Seven hundred and thirteen , An odd number to be sure , To Erdine , It was a source of both satisfaction and hatred .
When he had met Melina , He was surprised , For simply felling a foe , The runes he'd get from their corpses and souls could be turned into strength . And so she taught him how to do so.
Oh how it irked her so , He knew , That instead of doing as she wished by simply heading straight for the capital , He instead went around felling every possible beast , Over and over , For months ... Had it only been months ... Erdine didn't think so , It was probably more .
Yet when he reached that cursed number, Seven hundred and thirteen ... He couldn't get stronger after that ... Runes had no effect , No matter how many he dropped apon Melina ... she simply couldn't give him any more strength .
So it was with a heavy heart that he began his part of the accord with haste .
Slaying Margot the omen had been like kicking a puppy across a room . Godrik was an even simpler enemy to fell , As he used his prised Nagakiba to simply lob off the grafted fiends head in a moment of surprise .
The rest came swiftly afterwards , The world eating snake and Rykart , Radan , Renalla , mohg . They all fell one after another , And each time , A great rune was collected .
But when he entered the pact with the frenzied flame ... he realised that not all would share in his dream , As Melina abandoned him , Calling him unfit and severing herself from his side .
It was around a week or two later that he had discovered his greatest foe , Malenia ... blade of mequella . She earnt his respect , And his frustration.
They clashed with the speed of falling stars , Their blades simple flashes of light that would have felled any other foe in an instant .
She , The Demigod whom had never known defeat , Fought with a prosthetic arm of all things and brought him to a stalemate at that moment .
He , The tarnished , Upcoming lord of Chaos and holder of the great runes , Choosing to fight with his trusted Nagakiba .
It was her doom , That she used her prized technique apon him , The Waterfowl dance , A series of swings and maneuvers far more graceful and difficult to master than one would expect .
Yet it was as the fifth time she used it , That the most terrifying prospect the blade of mequilla had ever seen came to fruition, As she leapt , Erdine did so too , Mimicking the stance she used as they were both suspended for two seconds .
And then they collided , His moves the exact same as hers , As their blades became but light , He had done it , He had learnt the waterfowl dance mid fight , After seeing it a simple four times .
In the end , It mattered not , Even as she became the goddess of rot , She was layed low , As his long bladed katana forcibly sliced the rot construct wings from her body , She was cast to the ground .
" Such strength ... it's extraordinary" Malenia rasped as motes of light began to peel from her body , Ash escaping her features .
Yet she managed to raise her head ,Her rot covered eyes , Flaking skin , Stared up at the man , The only man she would ever lose to .
" Worthy ... of a crown " He responded with a determined look and a solemn nod ,Raising his Nagakiba to the air before it dropped like a comet , Slicing through her neck with ease as he decapitated her .
He had taken her armour and her prosthetic arm and blade , Taken the power of the scarlet rot and made the scarlet aeonia spell , Burning the body in the process before moving on with his task . Yet any other duel afterwards proved to be ... lacking .
Sure he loved a good fight , But when one beats their greatest adversary ... the toughest battle of their live ... what could come after , When none could compare .
Even now , As he stood over the Elden beast , It was a hollow victory , For it's death had been a trivial matter with the use of Comet Azure .
Yet here now he stood , Staring up at the tree as he prepared to decide the fate of the lands in between .
He knew ... he was an optimist in heart , Hoping for the future ... yet from what he had seen , Learnt from those that were hoping to use him for their own gain .
The age of stars , Ranni . She would instill a new world under the control of the moon , He would have been her husband if he would do so .
The age of fracture , His own if he simply repaired the Elden ring .
The age of order , Where he would repair the lands in-between and restore perfect order.
The age of the duskborn , Which would restore death to the world .
And the curse of despair , The dung eaters of request which would no doubt destroy the world .
Some were more appealing than others , Yet he knew what he must do , As he knelt down to radagon's corpse , He reached into the chest cavity , And grasped the Elden ring itself .
He could feel the sheer eldritch divine energy against his palm , And began to pull . It was curious to him , As the energy that made up the Elden ring broke apart and latched itself to him , Sinking into his body , And he knew why .
It needed a host , And with radagon dead , The nearest most capable of handling said power , Was himself , And so he took it within himself .
To do what he needed to do , He would need to become more than a simple Elden lord , No ... he needed to replace Marika herself to do what was needed to be done .
He knew that they would hate him , That Melina , who he knew to be nearby , Would seek his death , And he would welcome it ... after he had secured the future .
And as he felt the Elden ring settle within himself , He knew it was changing him , That the outer god it was tied to would no doubt try to exert some form of influence over him .
So he rushed , before said outer god could do anything , He called out to the chaos deity , The frenzied flame .
It was time , To make sure that the generations that came would know not the dark last that the lands had known ... no , he would cleanse the world for the future he sought .
He stood tall over the crumbled ashen remains of radagon , For how long he knew naught , Days , Weeks , Months .
He wore his black knife armour set , The black cloth billowing in the blistering heat around him .
He cared not , As the skies burnt red and black , The lands cast to ash and smouldering remains .
Fire locked at the base of his heels , His skin rippled with heat as the disembodied flame that surrounded a black dusk as his head shifted aimlessly .
He raised his hand as an ember slowly fell from the skies , No doubt another piece of the erdtree burning away . It settled in his palm only to combust as it settled in his palm.
The frenzied flame as it were , Was satisfied , He could feel it , Of which the two were intimate , Bound together like a body and soul. The dye had been cast , And they understood eachother .
He had cast the world to ash , In hope that something greater would rise , The denizens of this land deserved such hope , For many had already cast it aside .
