Chapter 36: Into the Corruption
The screams of rage finally subsided after a few hours. Mytha's fury had not abated at all though.
"I'll kill him! I'll rip Aldia apart limb by accursed limb! How dare he?!"
The queen was rampaging outside in the snow choked city, away from the cathedral and the Chaos below. She did not want her anger to draw the gaze of the Bed any more than it already was. As such her spells and superhuman strength were abusing the Hollows, ruins and relics in the city proper.
Erik just stood nearby, watching with sorrow etched into his features as his beloved friend raged against the duo of dastardly dukes who had further harmed her family. He could do nothing to stop her, and comforting her would be futile while she was still lost in her anger.
Beside the Undead chef watching the devastation with cat-like apathy were the three enormous saber toothed tigers of Alva, Lud, and Zallen, the latter of which was purring as Erik stroked his head.
The young man had surprisingly become very close with the trio of guardian beasts, Lud and Zallen due to his earlier outburst and subsequent taming of them, and Alva because she liked the food he cooked.
Erik had spent some time cooking some of the Lapine meat he'd found while watching over Mytha, and had generously fed the giant felines nibbles as he did so. This had endeared the tigers to him and they had plopped down in a protective semi-circle around the Lindelt native.
Finally, at long last, the queen of Alken's wrath subsided and she fell to her knees, gasping in weariness and anguish as her strength failed her.
"Why? Why has everyone I known and loved been taken from me?" She whimpered. Erik cautiously approached her and wrapped her in a hug. Of course she was a bit too tall for that and so it ended up looking ridiculous.
"I'm sorry. Maybe someday his memory will return in full. You just have to have hope for that. He'll need your help then. So please, do not fall into despair and go Hollow."
"I'll try, Erik," Mytha whispered, returning the hug to the young Undead. It hurt, but she couldn't fail Carlyle again. Not when he needed help the most.
"Come on, let's head back into the throne room. I made some lovely food that we can enjoy with the others," the chef tempted and the queen smiled slightly at that.
"Oh Erik, you certainly know how to please a woman," she said with a chuckle before rising. "Come, let us return."
"I hope you feel better," Alsanna offered kindly as the pair of Undead appeared before the sisters and the stoic knight. Her eyes widened a bit at the sight of the stew pot and covered platter of food being brought in by the two and a cute little stomach rumble echoed through the throne room.
"I'm glad to see someone is hungry," Erik said politely with a genuine smile. Mytha and Nadalia just smirked at the Embodiment of Fear who shrunk in on herself in embarrassment.
Erik shook his head slowly in disbelief. Either Nadalia had been far more similar to the former queen than he'd thought, or all that time spent traveling together had rubbed off on the Child of Dark. The thought of two of them was terrifying to imagine.
"I'm afraid that most of my cooking supplies were left behind when I fell through the Primal Bonfire," Erik admitted as he set down the food. "So I just used what I could scrounge up from the city and the surroundings."
"Food of any kind is most welcome. It has been too long since I have had anything to eat," Nadalia assured while Alsanna nodded in agreement. "Raime, be a dear and fetch us some plates and utensils."
A low groan was the only response, but the knight turned to obey, moving far faster than a large armored man should have been able to.
"Have you given our proposal any thought?" Alsanna inquired of the chef as he set up the food. As he did, Erik couldn't help but notice that the High Priestess of Eleum Loyce was missing her left eye. Some of what Donovan had written of started to make sense. Especially with the soul of the Lost Sinner acting up.
"We can discuss that matter after dinner. Lunch? After the meal," Erik said. When Raime returned baring a large number of old yet still viable silverware in his arms Erik quickly began to serve the food and let the giant knight carry it up to the sisters.
Mytha just wiped a bit of drool from her lips and waited with bated breath as the chef served up the meal.
"Today I made Lapine stew in the Old Forrosan tradition and some delightfully seared and baked Lapine haunches. The stew has been made from boiled snow water and Wilted Dusk Herb. The latter giving an enhancement to the otherwise weak flavor of the meat." Erik explained his food with a flourish of the Handmaiden's Ladle as he served it.
"The Lapine haunches have been carefully salted and rubbed down with a mixture of ground Blue Burrs and a pinch of Skeptic's Spice. Because Blue Burrs can be used to stave off the cold I mixed it in with the meat. Combined with the Skeptic's Spice the normally minty flavor will slowly turn into a faint heated burn, not unlike from spicy peppers. A delectable teasing of the palate I am sure you will all enjoy," Erik said politely, bowing grandly to the assembled figures.
"I remember young Donovan Potts well," Alsanna said softly as she stared longingly at the food Raime was bringing them. "He braved the cold and passed the tests to enter Eleum Loyce all to learn more about cooking. A strange but kind man. Ivar was found of him."
