Chapter 52: The Final Dinner Date
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"By the way, whatever happened with that Milfanito locked up in Vendrick's castle?" Erik inquired as they all put their clothes back on.
"Vendrick and I took the keyblade and freed her," Benhart said as he shouldered his massive blue sword. "She thanked us and teleported away."
"Well, at least that's all tied up. Would have hated to rush back and deal with that loose end," the chef said with a shrug while pulling his trousers up.
"What's the plan now?" Vengarl asked as he put his helmet back on.
"Does anyone know where the First Flame and Throne of Want were hidden?"
When no one answered Erik, he sighed. "OK, that's the first thing we need to figure out. I assume the entrance might be somewhere in Castle Drangleic. Did anyone see a large pair of black doors when we were there?"
"Now that you mention it, I think I saw something like that," Vengarl mused. "No, wait, that was just one of the courtyard's entrances to the barracks. What about... no, that was something else…"
"It probably hadn't been built when you or Raime were at the castle," Mytha pointed out as she adjusted her chest wrap. "From what I've gathered Vendrick panicked and hid the entrance sometime after you both vanished."
"I'm afraid I do not know where it is, even though I was brought there long ago," Shanalotte said sorrowfully. "Aldia drugged me, and I only became aware of where I was afterwards. And when we fled, well, we used a portal of some kind."
As the group discussed their ideas about where Vendrick had hidden the entrance to the ancient Kiln they all warped back to Majula. Since they had no real plan yet, Erik had volunteered to do some pre-final battle cooking.
As the massive group piled out of the bonfire, the town's inhabitants looked up eagerly.
"Luca!" Chloanne cried, rushing towards the Mirriahian swordswoman and tackling her with a powerful hug.
"Ah, hello, Anne. Sorry that I've been gone for so long," the knightess said, patting the busty woman on the back.
"If it isn't my wayward pupil! Glad to see you haven't gone Hollow."
"Master Carhillion! You won't believe what I've seen and learned on my journey!" Rosabeth exclaimed excitedly as she began to speak with her former mentor.
"Grandmaster Saulden."
"Vice-Master Aslatiel."
Lucatiel's brother and the gloomy leader of the Way of Blue gave curt nods to one another before looking away.
Vengarl and Alsanna were immediately dogpiled by three massive kittens as soon as they appeared, causing raucous laughter to echo through the town.
"So, why is our dear chef imitating Saulden?" Licia inquired, drawing a chuckle at the comparison.
"We need to find where Vendrick hid the First Flame. None of us have any ideas where it could be, besides the fact we know it's in the castle somewhere," Elana explained.
"Oh, you're looking for the Throne of Want? I know where it is."
Slowly, the people of the town turned to stare at the person who had just spoken.
Kale recoiled slightly from their looks.
"How do you know where the Soul King hid it?" Nadalia demanded, folding her arms as she glared at the cartographer.
"It's written on the map!" Kale said, cringing under the weight of their stares.
"Pardon?" Erik asked, stepping forward.
"Yes, the giant Titanite map in the basement of the manor! The directions to the Kiln are written on it!"
"You mean the answer to the biggest question in the world, 'where is the First Flame,' was under our feet the whole time?" Mytha shouted.
"How did you find it?" Erik wondered aloud.
"Well, I began to notice that over time, points on the map were lighting up," Kale began. "Eventually I figured out that the locations related to where the so-called 'Primal Bonfires' had been hidden. And when Erik lit them, so too did the map reflect their ignition."
"When all four were lit on the map, a fifth point popped up, centered over the area where Castle Drangleic had been built. So, I decided to visit it and see what it was showing off. I barely managed to make it into the castle."
"How did you manage that? The gates were sealed with soul magic," Nadalia inquired.
"Well, the front entrance was closed, but the sewers had been left untouched." A chorus of 'eww's!' rolled over Majula at Kale's reveal.
"You're a braver man than I," Erik said without a trace of sarcasm.
"Thanks. It wasn't pleasant," Kale mumbled with a shiver.
"Anyways, I asked one of the ghost maids if they'd seen anything unusual, and after convincing them I was a mere scholar and not a thief she happily told me that Vendrick had closed off a portion of the basement to guard some kind of flame."
"I checked it out, avoiding Hollows all the while, and found a very large, gilded black gate. It was near a bonfire, and no matter how hard I tried, I could not open it. After a bit more exploring and talking to ghostly servants and reading documents here and there, I figured out that that was indeed the entrance to the First Flame, sealed off by Vendrick."
"That is some impressive deduction," Benhart stated, genuinely impressed.
"Well, you know what this calls for?" Erik asked, turning to the rest of the town.
"Food?" came their response.
"Exactly! And I have the perfect meal to prepare for the final confrontation with Aldia!"
