"What a stroke of luck. The Seethewater River has been calm the whole way," Raven said to Lansang as the forward outpost of the Fire Monks came into view. "It's a good omen."
"Don't get your hopes up too early. From what I know, Praetor Rykard isn't exactly a man of easy compromise," Lansang replied, stretching her arms. "For all we know, he'll just wave his pen and sentence all these villagers to death, making this whole trip a waste of time."
"According to the Golden Order, these villagers have not been tainted by the Frenzied Flame and thus should not be executed. If Rykard is truly as upright and impartial as the rumors suggest, he will declare them innocent," Raven said.
Ludi, however, looked quite disappointed.
"I heard there were Magma Wyrms lurking in the Seethewater River. A shame we didn't run into any."
He carefully scraped the remaining Freezing Grease from his knife, tucking it reverently back into a small leather pouch. Dozens of similar pouches hung across his chest. "Nothing but some fire slimes. Waste of my grease."
After Raven's party underwent questioning by the Fire Monks, the great gates of Fort Laiedd were soon raised, allowing them entry.
Entering the vestibule, they saw a massive, rotund man with his back to the door. He stood before a fireplace, staring with absolute concentration at the dancing flames within.
"Bishop Baroque, Prince Raven has arrived," the Fire Monk priest leading them announced.
"I am currently peering into visions of the future within the flames—do not disturb me," the fat man rumbled.
This Bishop of the Fire Monks was exceptionally broad. Standing before the hearth, his girth completely obscured the fireplace, allowing not a single flicker of light to escape. His helmet was fashioned in the likeness of the Giants' Flame pot, which looked utterly ridiculous on his head, as if a flat-mouthed trumpet were growing out of his skull.
After waiting for a long while without the man turning around, the priest finally let out a dry cough to remind him. "Prince Raven is the Praetor's brother. Bishop Baroque, should you not receive him?"
"An ill omen appears within the flames; I see a vision of death," Baroque said, still without turning. "Is it you who shall bring misfortune and calamity? The crow clad in black?"
The priest offered Raven a helpless, apologetic look. "Our Bishop is perhaps a bit too obsessed with the fire—I mean, he is too focused on his duty to monitor the flame. I hope Your Highness can understand."
"I understand," Raven said. "The Fire Monks bear the heavy burden of watching over the Flame of Ruin. If Lord Baroque cannot tear his eyes from the fire for even a moment, it is no wonder he rose to the rank of Bishop."
"We observe the flame; we are not obsessed with it. This is so that we may better monitor the Flame of Ruin atop the Mountaintops of the Giants—" the priest tried to explain, but his defense only made it sound worse. Finally, he simply shouted, "Bishop Baroque!"
The fat man let out a heavy sigh and finally turned around. He extended a hand the size of a giant's palm, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. When Raven reached out, the Bishop's hand remained stiff and immobile. He didn't move to grip; he simply waited for Raven to do the work.
Seeing how dearly the fat man valued his energy, Raven flattened his palm and gave the Bishop's hand a sharp pat, like a high-five.
The two hands remained frozen in mid-air, neither party showing any intent to actually shake.
"We have come here—"
"—wishing to pass through to Volcano Manor, I presume," the fat man interrupted, finally looking down. "As it happens, Rykard sent a message recently inviting me to the festival. You may come with me."
He looked miserable, his voice heavy with deep anxiety.
"I apologize for the trouble, Bishop," Raven said. "You seem uneasy?"
"Bad things will happen at the Volcano Festival. I have a premonition." The fat man waved a hand dismissively. "But fate is inescapable. Say no more; follow me."
Raven furrowed his brow, wondering what this neurotic Bishop was on about.
"These prisoners cannot enter the Manor proper," the priest reminded Raven. "I will have monks lead them to the Subterranean Inquisition Chamber and settle them there for now."
"Why haven't we seen any soldiers from Volcano Manor?" Raven asked, sounding curious. "I know the Fire Monks and the Manor cooperate, but why are all these duties being left to you?"
"All the Manor's soldiers have been redeployed by Lord Rykard, likely to prepare for the festival," the priest shrugged. "The prisoners have all been cleared out as well. The cells are empty now; even the jailers have been reassigned."
The path ahead was treacherous in the extreme. Following a narrow trail carved into the cliffs, the party wound their way around the mountain. At times, the path disappeared entirely, requiring them to climb long rope ladders. The ladders swayed violently in the howling wind. Looking down, one could only see the charred black smoke swirling between the peaks, with the Seethewater River reduced to a blurry red thread.
At everyone's unanimous insistence, Bishop Baroque was placed last in the climbing order for every ladder. He could only begin his ascent once everyone else was safely at the top. Hearing the ladders creak and groan as if they might snap at any second, Raven suspected that this might have been the "vision of death" Baroque had seen in the fire.
"How much further, Commander?" Lansang asked with a yawn.
"Almost there." Raven looked up. In the blood-red sky, massive, heavy dark clouds chased one another, with the faint rumble of thunder echoing in the distance. Neither the sun nor the Erdtree were visible here.
"Whew... if only I could fly," Lansang muttered, leaning her head against Raven's shoulder.
"Hey, don't fall asleep, you'll fall off," Raven said, but he received no response. He could only feel Lansang's rhythmic breathing against the back of his neck. "And you're tickling me."
The two trolls obviously couldn't make this climb and had been left behind at Fort Laiedd. Lansang, having lost her mount, hadn't made it halfway up the mountain before collapsing by the side of the trail, telling everyone to go on without her and that she'd catch up after a rest.
Raven, naturally, couldn't leave her stranded halfway up a cliff, so he had forcibly hauled her up. After a short period of dragging her, Lansang had ended up draped across Raven's back, just as she was now.
Fortunately, even the longest roads have an end. After scaling the final rope ladder, the group finally stepped onto the level ground of the summit. Volcano Manor stood tall beneath the blood-red sky.
Raven eased the sleeping Lansang off his back, gave her a little shake by the collar, and set her on the ground. He then looked toward the brooding ancient fortress.
It possessed high stone walls, but under the crimson light of the sky, it was coated in a sickening, dark hue—like coagulated blood. The windows were mostly sealed shut, with only a few narrow openings remaining. From time to time, a pale face would drift past an opening like a lurking ghost, peering down at the newcomers from the mountain.
────────────────────────────────────────
Support me here: https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Elden Ring: The Unborn One's Journey Through Elden Ring(114 Chapter - Ongoing)
Join the journey and become part of the story!
────────────────────────────────────────