"He met the Ivory King in person?" Erik questioned, and the Daughter of Dark nodded.
"He did. My love was most impressed with the conviction of the chef, as well as his skills. He was a good man. I am sure he'd be proud of you," Alsanna said softy, giving Erik a warm smile.
"Ooh, this is good! Mmmm, it's been so long sent I've had such tender meat in my mouth," Mytha groaned sensually from beside the chef, and the High Priestess and cook blushed crimson from her innuendos.
"Mytha, please!" Alsanna spluttered. "That is indecent!"
"What? I'm just talking about this excellent food Erik provided us?" the queen teased.
"Now, now, Mytha, please don't tease my darling, sheltered little sister," Nadalia said. "After all, that is my job."
"I hate you both," Alsanna pouted. "And technically I'm the older one here!"
"Not with that innocent attitude of yours," Nadalia chuckled as she pinched her sibling's cheek. As gentle laughter filled the room, Erik couldn't help but marvel at how human the two Sisters of Dark seemed. They did not seem like terrible monsters like the ancient legends made them out to be.
That they were willing to give up their lives, even momentarily, for the safety of the world was praise worthy. And certainly not something monsters would do.
"I've thought it over, and made my decision," Erik stated, his words drawing attention to him. "What do I have to do to stop the Bed of Chaos?"
~ ~ / / ~ ~
.
"Now, you're sure this will work?" Erik asked again as he watched the two Sisters of Dark doing something with the Soul of the Lost Sinner.
He had given it up a little over an hour ago and the two eldritch beings had poured over it the entire time, muttering ancient spells and drawing runes upon its surface with their fingertips which blazed with purple light.
"Yes it will. Now kindly shut up and let us work." Erik raised his hands in mock surrender and stepped back away from the pair. The fact that it had been Alsanna who had snapped at him was the real deciding factor in his hasty retreat.
'It's always the quiet ones,' his father had once said about women. And despite repeatedly asking his father what exactly that meant Erik had never gotten a decent answer. 'You'll find out when your older' being utterly useless and a copout response.
Still, seeing and hearing the normally kind and demure Alsanna growl like a feral animal whenever Erik tried to interrupt them gave him an inkling of what his father may have tried to warn him about.
"Ok, we freed the Ivory Knights," Mytha called out as she entered the throne room accompanied by Raime and four white clad knights.
"Thank you. Now be quiet," the Embodiment of Fear snarled, and Mytha backed up a few steps with her hands raised in mock surrender.
"Alright, no need to bite my head off. Sheesh, it's always the quiet ones."
"That's what my father said," Erik said in agreement with the queen. Raime snorted as the dark skinned giantess nodded.
"A wise man. You should treasure his sage advice forever young one."
"If you're finished, so are we," Nadalia finally said, speaking for the first time since they'd gotten their hands on the soul. She sounded tired as she passed the soul, now pulsing with arcane sigils and runes, over to Erik.
"So, this should do it? And all I have to do is slam this into his chest?" Erik questioned.
"After you've weakened him and we extract his soul, yes," Nadalia said wearily.
"Normally, extracting a soul is instantly fatal. However, because Ivar has been so suffused with the energy of Chaos for so long there is a tiny pause between his soul being removed and his body succumbing to the lack of it. In that window you must implant the Lost Sinner's Soul inside him by slamming it into his body. After that the runes will do their job."
"We can only do all of that when he is weakened. Which is why you must fight him to insure we have a chance at this," Alsanna finished. "The four remaining Ivory Knights will aide you in this battle, as will Raime and Mytha."
"Damn straight we will," the Jugo royal exclaimed, pounding the butt of her spear into the ground with a determined look. The Left Hand of Vendrick merely nodded.
"So what will it be like? Will we have to worry about contamination from Chaos or the Blight while we do battle?" Erik asked and to his relief Nadalia shook her head.
"No, our powers are enough to repress such things. You will be safe as long as you do not directly fall into the Chaos itself."
"Then I suppose it is time. Let us begin," Erik declared, adjusting the sword at his side. Since he'd lost his Heide Long Sword Alsanna had been generous enough to give him one of the Ivory Straight Swords used by the knights of Eleum Loyce. With that the chef felt he could manage in a fight, seeing as the blade seemed unnaturally attuned to his Cyromancy. In fact he could channel his ice magic through it, and the Daughter of Fear had been very impressed by the display of magic which had been only known to her own people.
Is everyone ready? Alright, now you must descend towards the entrance to the Bed of Chaos," Alsanna announced as a door creaked open beneath the balcony. As it did a gust of searing hot wind blasted into the room and Erik gagged a bit as the stench of Sulphur filled his nostrils.