But he knew , Just as the frenzied flame did , that those rising from the ashes , That while many , As he could feel , Hoped . Others resented him , Loathed his existence , called for his death .
And as the disembodied flame that resembled his head slowly bled together , Becoming solid to piece itself back together as a solid structure that was his head.
His molten glowing eyes turned to the entrance , As his eyes contorted in sadness at the individual that was before him .
Melina , The one whom he had loved , And been knowingly used by , Now stood before him with a dagger in hand .
She was too late to stop him , And by the tears on her rage contorted face , She knew it to. As the world was finally consumed by the flame . Her hand shook as the fires began to die around the erdtree , Slowly returning to their caster in a trail of streaming fire that bled into his body.
" It is already done Melina ... The world is reborn a new ... to choose for itself " His echoed , Doubled voice resounded from he vocal chords as the woman grit her teeth .
She said naught as she raised her weapon and screeched ,Flying at him faster than most could even blink .
With a small smile , He closed his eyes and made no move to defend himself even as the blade sunk into his chest .
The blade erupted from his back , Yet no blood escaped his body , Only rising steam slowly bled from the blade and his Injury .
" Destined death ... " The lord of chaos spoke sadly as he slowly reached up , Gently cupping his hand around Melina's own , Pulling her hand along with her weapon from his chest as she fell back on her arse .
" What is ... what have you done ... " she trembled , Even as she watched the wound created by her blade imbued with death itself , The wound festered and grew , Yet her loathed enemy worried not ,Even as necrosis set in rapidly .
He slowly lowered himself into a sitting position , Leaning on his elbows as he layed .
" I have done what was needed , You may hate me , The flame of frenzy may indeed crave chaos ... but I ... But life , Without chaos ... cannot thrive . I accepted , And long understood that I may never see it come to fruition . So I accept this accord , To be struck from the threads of this world , I will never rise , Nor see my wishes come to fruition . For it is by mine own hand that this happens " The lord of chaos relented as she slowly sank to his knees , Falling onto his back as necrosis quickly set in , The gaping hole in his chest cracking and losing colour .
Rising again , Melina walked over and looked down into the glowing eyes of the lord of chaos .
" You may never forgive me , I do not ask you too . But when the new world rises ... I ask you live it ... for yourself ... for your fate is now yours to choose " The man fully fell back onto his back as his chest quickly began to crumble .
A frown marred the woman's face , As she wielded a black blade blessed of death , She watched as the Lord's face contorted , Smoke beginning to rise from his remaining skin , She watched as flame began to lick from his wounds , The grounds sizzling beneath him .
With a last surge of strength from the dying man , He rocketed to his feet , Faster than she could react , He gripped her by her shoulders , Gently resting his forehead to her own as a heavy scent of sulphur and burnt wood assaulted her senses .
He gently planted a kiss to her forehead as he lone glowing blue eyes widened before he launched her away from him .
She soared through the air before slamming into the ground by the entrance to the erdtree .
Scrambling to her legs , She watched him curl in on himself , A low growl escaping the man as he stumbled from left to right , Fist clenched together as the temperature rose exponentially, Soon becoming too much to bear as she turned tail and fled the erdtree .
"What's happening " Erdine asked as he floated in a star cast void .
Yet it was to his great surprise , As the Elden beast erupted from his chest , Painlessly for himself as it grew to full size and turned to face him .
" So it was you who managed to defy my will " Immediately Erdine knew who he was talking to , The greater will itself , Speaking to him through the Vassel Elden beast.
" So this it to be my punishment , Smite by the greater will itself ... well so be it " Erdine held his arms aloft and waited , Accepting the fate he would be given , For he had achieved all he set out to do .
" Oh no ... my newly ascended godkin . What you did calls for no punishment , You simply corrected a defiance against mine self . You knew not , But you did so none the less " The Elden beast explained as Erdine quickly grew troubled .
" You want something from me " Erdine squinted at the Elden beast as it's star flecked head rose and descended in a nod .
" There is another land I will be sending you to . Two naive tiny gods whom spat in mine face have fled and hidden from my wrath , I have found the land they preside over . I would send you there ,As mine Vassel and eyes to find where they have fled . Just as you are the Vassel of the accursed flame , You may continue to be so , Since mine self and the occured flame are of the same origin , It is fitting that we would be reunited within the same Vassel " The greater will explained to Erdine as the man stared up at the beast with calculating eyes .
" This new world ... what must I do " Erdine asked as the greater will proceeded to explain .
" Whatever you wish , simply sending you there all but assures my plans come to fruition one way or another . You may be a farmer , A scholar ,A warrior , It matters not how you choose to live your life . You may live there eternally , Or pass the Elden ring and the accursed flame to another and let yourself pass . But it matters not what occurs there , For having the Elden ring in the world will allow me glimpse these gods whom have disgraced me so , Allow me to monitor them ... that is all I call for , The rest ... is up to you ... my newest pawn . Do you accept this , My Vassel " The Elden beast neared as Erdine took in a deep breath and made to give his answer .
" I accept your accord , My lordship " Erdine knelt before the great beast .
" Then go , My godkin , Fight in mine name . live the life that was denied apon thee " Erdine closed his eyes as he was enveloped by the Elden beast ,Yet was entirely unprepared for the sudden vertigo that shook his body , Nor the feeling of flames prickling at his skin or the weightlessness that came with descending through an atmosphere .
Remnant
Cloaked in the frenzied flame , Erdine descended from the heavens amidst a asteroid shower , The clouds parted in his wake as he cleared the continents and circled the globe .
The Elden ring Shon brightly on the surface of his chest , Fused with his body , Golden flecks of light peeled from its surface as he began to yell an angry bellow .
