The pale moon shone over head as he caught his breath. His golden hair covered his teary eyes, small glisering streaks trailed down his average, but red face as he inhaled and exhaled air rapidly. The forest was deathly quiet, until a single gunshot ripped through the air, twisting and penetrating the soft hoody he wore as he fell backward. He felt nothing beneath him as air rushed rapidly passed him whilst he descended into the large, seemingly endless abyss below him. The last thing he felt was his bones being crushed against the solid floor of the crevice, the slick feeing of a wet stalagmite going through his ribs and the coppery taste of his blood rushing through his mouth, the world turned dark as his body became cold and his eyes glazed over as all signs of life left his body.


He found himself in a cell, a old and grey wall covered in moss that had a single gap filled with rusting iron bars. He was panicking, he knew that he had died, his clothing also showed marks that he had died if the hole was anything to go by. He stopped as he looked into the hole as he noticed his flesh had turned a rotting brown, alongside thinning to the point of appearing to be starving if the visibility of his ribs were a telling sign. The most concerning part was the large bulging veins around his heart, appearing like the cracks on a pain of glass. The leathery texture matched that exactly of a dehydrated cadaver. He moved his spindly body, the gaps in his vertebrae cracking as he looked upwards. A knight dropped a body into his cell, a faint silver light was just above the body. He moved forwards, the jeans he wore plastered with his one blood as he bent down and placed his hand in the light, only for it to disappear, leaving only a key in his hand.

He walked towards the cage door, as a large thumping from next to his cage. He turned the key in the lock, a tiny click resounded from the now opened door. He pushed it forward as it creaked open. A large, derelict corridor opened before him, it was filled with more things that looked similar to him, many of them standing around and one slamming his head into the solid stone, slowly caving open his scull to his left was a large bloated creature, small wings matching the lime green hide that covered his body. It held a large club, resembling that of an ancient pillar instead of that of an actual club.

His steps became cautious as he walked to the end, an attempt to not anger the denizens of the dark prison that he had found himself within. He made his way to a waterlogged room, another of the creatures was inside what appeared to be a pool of sewage water that was tainted a dark black, the rotting flesh from the man was spread within its shallow form. He walked to the rusted ladder leading out of the underground complex and into a small open courtyard. The small bit of grass was outlined by the grey and confining walls, with the exception of one item before him. A pile of ash and bone laid before him, a coiled blade with a single loop as the pommel pierced the dried material.

He felt drawn to it as he snapped his fingers at it, a small flame comparable to that of a candle began to weave around the swords base, the metal heating up slightly. The warm flames heated his aching bones, an uncomfortable chill retreated from the aching bones, the physical fatigue left his body as he basked in the flames light. He walked past and to a large stone door with handles larger than his own hands. He pushed the pair opening as the door screeched across the ground. It opened to a large area, the ground unstable and cracking. It was filled with large pots that seemed as if they were ready to collapse. He walked forward as the seeping cold went deeper into his bones.

The ground shook as a creature that looked identical to the one below it. He barely rolled out of the way as it slammed an identical hammer pillar. A large hammer swung horizontally into his sign, ribs cracking and piercing his ribs, before being sent into a wall, and near a doorway. He limped towards it as a cloud of dust was launched up into the air from another strike. The portcullis like door slammed behind him as he made his way into the next room, being met by a pool of water and another bonfire creation. He sat next to the newly lit fire, noticing that the sweet smoke from the fire combined with his white Aura as it healed his wounds with the damaged tissue sewing back together and destroyed ribs cracking and re-arranging into place.

He got back to his feet and carried onwards and through a large corridor that was decorated with cells, all of the doors had been ripped off of the hinges with a few cadavers littering the place. A single one of the creatures he had become was at the end of the hallway on a slight raised hill. It took aim with the bow sluggishly before realising the string and letting the arrow head towards him. He ran towards an opened cell, a corpse with another light sat in the doorway. The light disappeared as his hand plunged into it and grabbed the item within, revealing it to be his ancestral sword Crocea Mors, the blade was worse for wear, but still was more than proficient. He held it loosely with the leather-like skin of his fingers on the brown handle as he prepared to attack.