"Please, stay safe." With that, the two Children of the Dark settled down into a stance that resembled a prayer as they channeled their magic and prepared for the upcoming battle.
A silent nod was the only reply and Erik quickly headed down to the depths, stopping as he came to a fog gate cutting off entry to a deep pit.
"So I just fall through?" Erik hazarded, to which the voice of Alsanna replied, booming off the walls.
"Yes, our magic will slow your fall and prevent harm, as well as lift you out once the battle is finished."
"Ok, just checking," the chef said before stepping into the seething mist and plunged downwards.
A disjointing sensation of vertigo struck him as well as a surge of heat that billowed up from below. As he fell and was joined by the others Erik caught of terrifying glimpse of what lay at the bottom.
An endless roiling sea of flames and molten earth, bubbling and spitting all the while strange shapes danced and cavorted into the impossible heat. The oozing lava all seemed to pool directly below them, and as they fell the Undead approached a wide platform that somehow floated above the madness below.
The stonework seemed ancient and resembled no architecture he knew, though the Old Witch's Soul gave off a feeling of sorrow and nostalgia as the final remnant of once great Izalith came up to meet them.
With a faint thud, Erik landed on the platform and gazed around in awe at the terrible vista before him. Behind him the chef heard his companion's land, Mytha uncharacteristically silent as she took in the origin of her semi-transformation into a snake.
There was no time for sightseeing however as a deep reverberating booming shook the platform, and three portals that may have once been doors that connected to long lost rooms blazed to life, swirling vortices of red energy appearing in their frames.
From out of the Chaos stepped a trio of men in hideously charred and heat deformed armor that looked akin to that worn by the untarnished Ivory Knights. Swords, halberds, and Pyromancy was raised against the intruders, while Erik and his allies raised their own weapons.
"Let's do this!" Erik cried, a deafening roar from Raime the only response. The legendary Twin Sword Knight lunged at the blackened warriors and lay into them, his first blow splitting a Pyromancer in twain while his back hand sent the swordsman stumbling back. The battle was begun.
More Charred Knights emerged from the depths of the three portals and clashed with the Undead, neither side giving quarter. Erik blasted Cryomancy at the Chaos addled knights as Mytha hurled Sorcery into them. The quartet of Ivory Knights showed off their skill with weapons as they held back their twisted comrades, and Raime just rampaged, going wild on the poor fools that were his opponents.
Then something strange happened. One of the Ivory Knights was limping, oozing blood that stained his armor. Suddenly he leapt forward with stunning energy and dashed for the nearest portal. He planted his sword into the ground before it and shone with light, before exploding.
Instead of fire though the knight seemed to become a massive wall of glittering ice that sealed off the Chaos vortex, preventing new Charred Knights from stepping through from it.
"By the gods!" Erik shouted, stunned at the suicidal attack done by the Ivory Knight.
"Do not fear, young Erik Potts. This is what they wished for. Their souls shall become ice that will silence the raging Chaos. It is their final gift of fealty to their king," Alsanna said, her voice descending from the sky.
It wasn't long before two more of the Ivory Knights, wounded and limping, sprinted for the remaining two portals and began to glow, sealing off the entrances to the depths of Chaos and isolating the few remaining Charred Knights from reinforcements.
"That's just weird," Mytha declared, blasting some Soul Spears into a halberd wielding black knight.
"Yeah," Erik muttered, stabbing the wounded Charred Knight with his new sword and freezing it solid with ice from the inside out.
Raime just grunted before looking around for another target, only for his shoulders to slump when he saw there were no more foes to smash.
"Stay on guard! Ivar is approaching!" Alsanna's voice cried out and was soon followed by a deep rumbling that shook the platform.
At the end of the floating remnant of Izalith twin obelisks rose, stained with soot, which soon generated a crackling vortex between them. The Undead and remaining Ivory Knight tensed, waiting.
They did not have long to wait. A deep moo carried out over to them as a massive humanoid bull stepped out of the twisting flames.
"Oh shit, a Tauros Demon!" Mytha shouted, ready to attack it.
"Wait, it's injured!" Erik noticed.
The demon staggered out, lowing pitifully, before pitching forward and revealing it was missing most of its back. It tried to squirm away from the portal as if fleeing from something behind it.
Without warning a massive sword flew out of the vortex and impaled the back of the demon's head. It slumped to the ground and slowly began to dissolve into red particles.
A tall figure stepped out of the Chaos and plucked the blade from the remains before flicking it to clear the tainted blood off. He looked up at the four figures in front of him and growled.