VACUO
The desert lands of Vacuo were unprepared as the clouds above parted , Meteorites breaking the clouds as the former residents of the town of tuff watched a meteor break from the rest and divert randomly for a nearby plateau of sand infront of their traveling direction .
" GET DOWN " The former Mayer , Slate yelled out as everyone leapt for cover in their caravan , Behind carts and carriages .
And as Slate watched the meteor strike , Felt the world underfoot Rumble as an earthquake rumbled the nearby dunes .
' This is going to be interesting , I can feel it '
Groaning , Youthful features rose from the scorched , Glassed sands that fractured underneath his touch . Golden eyes opened to take in what was around him .
Holding his hand to cover the blinding light from hurting his eyes , He noticed he was wearing naught but a simple pair of pants . Which worried him greatly because as he looked down , Engraved into the surface of his chest , Pulsing with eldritch energy , The Elden ring stared back .
' Okay yea ... let's hide that ' Erdine mused as he reached into his inventory and pulled out a length of bandage , Which he quickly set about wrapping around his chest and abdomen before fastening it in place with a clip.
With that done , He quickly pulled out the star scourge radahn's armour set , Sliding the helm into place before pulling his Nagakiba out and settling the blade on his shoulder .
" Can you hear me my lord " Erdine closed his eyes as he communed with the raging inferno held underneath his flesh .
" So that's where you got off to my little flame " The voice within his head answered " I had spent a great deal of time trying to locate you in the lands in-between . Imagine my surprise to feel you now , Bearing the Elden ring and across the very stars , How did this happen young flame "
" It was the greater will my lord , I was struck down by Melina ... I had thought my spent , But the greater will intervened and gave me an accord " Erdine hesitated as he prepared to continue " It made me it's Vassel in these lands , To locate the whereabouts of two gods whom have offended it , In turn it let me keep the Elden ring , I'm sorry if this offends you my lord "
The answer he received was not what he expected .
" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA . Only you ... my lord of chaos ... only to you could this happen " The frenzied flame cackled madly within his mind as he sat up and slumped in embarassment .
" My lord ?? " Erdine raised an eyebrow at his master's apparent amusement.
" Nothing ... nothing ... infact ... I am pleased . Since you bathed the lands in between in flames , You had fullfilled all I asked . You would simply have wallowed for the rest of your days . But now ... in new lands . Yes ... I too , Just as the greater will , Will make you my Vassel . Afterall , I too am interested in these gods that the greater will would speak of. " From then , Erdine could pick up the frenzied flame was not pleased with these gods , Rather angry if what he could feel was to be believed " Don't be so surprised my flame ,We are chaos and order , Opposites , Yet we come hand in hand , The same . Infact , One could mistake us for one and the same , Should it be so surprising that I too he upset at these children. "
". I ... understand " Erdine replied as his brow knitted , Thinking heavily at the hint offered by his master .
" Now I am busy fussing over the lands in between my lord of chaos . The frenzied flame is yours to call apon and order , As it always has been . Should you call for this world to burn , I would happily nurture the ashes for you . Until we next converse ... I look forward to hearing about this new land " Silence prevailed as the raging inferno within remained , Sighing , The newest Elden god rose from the ground and observed the desert around his position .
' Sand ... ' Turning his head , He looked in the opposite direction ' More sand ... '
' You know what , I'm going to sit my ass right the fuck down ... I'm sure someone must be coming to investigate the crash '
Stabbing the Nagakiba into the ground , Erdine crossover his legs underneath his body .
" Now let's see " Looking into his inventory , His brow twitched , He knew he was what some might call a kleptomaniac , Having saved and stuffed every possible thing he could get his hands on into said inventory , Including but not limited to , An ungodly amount of smithing stones , Somber smithing stones , Sticks of all things ... and prawns ... god he loved prawns .
With an eager grin , He withdrew several sticks and stones from his inventory and eagerly placed them down infront of his position , Making a camp fire which he promptly lit with a small fire incantation .
Team CVFY walked at the front of the travelers caravan. This was not something unusual for them , Afterall they were frequently called apon to help the destroyed towns people of tuff whom had turned nomad some time ago .
While yes , Several hours ago , The spectacle of the meteor shower was indeed something to behold , But now they were on the road again , Trekking through the cold of the night .
To Coco's right was velvet , The bunny Faunus rather content with herself as she eagerly spoke to her team leader .
Fox stood on the other side of Coco with the final member of their four man team Yatsuhashi stood on the other side of velvet .
Slate stood behind them , The unassuming old woman wearing a small smile as she lead the caravan .
" Thank you again Coco for the help , Without your assistance in crossing the dunes, I doubt we would have gotten very far " Slate spoke , Of course , To Coco .
Rather than go through shade academy for assistance in the matter . One of Coco's friends , Alexi had reached out to Coco directly at beacon in asking for help as a personal favour from an old friend . And with headmaster ozpin's permission they routinely assistance the travelling caravan whenever they would change location , Such as now , Transversing the great dunes to yet another place to set up and stay for the next few months.
" It's no problem , We're more than happy to assist you " Coco responded as she turned , Lowering her glasses to give the old lady a kind smile .
About to say something else , Velvets ears twitched around as she raised her head and looked over to a nearby dune .
" Is that ... music I hear " Velvet , With a pep in her step , Broke formation and sprinted at the nearby dune to their north west .
" VELVE...WAIT ... GODAMMIT " Coco yelled out as she ran in pursuit of her team member , Who was easily faster than herself .
What velvet saw as she topped the dune stopped her in her tracks .
Majestic ... Her Faunus senses pled for her to flee yet she was powerless to do so as she stared at the individual sat infront of a small campfire , Strumming at a stringed instrument in his grasp .