He rushed forward, as he thrusted the blade into the creatures abdomen only a second after a arrow penetrated through his shoulder as a cry came from his torn vocal chords. The creature dropped dead as he felt a strange warm light incorporate with his body. He grabbed another pale flame, only to receive the bullet hole riddled shield of Crocea Mors. He felt nothing once he realised that the thing was dead, unsure whether it was from adrenaline or from some other cause.

He was met with another floor of the same old cobblestone, except there was a single cell on the floor, on that contained a knight on a pile of rubble. He rushed over to him, noting that the other way was a broken staircase, until he found that he had no way into the knights cage. Two options were presented to him, to head upwards or downwards using a flight of stairs. He went downwards, only to find a barred door leading back to the courtyard from before. He returned to the fire, only then realising that a thick layer of mist was covering the open doorway. He retuned back to the flight of stirs with his fully healed injury, realising that his Aura seemed to be far weaker than before, not even stopping a single attack.

He made his way up the higher level of the steps as each foot made an echoing sound in the silent asylum, only for the new undead to be hit by a large ball of iron, nocking him to the descending stairs and opening the wall to the knight. He walked through over the demolished wall as the bricks clattered underneath his feet. He made it to the tunic and armour wearing man, the man appeared like that of what he heard in stories when he was younger. He noticed him as he began to speech, his words laboured with large breaths between them.

"...Oh, you... You're no Hollow, eh? Thank goodness... I'm done for, I'm afraid... I'll die soon, then lose my sanity... I wish to ask something of you... You and I, we're both Undead... Hear me out, will you?"

The undead looked at him with his sunken eyes that were still filled with life. He spoke one word, yet it came out as more of a wheeze that was to painful to develop on.

"…Yes…"

He seemed relived that another was willing to hear of his journey and hardships, before it turned into despair.

"...Regrettably, I have failed in my mission... But perhaps you can keep the torch lit... There is an old saying in my family... Thou who art Undead, art chosen... In thine exodus from the Undead Asylum, maketh pilgrimage to the land of Ancient Lords... When thou ringeth the Bell of Awakening, the fate of the Undead thou shalt know... Well, now you know... And I can die with hope in my heart... Oh, one more thing... Here, take this... An Estus Flask, an Undead favourite... Oh, and this..."

He handed a key to the undead, the rusted metal flaked with blood at the tip, whether it was the knights or another of the creatures named hollows was unknown. Alongside it was a carved emerald flask, a glowing amber liquid inside of was accompanied by a sweet scent that seemed to permeate the air. He gripped it fiercely as the knight began to cough, a small trail of blood leaking out from under his pointed and well-formed helmet.

"...Now I must bid farewell... I would hate to harm you after death... So, go now... And thank you..."

He walked back through the hole, only to hear the man take a final, deep breath and a gasp. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw him turn into a dirty grey ash that seemingly disappear before hitting the ground. He began to scale the stairs, another of the hollows holding a broken sword began tow swing at him without form or strength. He felt the blade of his sword cut through the fragile bone and muscle first before he saw the dark, almost black, blood on his sword. The reanimated body fell down without and support, before the body moved easily with the slightest movement.

He opened the cage door; the rust was darkest near the lock as he forced open the ancient metal. He met the baby blue sky, clouds filled the horizon both in front and above him. A pointed stick resembling an arrow planted into the wall just to the right of his head, nicking the skin of his check making a small line of red appear on the tight-fitting skin of his face. A roll allowed him to dodge the next of the projectiles and allowed him to cover enough distance for him to make a strike on the hollow, but just barely with the pointed tip. It made the hollow stagger backwards, almost no support holding the former human upwards. The undead made a final lunge at the hollow, his shield slamming into his head until it crumped and cracked from the metals weight and the old, but solid flooring beneath him.

A spear wormed his way into his stomach as a large pool of blood made his way out of his mouth, his blade impacted the helmet of another armoured hollow, making it reel backwards. The spear moving around in his gut made a uncomfortable burning in his flesh, before it was yanked out. He used the stagger to his advantage, delivering a heavy, but sloppy, swing to the side of the side. It broke through the spears wooden shaft, severed the torso of the hollow into to separate parts as well as forced the metal shield out of its hand. His hand fell to the glowing flask on his waist, he dragged it to his mouth as he began to drink it, partially in memory of the fallen knight and to discover if it tasted as good as it smelt.

