Tarnished Beast (Male OC x Elden Ring harem)

Inheriting the Frenzied Flame (Paths A & C)

Mutasim P.O.V

Upon learning that to burn the Erdtree I'd need to sacrifice Melina, I immediately turned back and marched back to Leyndell despite everyone trying to convince me not to. I would not send the woman who aided me from start to this point to her death, regardless of if that was what she wanted or not. 

But the descent into the depths of Leyndell was so much worse than I could have imagined. The Omen were locked, trapped away in the sewers like rats. Tortured, broken, almost mindless now. And for what? Just for being born the way they were? It didn't sit right with me. And it horrified me how the others just let it happen. They didn't like it either, but they didn't do anything about it. If I should ascend as the Lord of Chaos, death would be a mercy for the Omen. And for all those suffering in this world. 

After battling an Omen who Morgott seemed to recognise, I then found myself descending a giant drop. Hundreds of corpses were strewn everywhere and I recognised them as the merchants throughout the Lands Between, adding to my horror. 

Mutasim: What is all this...? 

Low violin music plays further down. I peek over the edge and see some of the merchants are still alive! But they've been down here for so long and they're all stick figures from lack of food. They were wasting away to the point of death. 

Melina: Tarnished, please... It's not too late to turn back. 

Mutasim: I've already made up my mind, Melina. 

I continue to climb down, carefully holding onto the edges of the many graves as I do so. The others follow me down, still talking with each other. 

Vera: So what happens when you inherit the Frenzied Flame? Do you just... Go crazy immediately or is it once you reach the Elden Ring? 

Morgott: Tarnished, think about this carefully. The Frenzied Flame will bring nothing but destruction to all. It will do more than burn the Erdtree. It will incinerate all life in the Lands Between. What kind of Lord would you be when the world you rule over is nothing but a wasteland? 

Mutasim: I NEVER CARED ABOUT BEING A LORD! 

I snap at them, tears building up in my eyes as I scream. 

Mutasim: The only reason I even bothered with this quest was because it was the first time in my life I could finally make something of myself! Not be the wimp that everyone looked down on! Be someone people could actually rely on instead of being the waste of life I am! Save the people I love for once! FOR ONCE! I WON'T... I... I can't... Repeat my mistake. I just... can't...

Tears stream down my face as I reach the bottom. Oddly enough, there was a site of grace here and the blind girl who ate the orange eyes, Hyetta. I guess the Shabriri grapes led her... Oh... That makes sense now. I quickly wipe my eyes and feel the warmth of the grace wash over me, but it didn't bring me any form of comfort. The others join me at the grace, their eyes fixed on me with concern and worry. 

Nobody paid any attention to Hyetta and I feel Melina wrap her hand around mine. 

Melina: Tarnished... The Frenzied Flame is chaos. Devouring life and thought unending. However ruined this world has become, however mired in torment and despair...Life endures. Births continue. There is beauty in that, is there not? 

I rip my hand away from her and stare her in the eye. 

Mutasim: "Beauty"? Look around you Melina! Where is the beauty?! The Omens, locked away like rats! The merchants imprisoned cruelly with no light! The rot in Caelid! The Demigods themselves! There is no beauty here! And the beauty that is there is nothing but a facade! So please tell me where it is! WHERE?!