Yet it was the aura the person held , Simply sat with his legs crossed , Melancholy ... sadness ... loneliness ... .
He swayed from side to side as he plucked at the strings of his instrument with practiced ease , Yet it felt incomplete ... like it was missing several things to go alongside the current instrument that was being played .
She didn't notice Coco come to her side as her team leader froze at what she was seeing .
Taking a step forward , Velvet felt hands grasp her arm , Yet she shook them off , As entranced as she was , She slowly cleared the distance between herself and the golden armoured individual.
With each step , The strumming and plucking of the strings grey louder , The smell of something cooking registering in her nose , Yet she didn't break eye contact with you man's red maned helmet , As she , In a subdued manner , Circled the fire and slowly lowered herself to the sand and made to look at his eyes .
She could see them under his helmet , One a vibrant and shining gold ... the other ... a raging red inferno that flowed like liquid magma .
As he stopped strumming his instrument , His eyes rose as he stared at her .
Gently placing the instrument down gently at his side , The man tilted his head to the side and grinned a small smile .
" Hello there , What might your name be young maiden " A rich , Deep voice asked , Pointed at her as her ears twitched .
" Velvet " She nervously replied as her skin prickled , The glow of the fire between them basking him in an ethereal light.
" Well velvet , My name is Erdine , Could I interest you in a prawn or several " Erdine ... the very ... foreign named man motioned to a very large pot sitting over the flame , Very large lobsters , Several prawns and crabs all sitting nearly within as they sizzled in the water .
Despite her misgivings , she nodded , And as the man reached into the cooking saucer and pulling out a curled and still very hot prawn .
" Careful it's hot " The youthful voice as he gently handed her the prawn , And it was indeed hot , As she began to toss it between her hands before stretching her sleeve and holding it with the fabric instead .
Chuckling to himself , The man reached into the saucer and grabbed a prawn for himself , Tearing the head from the body without care for the heat and taking a bite of what remained .
Doing exactly the same as he did , Velvet took a tantive bite of the prawn , And to her great shame , It was amazing , And she inhaled the rest of the prawn immediately .
" Good , Then I got the recipe right " Erdine smiled to and answered good naturedly before handing her a second prawn which she eagerly ate .
It was then that velvet noticed the caravan arriving alongside Coco who looked less than impressed at her little stunt .
" Hello there , Might I interest you in some food " Erdine turned to the caravan and her team , Gesturing to the saucer with a wave " There's plenty to go around , Trust me "
" I'd love some young man " Slate quickly came forward and plopped herself down on the ground " We're stopping for the night , I believe we deserve a rest Afterall " Slate announced as the caravan people looked to eachother and shrugged .
Squinting , Coco sat down slowly next to velvet with Fox and yatsuhashi sitting on the other side .
Reaching into the pot once again , He took out five more prawns and handed them to everyone .
" How the hell are they so big " Fox remarked , As a whole prawn took up a good percentage of his forearm .
" I only get the best " Erdine remarked as he took a crab claw " Gotta last as long as possible "
Locking her fingers after having finished her prawn , Slate leaned forward to look into the saucer ,But quickly recoiled as the boiling water hissed and sputtered at her .
" Young man , May I have another " Slate asked , And with a nod , The man reached into the bottom of the pot and handed the old lady said prawn .
" So ahh ... what are you doing out here ... in the middle of nowhere " Coco asked as she studied the prawn in her hand and took a tantive bite .
" Travelling , Don't know where , Got no real destination in mind " About to take a bite of his crab claw , He seemed to remember he was wearing a mask " Whoops "
Velvet paused as the man reached up to the horns protruding from the side of his golden helmet and proceeded to remove said helmet .
He was beautiful ,As his black hair fell from the mask , His framed jaw clenched tight as he placed the helm next to what was obviously his sword .
' How old is he , He looks younger than me ' Velvet thought as he scratched at his chin , And flicked the long strands of his hair to the side . Those mismatched eyes of his catching many off guard as he smiled and bit into his meal .
Studying his face , She noted a small nick, Most likely from a blade , On the right side of his lip , A small cut under his left eye and a rather tanned complexion .
Throughout the night , Everyone ate happily , Nobody questioned how he kept producing prawns from the pot , Just that they kept coming , And they happily ate what was provided .
But Coco was still somewhat on edge around the man , She didn't know what it was , Nor why , But whenever the man... no boy , So much as moved , The very hairs on her entire body rose and she would twitch .
From what they could get out of him , He was between fifteen and seventeen years of age ... and had apparently been travelling for some time... alone .
She watched him as the folk from the caravan conversed happily around him , Yet he looked as if he was greatly out of place , Eyes downcast as he stared into the flame ... none bothered him , Yet the small frown on his face appeared to greatly disturb velvet who was near his side ... trying to strike up some kind of conversation ... yet like a switch had been flipped he only gave a series of grunts or one word answers .
Steeling herself , Coco neared and sat on the other side of Velvet , Staring at the young man who was looking more and more downtrodden with each passing moment .
' She's dead ' Erdine asked again ... feeling a piece of his soul practically shatter as he heard the news .
' Killed herself actually , She tossed herself from the ashen remains of the Erdtree , Sticking her blade in her own chest and was afflicted with the destined death as she struck the pavement ' The frenzied flame revealed , He could feel a tear track down the side of his cheek .
' Melina ... ' Erdine wallowed sadly as he felt as if he was going to collapse ' Could she have '
' My Lord of chaos ... she would have died anyway ... You have the Elden ring within you , It no longer has any affect of the world here . She cast her own fate as she leapt from the tree ' The flame answered as Erdine sighed and wiped the tears from his face .
' What of... what of the others ' Erdine asked as he feared greatly the answer .