Clad in ornate white armor similar to the Ivory Knights, this man was taller by at least two heads, easily topping Raime and Mytha's height, showing off the power of his soul. He clutched a pair of swords, one like an improved version of the Ivory Straight Sword but thicker and larger, the other like two blades twisted around each other creating a helix shape.
And upon his helm he wore a crown made of platinum that gleamed in the tainted flames. It was elegant and delicate looking with an orange gemstone glowing softly in the center. The whole ensemble pulsed with energy and Erik knew that this man was easily the most powerful figure he had yet encountered.
"Oh, Ivar…" Alsanna uttered sorrowfully. The Ivory King twitched at his name and turned to stare up at the ceiling. With a groan he looked away down at the Undead who were arrayed before him.
"Go! Keep your distance…!" Erik called out. He didn't finish as the grand warrior hurled himself forward, jumping impossibly far and fast to slash Erik across the chest.
The chef was sent flying as blood and entrails poured out of his body from the blow and he landed heavily near the rear of the platform.
"Erik!" Mytha cried, only to block a heavy blow from the straight sword of the king. She barely managed to twist out of the way of his helix sword that tried to cut her open.
Raime roared and charged the slender man and the duo began to exchange blows. It gave a chance for Erik to swallow two mouthfuls of Estus and a handful of Lifegems. Slowly his gaping wound closed up and the Undead gasped in pain as he healed.
"Argh," he groaned. "He hits like a gods-damned castle!"
"He was a warrior from Forossa," Alsanna said, her words carrying a note of apology in them.
"What are his weaknesses? How can we beat him?" Erik demanded, watching in shock as Raime, one of the famed supreme warrior of Drangleic, was slowly but surely driven back and overpowered by the rapid fire attacks of the Ivory King.
"Work in tandem and you should be able to wear him down. One on one and you will have very little chance of victory. You must team up to defeat him!" Alsanna declared, her voice somewhat panicked. Erik grunted as he stood up, trying to ignore his aches.
"Mytha! Circle behind and shower him with spells! Don't let him have a chance to recover his guard! Raime, keep holding him back, don't let yourself be forced away! Ivory Knight, distract your lord!" Erik called out, weaving around the arena trying to reach their foe.
The queen followed Erik's instructions and quickly blasted the king with her Sorcery. A few of them struck, but most were deflected or dodged even without the man looking behind him. Though that gave Raime an opening to put the Ivory King on the back foot, and the knight slashed wildly at the pristine monarch.
Lastly, the Ivory Knight shot bolts of Cryomancy that served as an annoyance as they pattered harmlessly off the glistening armor.
"Take this!" Erik shouted, stabbing his blade into the ground. He unleashed his Cryomancy and the kings feet were quickly encased in enchanted ice.
It barely held him down for a few seconds as the Ivory King's sheer strength allowed him to shatter his bonds with a single hop. But freezing his feet was not the goal of the attack.
No, Erik's purpose was to force the man to jump. Because in the air, you cannot react fast enough.
"Raagh!" Raime howled, slamming his oversized sword into the side of the Ivory King, sending him flying. Mytha unleashed a storm of Heavy Soul Spears which crashed into the airborne monarch and sent him into the ground, a plume of ash and dust erupting from the point of impact.
"Stay sharp, I doubt that did much to him," Erik warned. Everyone nodded.
The chef was proven correct as a loud hum and crackle filled the air and the dust blew away. The Ivory King stood, his two blades now wrapped in a buzzing corona of blue energy.
He stunned them all by jamming his twisted blade into his chest, and to everyone's shock the wounds he had sustained from the barrage healed up before their eyes!
Taking advantage of their stunned state the powerful man bent his knees slightly, a sign he was about to leap.
"Scatter!" Erik cried. It was useless though. Fast as a blur the Ivory King shot forward, swinging his swords in an amazing dance of death. The Ivory Knight's right arm went flying with a splash of gore as Mytha let out a scream as she staggered back with a deep gash through her side.
Then with an almost lazy flick of his swords the Ivory King unleashed a shockwave of ravening magic at Raime which sent the blue and black knight into the ground with blood pooling around his feet from the deep wounds in his body.
"…Shit."
Erik immediately regretted speaking as the Ivory King turned towards him and stalked forward, a bestial aura around the regal lord. With arrogant slowness Ivar approached, a dark chuckle spilling from his helm. Erik felt his body freeze up and he couldn't move for fear of the man in front of him attacking.
The Ivory King stepped in front of Erik, giving a mocking bow before raising his swords and placing them in a cross shape upon the chef's neck.
Erik closed his eyes. He felt ensorcelled steel bite deep, and then the rushing of fire filled his ears.