'If we go by standard architectural norms it should be right around this corner... Bingo.'
Loosing the tensed string, the arrow nocked onto the head of the bow flew through the air and drilled into the skull of an unwary undead.
Following it up closely with the murder of their still reacting undead friends, it seemed that even if they had newfound strength, it had no effects on the rest of their senses.
But anyways
Looking at the doorway that they were guarding, I was impressed to see that it was just as grand as I had expected.
Well as grand as a giant doorway heading to the throne room could be.
And as it stands, I have the three keys required to open said door.
'I just have no idea how I'm going to open this giant thing, is there a mechanism anywhere?'
Rubbing the back of my head, I craned my neck to barely see the top of the doorway.
Inlaid with gold, gems and other valuables covered in blood, it definitely weighed a ton.
A ton that I couldn't possibly push past.
'Or can I?'
Unlocking the doorway with the three keys in hand aptly named King's Hold Key I placed both hands on the doors and pushed...
As it turns out, opening two doors was a bit much for me.
One on the other hand was more than doable.
Now leaving behind a carpet covered in burning wooden chunks, I slipped past the human sized crack in the door allowing me passage into King's Hold.
Greeted with a giant hallway the same size as the doorway, at the end of this hallway was a small glimmering light
I walked towards what I had assumed was the Throne room.
This particular throne room was vastly different from the throne rooms that I had been accustomed to seeing however.
Staring at the wide open sky, without a single trace of any destroyed ceilings or walls, glimmering platinum white stars gently glinted in the sky letting their soft starlight cascade down in ribbons.
Feeling the cool wind on my skin, I took in a deep breath of the fresh air significantly less stifling and suffocating than that of the rest of the island
It was an obsidian night
'Has it really been that long since I entered High peak castle?'
Briefly recalling how sunlight once streamed through the windows, I realized that it wasn't in fact night time.
'That means it's this place that's weird.'
Tightening my grip around the shield in my right hand and the chunks of wood in my left, mana slowly formed around my fists in the form of vines.
Then I met him.
Wearing the same gold highlighted armor as all the other golden order undead, instead of the purple crystal mask, this mans face was shrouded in darkness.
And he was big, absurdly so.
Taller than I was and wider than I was, thick muscles coiled underneath those clothes threatening to break free as the man held a giant dual ended blade.
As if someone had taken two greatswords and melted their shafts together.
And just as I noticed him, he noticed me.
Turning their head, despite not being able to see their eyes, I had the sense that he was looking at me
Uncrossing their arms, the still standing man spread their legs and stabbed the edge of their blade into the ground like a guardian guarding his charge
And the charge that he was tasked with guarding sat listlessly atop a throne made of Basalt, the black stone structure highlighting how thin and frail he was.
But I wasn't focused on that in the slightest.
I was focused on the crown atop their head.
And more specifically, the orange gem embedded in the middle of it pulsating with orange waves that even I could see.
'A source of the Malaise, and by the looks of it, one that hasn't been split like with the Timekeeper and the Messenger.'
Looking at the purple robed man sitting atop their throne I turned my gaze to the man guarding their listless king.
"I'm guessing that if I want to get to your king I'll have to kill you?"
The man raised his hand and made a come at me gesture.
"Well... Nothing risked, nothing gained and nothing lost as they say."
Walking forwards to greet the man pulling their weapon out of the earth, before me stood someone I presumed to be the Captain of the Golden Order.
The Captain of the Royal Guards, and the one who stood guarding the king.
---
"-And that's how I died."
"...You live an interesting life."
Sitting parallel to me stirring up a pot of stew, the heavy metal pot that had seen better days swirled with a grey tint to its contents.
It was far less appetizing to... really anything else that I was used to, but it was edible, which was far better than eating rotten flesh
It made my stomach grumble with protest and my tongue to scream in terror when I took a bite out of curiosity
Curiosity killed the cat and all that stuff.
But cats having nine lives aside, once I took a sip of the stew it was more tasteful than I had initially thought it would be given its grey hue.
"Tasty right?"
Smiling, Ella the Pony tailed took a scoop of her own portion and drank it all, ignoring the heat still coming from the stew.
Letting out a satisfied sigh, she pointed at the pot. "It's made out of human bones you know?"
"!?"
Startled, the edible stew in my hands nearly fell to the ground, but I caught it in the nick of time.
"Surprised?"
"...Yeah."
"I wouldn't have taken you for the type to be bothered by cannibalism."
"It's just that... I didn't take you for the type who would partake in it"
"Ah that? I was just messing with you" Smirking, she laddled another portion of stew into her bowl. "It's actually made out of the bones of some small critters that I hunted."
"...Well you messed with me good."
Still staring at the grey tinted bowl, I took a careful sip before realizing I wouldn't be able to tell if this was made with human bones either way.