' I know not of their fates as of yet ... but I shall inform you when I am able , For now ... I leave you with this news ... I am sorry for your loss '
Failing to get anything further from the teen , A dejected velvet moved to sleep nearby her teammates , Yet Coco remained , Not wishing to leave the still crying teen on his own.
Yet long after the fire has gone out , And the waters of the saucer settled , The boy stared forward at the embers that still remained .
She was taken unprepared as the boy rose in silence , And began to walk away from the fire and through the caravan .
Rising slowly , Coco began to follow as quietly as she could . Watching intently as he seemed to stumble , Running into one of the caravans as if he hadn't known it was there .
Yet As Coco latched onto the side of the Caravan , She watched him sink into the sand and curl over .
' Is he ... weeping ' Coco raised an eyebrow as he simply held his head against the sand and shook violently .
For minutes , He simply sat there , The violent cries settling down slowly as he slowly raised his head from the ground .
' What is he doing ' She watched as he dug two fingers into the ground and began to carve a series of circles and shapes into the ground before coming back to his original position and sinking back to the floor slowly.
' Is he ... praying ' She watched as he clasped his hands together , Watching his mouth beginning to move .
Straining to hear , Coco left the cover of the caravan and closed in until she could hear what was being said .
" Thy sins have cursed thee , Wronged thee greatly . By the breath of the greater will , I beseech thee , Wherever you , Sweet maiden , Kind heart of purpose ... Wherever you end up ... You find what you sought " Coco watched as he reached into his armour , Seemingly pulling forward a pile of ash from a pouch , Before holding them to his lips and blowing them to the wind .
She couldn't explain what she was seeing , as the ashes twisted and wound , They clumped together and grew , But coming together infront of him , An ashen figure stood staring down apon him .
One eye closed and a small frown on her face . Yet as she dropped to her knees , She cupped his face and placed their foreheads together .
It felt like something sacred Coco was intruding apon , And as the ashes began to disperse with the growing winds.
She watched a small smile take the woman's face as she fluttered and evaporated into motes of wind .
" May the greater will guide thee in thine afterlife " Making a hasty retreat , Coco quickly and quietly made her way back to the caravan with several different thoughts plaguing her thought.
The night progressed without further issue , Erdine foregoing sleep as he instead packed everything back within his inventory and brought out a whetstone to be run across his blade .
By the time the sun rose , He had long finished sharpening his weapon , And instead had stared out into the sandy dunes for many hours.
The great sadness he had felt apon her passing a heavy weight on his shoulders . And by the time the sun rose , He had packed his thoughts away , Preparing to move forward for the next day , As he always has .
And as people began to wake , Moving around the caravan , Erdine began to assist in endeavours being undertaken by the various people's.
" Here , Let me help you with that " Erdine lifted a heavy crate onto his shoulders , Receiving a thankful smile from the maiden he was helping as she instructed him on where to put it.
" Thank you " She announced as He nodded his head and moved on to assist slate who was helping tie some tarps down .
With permission , He began to help , Fastening ropes over the tarp to keep it down , Making sure they were right before repeating the process .
" If you don't mind me asking young man , But where is your family " Slate asked as Erdine paused , Fox , Whom had been helping stopping to listen .
" When I was five ... I lived in a village ... My father was a blacksmith ... my mother a simple housewife ... I was a rowdy and loud child ... Always causing mischief. I was nuisance to them , I cost them coin ... but I loved them and them me . I went into the forests on my own one day , Intent on bringing a pelt for my mother to work on . Yet when I came back home , The village was under attack ... Men were fighting in the streets , Women lay bleeding in the streets while smoke rose high into the skies . I found them , My father dead from bleeding , Still clutching his sword , My mother put to the blade by the bandits that had attacked . I was young ... I was angry , I took up my father's blade ... and I lost " Erdine ran a finger over the gash in his lip whilst slate listened " They burned the village around me, Yet I survived , I've been ... travelling ever since "
" I'm sorry to hear that young man , Losing a parent can be a difficult thing , Did you ever find out what happened to those bandits " Slate asked as she studied the young man .
" They're not bothering anybody anymore " Erdine spoke , A tone of assurance and finality in his voice as his eyes flickered to the blade strapped to his side , Something that slate saw . Yet the tone Fox easily caught on to what was being conveyed.
' Oh ... ' Fox paused as he stared intently at where he knew to be the boy he was listening to .
' Revenge ... is a powerful motivator ' Slate thought as she winced .
Feeling a certain kind of kinship with Fox , Afterall he too was an orphan , Yet ... No , As he stood up , He left to go elsewhere where help was required , He didn't want to think on such things anymore .
The caravan moved across the dunes , Cfvy at the front of the party whilst Erdine moved with Slate at the front of the caravan , Conversing with the old woman .
Spirits were high amounts the travellers . And as they traveled , Erdine looked at everyone before him , Seeing everyone happy rased his hopes , He could only hope that the lands between would one-day experience the same thing he was witnessing .
Yet , Deep down , He knew all good things would come to an end eventually, He had not asked for the reason the caravan existed in the first place , But would soon become intimately aware of the reason.
Mid way through a sentence , He turned his head to answer and stopped mid way , As he saw something in the distance , A small black dot that caused him to squint to get a better look.
" What is that " He questioned , Loud enough to hear as both slate and velvet turned to look in the direction he was staring .
Before his eyes , The black dot split into four , Growing larger and larger as it came closer .
Panicking , Velvet nudged Coco as the team leader yelled out in worry .
" GRIIIIIIMM " Coco bellowed as she produced a metal weapon Erdine had never before laid eyes on .
He watched as the other teens produced similar weapons , Followed by a noise that nearly made Erdine leap straight up , As loud explosions were heard from these weapons , Tiny projectiles coming out of the pipes of the weapon , Flying through the air towards the black dots .