Erik began to pull out ingredients from his chest as others set up a large cooking area.
Throughout the rest of the day, he sweated over the pots and pans that would provide the dozens of people with the best meal imaginable.
At long last, as the sun started to set, Erik showed off the first course.
"To begin with, I present to you the second of Donovan Pott's Divine Dishes: Soul Salad!"
Crisp, colorful salads in bowls were passed out to everyone who eyed it hungrily. Even the hardcore meat lovers found they could not deny the tantalizing plant life.
"The base is lettuce and Glowing Mushrooms stir fried with Green Blossoms. The bitter notes of the Green Blossoms are offset by the oil while the lettuce and Glowing Mushrooms simmer and become even juicier."
"Then, after removing the base from the pan I added Amber Herbs to it. Since they have a lot of magical energy in them they don't cook well and have to be eaten raw. When mixed with the stir fried veggies they soak in the excess oil and stew in the taste for a bit."
"As it all cools, grate some Yellow Burr kernels over it and then add a sprinkling of ground Moonlight Moth antenna. The Burrs add a crunchy consistency while the ground up antenna removes the Yellow Burr's tongue tingling effects and contributes a tiny amount of sweetness to keep any lingering bitterness from the Green Blossoms at bay."
"And last but not least, a Large Soul of a Proud Knight to give it that extra mystical tinge. Serve cold and eat with friends!"
"Oh Erik, this looks amazing!" Chloanne gushed.
"I'm almost hesitant to eat such a work of art," Aslatiel admitted.
"Please, do eat up! After all, there's still the main course."
At that, everyone tucked in, and amidst groans and moans of approval Erik grinned as he prepared the next round of food.
As the Soul Salad was consumed, the Undead's Darksigns faded for a brief, almost unnoticeable moment. It was reacting to the First Flame's essence the cook had imparted to his meal, thanks in part to his connection to it, and the souls in his possession.
After a while, once their bowls were empty, all of them looked over to the bonfire where sizzling slabs of Wyvern meat waited to be served.
"And now, for the main course, the third of Donovan's dishes: Dragon Soul Steak! I know it's not really Dragon meat, but his recipe assures me Wyvern will work in a pinch," Erik said with a smile.
"Oh by the gods that smell… so good," Mytha moaned, wiping drool from her lips.
"If I'd known Wyverns could be made to look, smell, and taste so good I would have petitioned King Vendrick for more hunts against them," Vengarl commented, Raime rapidly nodding his head in agreement.
"First, take a nice large cut of meat. Not too fatty, not too lean. From the haunch works best, though chest filets are just as good," Erik explained as he served the plates. He even had three large platters for the saber tigers. Because no one gets between a giant cat and their food. No one.
"Then, rub it vigorously in Simpleton and Skeptic's Spice. This allows the meat, normally too hard and gritty for human consumption, to be become as tender as fatty pork or beef. It also imparts the normally bland meat a much sharper taste, and thus brings out the hints of draconic ancestry."
"Afterwards, whip up a glaze made from Twilight Herb and Siegbräu. This will be added to the meat so it can be baked in while it roasts over a fire."
"Wait, you have Siegbräu? And you didn't share?" Vengarl said, mock hurt in his voice.
"Well, it's not real Siegbräu. I had to make a mock substitute. I know some of the recipe so I just replaced some of the grains the Bottomless Box didn't have with local ingredients," Erik said with a shrug.
"Doesn't ale take months to properly brew?" Benhart inquired.
"Normally, yes, but I managed to jury rig the Ashen Mist Heart to speed up the process by making the brew time travel to when it was done."
"You used the essence of the Ancient Dragon, the being who named me and cared for me as a child, as a cooking aide?" Shanalotte hissed, her eye twitching madly.
"Anyways! I added a Large Soul of a Brave Hero to the glaze and then lathered the Wyvern meats with it!" Erik said, hastily changing the topic slightly. The Emerald Herald just glared but let it go. For now.
"After letting the mystical flames of the Bonfire and by extension the First Flame to cook and sear the juices in, the Wyvern Soul Steak is now ready to be served!"
"You used the First Flame as a grill?!"
"Enjoy, everyone!" Erik cried before dashing off, pursued by an irate Firekeeper.
"Ah, dinner and a show! Nothing could be better!" Mytha laughed.
"I agree, auntie! They make quite the adorable couple!"
'Hear, hear!"
As the meat was consumed even more moans came out, everyone finding the steaks utterly delectable.
As they ate, bursts of white light erupted here and there as the divine meal filled them with power.
Raime was cleansed of the Dark taint that had cloaked him since he had served Nadalia in Brume Tower. For the first time in centuries his mind was clear and his Hollow-ificiation completely reversed.