'Well I already ate some of it, a bit late to regret.'
Fully drinking it all, eventually the stew disappeared to nothing more than bits of small bones lingering at the bottom of the pot.
And once that happened, Ella placed her bowl on the ground,hugged her knees and stared into the flame with brown eyes before finally speaking
"So you're the flaming headed man I saw last time? No wonder I couldn't find him when I returned there later"
"...I'll be honest, you're taking this much better than I had."
Ella gave me a strange look. "What, you weren't suddenly born this way?"
"Not that I can recall, no, I wasn't born as a babe with a flaming head atop my shoulders." Shaking my head, Ella shifted around to look fully into my orange eyes as if to search for any sign of lies.
"Mm, it doesn't look like your lying."
"Since its the truth."
"Hm." Giving a noncommittal hum, Ella spoke up again "So can I see it?"
"See what?"
"How it looks like when your head transitions from normal to fire."
Hearing her request, I paused for a moment before agreeing "...I guess that's simple enough."
I was trying to get used to losing my head after all.
'Shock therapy and all that.'
Subtly opening the Minecraftian inventory screen behind my legs so that Ella wouldn't see what I was doing, my eyes scanned the screen that only I could see.
Moving past the numerous items stifling its innards to the point of bursting, my pupils landed on the character icon.
It was safe to say, me in all of my glory.
Staring at my own pair of eyes with orange pupils, the screen flickered for a moment as I mentally processed my request and opened up my head, changing it from one of flesh and bone to one of oxygen and flame.
And with a fwoosh of hot air rising suddenly, the skin around my face lost its sense of touch as my surroundings glowed with a darkened black flame.
"How... Curious."
Tilting her head at the sight, she made no small attempt to hide her desire to touch the flame which I obliged with a nod of my head.
"It's surprisingly... cool." Feeling the hand on the top of my head, I glanced upwards to look at her.
"What do you mean by that?"
"And you can still talk?" Meeting my gaze, I asked in confusion.
"What are you talking about? I'm just asking why you think it feels cool to the touch."
"It feels cool, now answer my question" Grasping the sides of my face, Ella forced my head to look into her eyes
"You couldn't talk last time, what's that about?"
"I... Uh..." I blinked in response.
"Don't want to answer? Well keep your secrets then."
Pushing my head back to its original position, Ella moved back to her seat, resting her back against the flat side of the Broadsword.
It was ridiculously large.
But large sword aside, I have to wonder.
'Since when was I able to talk with this flaming ball of fire on my shoulders?'
Last I recalled whenever I tried speaking with my flaming head, the only things that came out was the roar of fire and flames.
'...Was it after I got the inferno rune?'
Glancing at the bandages hiding the tattoos, I wondered if the Inferno Rune responsible for allowing me greater control over fire was the reason.
It really didn't make sense otherwise.
And the timeline made sense.
But for the time being, I was curious about something else.
"What do you mean that my head feels cool to you?"
Shrugging her shoulders, she fully rested her back against the blade, pulling out a dagger from her boot and sharpening its dulled edge "It's just like that, your head feels cool."
"Last I checked, fire is supposed to be warm. are you sure you aren't imagining things?"
Ella raised her dagger to the light and admired its sharp glint "Check for yourself, you'll get what I'm saying"
Instantly, I moved to touch my head, and lo and behold, it was cool as she said, not as cool as I thought, but cool enough that I felt the difference in my palms
Curious, but I was more curious about something else.
"So why do you carry that broadsword everywhere you go? I've played around with it for a while but it's a bit bulky to use in some of the smaller areas, you really could only stab with it, and a spear is better at that."
Hearing my question Ella raised her hand causing me to tilt my head in question.
And seeing my confusion, she elaborated.
"Payment for your question and my answer."
"Ah, are you fine with bones from something I think is human?"
Ella's eyebrow raised in slight laughter "Still sulking over that bone joke? Well I guess that's fine, as long as they're not broken, I need the marrow."
"That can be arranged."
Ever since I found out that people couldn't see my inventory screen, it had become something of a habit to keep a bag filled with things.
Mostly trash and junk I would otherwise throwaway for cluttering up my inventory, but it made for a good disguise.
No one is going to be asking the logistics on how I stuck a greatsword in my bag when their being chased by undead after all.
And with a swift move, I pulled out three pristine human bones causing Ella to blink.
The fact that I was able to automatically pick up the most valuable mob drops from the enemy was surprisingly useful in cases like these.
'That reminds me, I should go find Guillian soon.'
"...You just keep these in your bag?"
"That's not the answer I wanted."
"...Right."
Taking the bones in confusion, Ella nevertheless collected herself and gestured at her weapon of choice.
"Well to start, me and my sister both learnt swordsmanship from our brother, and he used these all the time..."
+++
Tree