" What's happening " Erdine ran to slate and asked as the black dots split up , Now much larger and diving straight for the caravan as people ran .
" It's a flock of nevermore , We're so fucked " Slate cursed as she took out her own gun and began to open fire apon a nevermore who had dived onto one of the caravans and dug its claws into the top before flying away , Having failed to kill anyone .
Erdine watched as a second rounded , Large projectiles launching from one of the beasts to pepper and skewer anything the bladed feathers struck and impaled one of the caravan nomads , The young woman sliding to the ground in a pool of her own blood .
" Young man , Get your head in the game , We need as much help as we can get " Yet she ate her words as the ground rumbled , Rising from the opposite directions that the nevermore flock had arrived ,A blind worm , Over eighty metres in length rose from the sands . Black plated and serrated teeth , It had one head on either end of its body with a glowing red eye on either end of its body .
He could practically feel the hopelessness in the air as the nomads practically gave up all fight as they looked towards the blind worm , Acid spitting from its mouth as it bellowed to the skies .
" Brothers save us " One of the girls , athe same one he had helped carry the crate earlier , Collapsed to her knees and begged . Slate diverted her attention from the circling nevermore , Trusting team CFVY to take the birds down whilst she sprinted at the blind worm , Fully intend on fighting it alone if she must .
Wielding a simple knife , She leapt and dug her blade into the chitin plate of the worm , Stabbing over and over as hard as she could , Screaming in anger and hate as the blade sparked against the armour of the worm .
Yet , All she did , Did nothing as the other end of the worm rose from the sands , It's mouth gaping as it made to devour the praying girl .
He moved before he realised what was happening , In a feat of speed many would assume he wouldn't be capable of , He wrapped an arm around her waist and slung the girl away like one would a frisbee , Launching her across the sands as he raised his hands up at the dropping mouth.
He cursed himself , Had he done this in the lands in between , He no doubt would have been crushed , Especially during the early days of his adventure .
Yet he knew he had to do something , For what good could being the second coming of the Elden god , First Vassel of chaos and order themselves , Be if he couldn't save just one person .
Hearing a commotion , Slate turned to the caravan in fear , Yet stopped dead at what she was witnessing .
Stopped dead in its tracks , Over the crumbed and awed body of Cassidy , Erdine , With his bare hands ,Physically withheld the tail end mouth of the blind worm from devouring the girl.
She could see the worm struggling to press down apon the young man , As his teeth gnashed together , A low Rumble beginning to rise from the boys mouth .
She watched , Amazed as he took a step away from the caravan , Mouth still held aloft before he shifted and diverted the falling maw into the sand dunes to the side .
Its mouth slammed into the ground , Churning sand to the air as it slowly recovered from its surprise at the boys action .
Knowing he most likely has the worms undivided at the moment , He turned and knelt to Cassidy .
" Take everything and everyone and scatter , It's safe here no longer " He grabbed the hilt of his Nagakiba and proceeded the clasp both hands around the hilt , Holding the blade overhead as the blind worm raised its head once more .
" Flame , Grant me strength " He bellowed as fire erupted from his chest and circled around him like a vortex .
Cassidy did as asked , as she bolted from the scene , Everyone else all but forgotten by the blind worm as snakes of flame began to coil around the katana Erdine held in his hand .
As everyone cleared the scene , Team CFVY engaging the nevermore horde , Slate made to join Erdine , But a look over his shoulder gave her pause .
That eye of his , No longer a pupil of raging red , Was now alright in visible twisting flame that wound upwards from his eye socket.
" Protect them , Leave this beast to me " He uttered before he swung his blade downward , An eruption of fire twisting from the blade in an arc that swung from the blade .
With the opening attack , He sprinted at the blind worm , Sword still coated in flame as he ran low and fast , As the flame bathed the blind worm in flame , It screeched . Allowing for punishment via Erdine's blade as he bounced upwards and performed a sword dance maneuver .
The first twist sliced clean through the bone plate armour , Leaving an angry red trail of burning flesh and burn , The second sweep of the blade tore through the muscle underneath as acid sprayed from the gash , But it affected Erdine not as he held his blade upwards before completing the sword dance maneuver by dropping the blade . Said slice cut clear through the bone , Muscle and armour like a knife through butter , It sliced half way through the beast , Leaving it wailing and screeching as it writhed .
Leaping back with a tuck and roll , Erdine avoided a flailing sweep , The girth of the worm sailing overhead as he swung upwards , Grazing the armour of the beasts once more .
The other end of the beast seemed to have had enough of this however as it moved from behind Erdine , Taking him by surprise as It swung him upwards into the air .
He soared through the air before levelling out a couple hundred metres from the ground , A determined look on his eye as he suddenly halted mid air .
' Your mistake ... you filthy Beast '
Something sick twisted in their gut , And the nevermore seemed to notice too , As they looked up to the air above the blind worm , Said worm extending upwards as it prepared to swallow the suspended Erdine as he fell .
Yet it was not to be , As Velvets Faunus instincts flared once more ,She trembled as she stared up at Erdine .
It was holy like what she witnessed , As orange flame like petals unfurled from Erdine's back in the air , Like sailing tendrils of scarlet fire .
" Perish under the corruption of the scarlet ROT " The petals wrapped around Erdine as he descended , Slamming into the ground Causing an earth quake .
Blistering heat assaulted her face as the next thing she witness created a new fear for the poor girl , As the flower bloomed , It was a violent affair .
Coco shielded herself as it exploded outwards violently , Bathing the surroundings in scorching flame , And the blind worm screamed in pain . As the red and orange mist of energy that bloomed from the petals latched onto the blind worm . Flaming embers surrounded Erdine in all directions .
