood. She moved forward, in a trance, as the digits of the accursed entity slowly wrapped around her body. Then, the flames within its veins flared as it branded its taint onto her very soul. And the world exploded in a sea of yellow flames.

Ivolethe screamed, even as the Twitching, staggering form of the three fingers crumbled into ash. Ivolethe screamed, even as the yellow flames died down, slowly being absorbed into her body. Ivolethe screamed, as she knelt to the scorched floor, now empty of anything and everything until only she was left.

Ivolethe screamed until her voice was all but gone, her mouth still going through the motions even when the sounds were conspicuously absent.

She felt so very small, in that large, empty room where the light of day would never reach her.

And then there was darkness.

-x-

She could still remember her argument with Melina, how her once greatest friend had abandoned her, swearing to kill her if she ever decided to go through with her newly written destiny. True, her words might have been true, especially so when considering her actions, but It hurt, it hurt in a way Ivolethe wasn't familiar with. Physical pain was something she could easily deal with, but whatever caused her heart to clench like this was truly beyond her ability to overcome. She couldn't really pick a fight with a heartbreak, now, could she?

Ivolethe snorted, as she dragged herself up from the water. It was difficult to think lately. Her connection with the frenzied flame forced an understanding of suffering onto her. She could feel the pain of her enemies even as she cut them down, she could feel it, the maddening despair that rose from nearly everyone around her. It drove her to kill them, if only to free them from their suffering, and in turn, herself.

Even her friend, Boggart, was not free of suffering; he felt weary, frail and hollow. But the optimism he tried to spread dulled its edges somewhat. He was the only person she could stand to be around lately. Well, him and Boc the seamster, but she didn't want to be near the demihuman boy. He was too innocent, a child, and she was afraid that she would unintentionally hurt him. Boggart though? He was a 'tough bloke' as he called himself. He was good enough company for now, and he could handle himself too. So, Ivolethe stuck close to him.

When she finally reached the usual spot Big Boggart frequented, Ivolethe froze. There, tied to a chair, with his blood and guts spilled everywhere, was the mutilated body of her closest friend. With a cry, she scrambled closer to him. Then to her horror, she noticed that he was still alive, somehow. Whoever did this to him, tortured him well beyond what a human body could handle, but was also cruel and meticulous enough that it left him alive enough to slowly die an agonizing death.

Ivolthe wanted to throw up. Even as his body was torn up beyond recognition, something writhed within his torso. It was a curse, she realized. A curse that warped his flesh from within, twisting and writhing as barbs and spears broke though at random places, only to keep twisting on and on and on.

…the seedbed curse she realized, and her breath stilled for a single, long moment.

Suddenly, he hacked and wheezed, slowly craning his neck up at her.

"Ah… you're here then." He let out a bloody cough. "Ran into that bastard, the Dung Eater, I did. Tried to fight 'im off, but he was too… I- I couldn't match up."

He let out another bloody wheeze, even as Ivolethe stood frozen by his side.

"He… he kills people and curses their souls... Does all sorts of shit to their corpses, to keep 'em cursed, forever. I ain't seen nothin' more disgustin' in all my years. I ain't never been more scared, neither. Rooted to the bloody spot... While 'e did all that, to my friend… And now, he got me too. I- I feel scared now too, just imagining what's waitin' for me when I pass. I can't- "

He let out another heart-wrenching wheeze.

"Heh... serves me right. Fitting bloody end, for a jumped up little shit with big ideas… would things be different if I had helped back then? Ah… who knows."

Ivolthe broke out of her frozen trance and desperately began hacking away at his binds. But Boggart ignored everything, and continued his delirious rambling.

"Ah 'volethe. It-its been a fun ride, eh? Sometimes me brain wonders if things would have been different if I just had the courage to give things a try… to ask. I guess I'll never know" he chucked coarsely. "We 'ere too busy. Not enough time. Now I guess I never will have enough time…"

"Just… don't waste your life, eh? Don't let that bastard win. I don't-" he wheezed again, a sound significantly more wet than any before. She could see blood leaking down his mask. They stayed silent for a few minutes, and when her spoke, his next words were but a whisper.

"Help me out, would ya, mate... I don't wanna get cursed. Just let me die... I don't wanna live like this... not anymore... So, please…" He didn't have much long to live, and the curse was about to take him. That... was something Ivolethe knew that neither of them wanted to happen. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she choked out a sob.

Finally, Ivolethe managed to pick up the resolve to say farewell.

"Goodbye old friend."

-x-

The sun had set when Ivolethe had finally sensed the telltale ripples of her world distorting as a phantom invaded her reality. Ivolethe turned, and saw the rank, grotesque armour of her enemy, a sun medallion hanging down his torso and a spiked cruel blade clutched tightly in his hands. Ivolethe stood impossibly, inhumanly still as she observed the one person she hated the most in the world, drawing closer and closer.

The Dung Eater had entered dueling range, and had begun to swing his blade in an overhead strike. But then the world overturned and the last thing the Dung Eater saw were the twin suns that replaced the Tarnished Warrior's eyes, a corona of yellow flame danced along their edges in a paradoxically hypnotic display of peace and tranquility.

"Let us suffer together, you hateful wretch."

The malevolent light of the eyes shone brighter and brighter until it was all he knew, and the world was washed away under the flames of the inescapable frenzy of the Yellow Flame of Chaos.

- And then there was only one -

-x-

In a small field of ash, the tarnished warrior lay unmoving. After what might have been hours, or even days, Ivolethe slowly got up. The power offered by the frenzied flame was truly great, but the costs attached were simply too much. Boggart wanted her to live, to not waste her life... and Melina... Melina wanted her to see the beauty in the world and not burn it all to ash.

"Well, that's a good place to start as any I suppose." she mumbled. "I must become the Elden lord, but I mustn't do it under the Aegis of the Frenzied flame."

It was then that she remembered an unalloyed needle and its capacity to suppress the Scarlet Rot, of the many stories of Miquella and his Haligtree. For all that she had already learnt of Miquella's fate under the hands of Mogh, his legacy continues to live on, and so the Tarnished set off towards the North in search of something -Anything that could sever her chains to the Frenzied Flame.