Shalquoir purred in ecstasy as she was reminded of home, and the hope of the future. She curled her tail around the phantom form of another large cat next to her, one with a too wide mouth that stared fondly at the formerly headless red knight.
Melentia wept as she wished her family could have joined her one last time. Through her haze of tears, the Hag Merchant could swear that she saw her husband and children sitting around her and smiling. To her utter shock, she felt them reach out and touch her, ghostly hands gently wrapping around her slender frame as she was embraced in one final hug.
Lucatiel and Aslatiel felt their parents embrace them, even though they had died decades ago due to the wars of their homeland. The two siblings wiped their tears and continued to eat, silent oaths and vows to serve and protect the young chef no matter what would come.
Rosabeth blushed as an older looking version of herself teased the young Pyromancer about the handsome young swordsman from Mirriah she had traveled across Drangleic with.
Chloanne cheerful regaled a spectral woman in blacksmith's garb as Lenigrast silently held both women's hands, content to be with the two people who meant the most to him.
Vengarl did not hide his tears as he felt the presence of his lover Felicia and then his best friend Ivar settled beside him, the Ivory King's phantom giving his blood-brother a salute before he headed over his beloved Alsanna.
Said petite dark haired woman squeaked cutely when Ivar picked her up and plopped the former High Priestess into his lap and began to stroke her hair and pet his pet giant cats.
Elana smiled happily as a rugged, handsome warrior plopped down next to his wife and cuddled together in the glow of the bonfire, content to be with each other one more time.
Between Mytha and Nadalia an awkward looking Iron King manifested. Both women shared a look with each other before smirking and leaned over to plant tender, forgiving kisses upon Castor's cheeks. The iron loving monarch huffed but wrapped his arms around the two women's shoulders.
Completely unseen by everyone, four crowns glowed softly inside a certain chef's bag, before they slowly melted together and formed a brand new artifact that shone with Light and Dark in equal amounts.
Four amethysts were set in a diamond formation in a crown made of shining grey metal. In the center an opal glowed, bathing the crown in a rainbow aura. It looked like a cross between the old Ivory Crown and the Sunken Crown, though the spikes were tall and tower-like like the Iron Crown and Vendrick's Crown.
Carhillion silently sat showing off his myriad discovery's to an older woman in a witch's hat who smiled fondly that her husband had found something worth living for once again.
Kale embraced the ghostly forms of two young children, weeping softly.
Magerold shared a drink with a man who had taught the treasure hunter all he had known.
Gilligan whimpered softly as a matronly older woman grabbed ahold of his ear and scolded him incessantly for all the mischief he had gotten up to.
Saulden had a rare smile as he was hugged by an excitable young woman who constantly chatted, talking the silent knight's ear off.
Licia bowed politely to an older woman in similar nun's outfit who smiled back and hugged the young Cleric.
Maughlin shared tales of profit and items beyond the dreams of avarice with a grandfatherly figure whose grunts conveyed pride and joy.
In the shadows of the entrance, a shimmering form of a woman with long raven black hair stared with melancholy joy at the woman with brown hair and mismatched eyes who chased the laughing chef.
Beside the former scorpion bottomed woman stood another phantasmal mother who gazed with pride at the strapping young man the Lindelt cook had become.
And last, but not least, a tiny portal tore itself open into reality and a quartet of snakes snuck out to grab a set of dishes piled high with the meals Erik had cooked and left near his tent. They were stopped by four giant ghostly beings bending down and patting them on the heads.
One man, one woman, one skeleton, one dragon. Each showed their pride and love the only way they could.
Hidden far away, in a location separate from the world itself, a gold and white robed man shed tears as a brass armored woman stood vigil over her master and lover as she always did. But this time she wore a smile, unseen by the world as she waited for her dinner to be dragged in by the snake-legs.
Perhaps she would forgive the reincarnated god for his unconscious philandering in exchange for the good food. Maybe. At least for today.
\\~~~/
Crown of Unification: The pinnacle state of Light unifying with Dark, Souls blending with Humanity. When the Four Daughters of Manus created their crowns, they vowed that they would never unite unless they considered a single man (or woman) worthy of their respect and allegiance. To date, not one mortal or Undead has achieved this. That the crowns fused on their own without the Dark Ones' consent shows how strong the soul and mind of the Monarch Candidate is.
It carries the effects of the four original crowns, amplified by their union. In addition, whoever wears it is immune to Hollowification and cannot fall to madness due to repeated death. In fact, the wearer of the crown can bestow blessings that undo the effects of dying and undo Hollowification to a certain degree.
Stats: 45 / 40 / 40 / 80 / 80 / 85 / 80 / 400 / 4 / 40 / 40 / 40 / 40, 400/400, 4 lbs.