It was horrific what happened to the blind worm , As the longer it was assaulted by the blooming flower , It's armour melted , It's muscle changed colour , Becoming white and red with mushroom like protrusions rapidly forming across its body.
Even as the blind worm detached and stayed away from the now disappearing flower . It was too late , As the white mass rapidly consumed the blind worm , Red viscus material falling from the mouth off the worm as it wailed and churned . The longer it was afflicted , The faster it worked , And as the beast let out a final cry , It rose to the air and let out a final bellow as it became entirely white , Mushrooms covering its body became solid as stone .
" What ... " Yatsuhashi looked up at the now deceased blind worm , And was confused as it wasn't evaporating or disappearing .
As velvet took down the remaining nevermore , which was already Evaporating as it struck the ground .
The fight was over , and everyone began to approach the frozen spectacle before them .
And as yatsuhashi approached , He raised a hand to touch the surface of the blind worm , And was all but smacked away as he neared it .
" DO NOT ... Touch it " Erdine all but demanded as he rounded on the approached nomads and looked apon their confused faces .
" Alright ... what the fuck is it " Coco became standoff ish as she helped yatsuhashi to his feet , Catching the wince Erdine had .
It looked like he as contemplating on lying , Yet as his shoulder slumped , He reached for his helm and took it off , Planting it on the ground beside him as he turned to the white encrusted blind worm .
" It's called Scarlet Rot , Infectious and destructive . Simply touching it will afflict you with its curse . And it will ... kill you with but that one touch , It just depends on how long it'll take . Even just touching the corpse may cause it to spread . There is no cure ... only prevention" Erdine explained ' Atleast no cure that you'll be able to perform '
" Okay , How the fuck do we get rid of it then " Coco asked , Very much understanding the danger the corpse now posed , If no cure existed , it needed to be destroyed before it could spread .
" ... fire ... Use fire . But mask yourself before burning it , While it quickly dissipates while airborne , It is still dangerous if inhaled. Had there been any water here however ... we'd have been fucked if a single strand so much as touched the surface of the water , It thrives in it " Erdine explained as he raised a hand , Embers of flame flickering to life in his palm " Step back , All of you , And get upwind "
Doing so without question , The caravan watched as a gout of flame burst from his hand to consume the corpse , Burning the body slowly as the white ashes dispersed to the wind .
' Such a horrible disease this ... Scarlet rot . Ozpin needs to know about it , We need to find a way to prevent it... ' Coco squinted as the body began to burn on its own , Allowing Erdine to lower his hand , Turn and make his way over .
As he made his way over , Cassidy ran up to the man and embraced him with a look of excitement " That was so awesome , I've never seen someone so adept at using fire dust , With how you coated your blade with flame and and the explosions ... amazing "
Nodding along , Erdine gently pet the young teen on the back as she asked him about how he had used the fire dust so effectively .
Yet from what Coco could see , He was becoming enraptured like he had the night before , His thoughts plaguing him as he barely gave a solid answer.
Hours later , With a mountain not so far in the distance , Night was falling over the group once more , Yet Coco couldn't help the sinking feeling that was blooming in her stomach , As she watched Erdine talk with and interact with the nomads , She noticed how he distanced himself from them .
And as they constructed a fire , Bathing the night with a golden glow , She approached , Placing herself down at his side whilst the rest of her team chose to sit down nearby should her next actions go wrong .
Yet it needed to be done , As she explained , She opened up an audio recorder on her scroll and hid it in her pocket before she sat down .
" So ... Scarlet rot huh ... hell of a thing " She noticed how he glanced at her from the side , That red eye of his narrowing slightly as he squinted .
" Ask your questions " Erdine all but demanded as Coco winced.
' Right ... could've started that better ' Coco mused before formulating her first question .
" You know what it is , Yet I've never heard of it ... How do you know of it ... " Coco asked as she stared into his face , And for a few seconds she thought she'd be denied an answer , Yet he sighed and once more pulled his helm from his head and out it to the side and gazed into the flame .
" Where I come from ... A land far off , Across the ocean infact . it was a common thing ... we fought it , Ground it to a halt , Yet it refused to die . The very land was infected with the rot , And as long as we could battle it ... it could wait longer... so a drastic solution was devised . We knew it was weak to fire ... and we condemned ourselves for the better ment of the rest of the world . Yet we stayed our hand ... we needed to find the source , If we couldn't kill the source first , What hope did we have if stopping it " Erdine began as he explained the scarlet rot , The undivided attention of the Huntsman team resting on his as he reached into his pouch.
" You found it ... didn't you " Coco spoke , Eyes hard as he pulled out a familiar pile of ashes , And to her curiosity, Blew them into the fire .
The flame of the camp in turn exploded upwards , As rising from the flame , A towering woman wearing a helmet with wings jutting out its side and holding a long sword in her right arm stood in the flame .
" She was cursed from birth , That was the rumour , Blind in nature ... yet cursed doubly so , As she was the source of the rot . It grew from her body and infected all around her " Erdine began as he stared up at the ashen figure which quickly dispersed to the wind .
" What was her name ... did she know " Coco asked as they watched the ashes wither away slowly .
" Malenia ... Her name was Malenia . She didn't know at first , But when she found out ... she didn't care . Infact , She opposed our plan " Erdine explained as he wrung his hands infront of him .
" But you stopped her " Velvet piped up hopefully , And was immensely relieved as he nodded .
" After a great battle . She indeed fell after felling a great many of our people . And with her death the plan was enacted , We cast ourselves to the flame that washed over out land by our own hand . And I would have joined them too if I could " Erdine explained as he curled his fists .
" Yet here you are ... And with the rot to boot " Coco seethed , Perceiving some kind of trickery on his part , Or cowardice that caused him to flee his lands.
" Not by choice " Erdine explained which didn't help his case in Coco's eyes , As she now perceived him as an open threat if the affliction could be passed from him .
' I need to get this to professor Ozpin immediately, If he's contagious... ' She didn't want to think of the consequences ' We need to get him to beacon to be dealt with '
Luckily ... it appeared luck was on her side , As the roar of a bullheads thrusters was heard , As it capped the mountain in its approach.
" That should be all for now , But I'd very much like for you to come with us , The headmaster would like to meet you " Coco asked as the nomads people gathered , Team CFVY gathering as the Bullhead arrived shortly after and began to lower to the ground.
With her back turned , Coco sent the captured audio and sent it straight to professor Goodwich and professor Ozpin , Along with a notification that she would be bringing him to beacon immediately.
" Alright ... I'll come with you " Erdine relented as he stood and popped the joints in his back , Grasping his helm as he followed velvet and fox who had nodded to him with their heads .
" You do know this is a ploy right ... " The feminine voice whispered in his head " Why don't you just allow me to bloom ... it is my rite ... a new land for me to grow in ... can you imagine the beauty "
The rot goddess , Oh he knew who she was , Always whispering in the back of his head after he was first infected with the rot . Of course at first it was just the regular whispers and degradation of the mind , Even when cleansed , There is no cure for the scarlet rot ... stopping it was always temporary , You could manage the effects , But it can't simply be erased .
But when he had slain Malenia ... She had connected directly with him . Having her undivided attention . And when he had first used the Scarlet aeonia , She had pounced and taken the chance , Implanting the same affliction she had on Malenia .
But the difference between himself and Malenia had been realised when he had become one with the Elden ring.
It isolated the rot , Stopped it's spread and turned it into a sort of organ for him to make use of .
Whilst one could never be rid of the rot , Adaption existed , And as he ascended , He adapted to the rot , As he had similarly to the frenzied flame .
It irked the goddess of rot greatly that she couldn't simply force him to unleash the rot , As he had it under his control . Stored and smothered deep within his body , Locked behind the power of the Elden ring . So she resorted to trying to convince him to unleash it , For him to willingly plunge this land into another case of Malenia . Yet he would prove his will greater than what she assumed .
Such was the difference between a demigod that was Malenia, And a godkin that was himself blessed by the greater will and the frenzied flame . With their protection granted ... he held no fear of the rot within himself ... but the same couldn't be said for mortals .
' Oh I'm aware , And will you be quiet , I need to think ' He retorted internally as he stepped onto the Bullhead , Pretending like he understood what it was even though he had no idea .
He could clearly see how they kept their distance from him within this strange contraption . Choosing to instead sit on the other side whilst the person in the front of the metal beast urged it to soar into the skies .
With the Bullhead approaching , Ozpin was in a conundrum , Glynda held a white knuckled grip on her riding crop .
Of course , Luckily students were far and few in-between as it was currently end of term. But he none the less informed the instructors the potential threat incoming towards the academy.
" You don't agree " Ozpin turned to face the blonde combat instructor as she fixed her glasses .
" This is a dangerous gamble Ozpin , What if it is a contagious as Coco fears " Glynda pressures her boss .
" And what if it isn't , You're more than welcome to hang back a safe distance , It will Afterall by just me and this ... Erdine conversing until the nature of this ... rot is known . I would ask that before you make yourself scarce , That you make sure team CFVY is detained and tested when our guest is brought before me " Oz reasoned as Glynda fixed him with a glare .
" I swear to the brothers that if something goes wrong with this ... " Glynda hissed before turning on her heel and departing .
" If I'm wrong , Then I'll make sure I'm the only one who dies from this rot " Ozpin replied , Aware that Glynda could hear him as she entered the elevator .
He turned to face the direction of the approaching bull head that passed through the clouds in the distance .
" I really hope I'm not wrong about this " Oz mumbled , Yet he sent a message to oobleck to prepare as many fire dust crystals as he could , If needed ... he'd burn the school to the ground to ensure that it doesn't spread .
CHAPTER COMPLETE
First of all , The Elden ring .
With killing Marika and radagon , The Elden ring would be free to manipulate , And if the greater will could allow it , Might potentially be moved to a new vessel , Hence why ... Erdine , Who was already afflicted with the frenzied flame , Successfully pulled the Elden ring into himself .
As for the frenzied flame , It is widely considered both hinted in game and talked about in forums that the frenzied flame and the greater will have the same origin , Whether they were originally a single outer god that split itself , Or is infact two halves of the same coin or simply a single outer god playing both sides , We don't know . But it is heavily hinted apon that they are much much closer in origin than most think .
So in this story , We're subscribing to the story that he has been blessed with both the Elden ring being fixed to himself and being the vessel of the frenzied flame by two outer gods that are in cahoots with eachother in a united task of searching lands they don't preside over .
And in doing so , Has been raised to the position of God kin , Or lesser god in terms , Simply being the vessel of the Elden ring raised Marika to such a position , And now Erdine too holds said object . So something similar should logically follow .
And now for the scarlet rot ...
For anybody wandering how he is afflicted by the rot ... In lore ,The rot is incurable as far as I've been able to see . It just depends on how long and how much one is able to resist its affects.
And being afflicted at the time of taking the ring , Has forced him to adapt to it , Like how someone may have a disease but develop an immunity to said disease . And with the protection of the greater will and frenzied flame , Would almost guarantee and immunity to it .
As for his armament .
He is max level at LVL 713 . Max stats
Has collected all weapons , Knows all spells and is as intelligent as is implied by his stats .