The sweet liquid exploded into flavour as it graced his lips. It had a variety of flavours but was not overpowering. It emitted a slight warmth as it travelled through his body, akin to that of the bonfire. He felt the wound he had gained heal more rapidly. Whilst not to the extent of the bonfire, it was far kore than his Aura currently did. He could see the damage repairing before his own eyes, leaving only the faintest of scars from what should have been life threatening injuries. He moved, only to find another wall of fog, up a triplet of steps, seemingly leading to a ledge or balcony of sorts.

He continued into the other room to the right of it, finding two spearmen, each holding their steel shields as they slowly shambled towards him. the shield of the undead was raised as they lunged at him, however he fell backwards as his guard broke. He barely regained control as one of them began to try and prod him in rapid succession. He began to sweat profusely as his body felt heavy, fatigue was setting in and he made distance. A over extend spear cut into an area uncovered by his chest piece. His teeth gritted as he lunged forward, breaking the guard of one of the spearmen. He sent his blade right through the hollows chest, and through the heart and mass of bloated veins. Blood spurted over his body and the other one as he savagely bisected the man through the shoulder, his blade cutting into the other spearman's leg.

He made a series of back steps as he gathered space between him and the hollow, his heavy panting filled the room as the mindless undead stared at him with his empty eyes. He rolled forwards and under the spear as he made an upwards slash at the arm holding the weapon, severing the rigor mortis ridden limb from the body. The undead however was repelled from a shove from the hollows shield, managing to harm him at the same time. His sword made his way into the hollows side, the darkened liquid covering the blade. He walked from the body as he wiped off the blood, the sovereign-less souls temporarily settling within his own.


The fog gate shifted around him as he stepped through it, the shuffling of the bloated creature below him alerted him to its awareness. He jumped atop it, the metal blade piercing the back of its neck and through the thick, almost stone like hide it was covered in. It reared back with a roar, forcing the sword and the undead off of its back. He rolled to lessen the falls effect, only feeling a slight pain on his knees as it collided with the stone beneath him, the large hammer that collided with his side however, that caused more harm than he wanted. His left arm emitted a resounding crack as the full force of the monsters hammer slammed down on it, the entire limb breaking under the stone monument. He moved as the monster reared his hammer again, only to stop and batter its pathetic wings as the undead began to hack away at its ankles.

He drank the estus quickly, the bones rearranged themselves properly as he charged back towards the demon. The blade found its way into the abominations bulbous stomach as it penetrated though the flesh and hide, a copious amount of blood poured over his body as it relied back again, the blade fell from the undeads grip. He had just enough time to raise his shield before being sent backwards, dust and debris following him as he broke through a large amount of pots, the plaster material breaking and cutting through his exposed skin, his body breaking as it finally collided with a wall, his body evaporated into ash as darkness once again over took him.

He fell forwards, having found himself back at the fire he had last rested at, his blade and shield firmly with his hands. He began to pat over himself, once and twice, wishing to know if he was truly standing again, even after he had felt the grasp of death at his throat. He moved back through the building, the markings and actions he had left before was still apparent, yet the ones he had killed stood where they were before again. He repeated what he had done before, the same feeling of slight warmth enveloped him with every kill. Yet again, he walked to the overhanging stone above the demon, he plunged again.

The blade was driven it the curved neck, rather than the head that was decorated in a pair of antlers. Blood washed over him, the abominations blood covered his face as a grin broke out over his darkened, leather skin. He rolled again, only to feel the pillars handle ram into his guts. He jammed the blade in his hand into the monstrosity's wrist, before pulling the metal body towards him and dislocating the appendage. He used his weight to sever it, forcing the hammer out of its hand. He ran to a green light, situated where he had previously died before it enveloped him and seeped into his body. He returned back to the fight, his sword held with two hands as the mostly defenceless monster struggled.

It could only attack one other way after the undead had cut its wings off of the demons back, leaving only two bony stumps. It tried to launch it's way into him using the large, stumpy legs it had. The roars and screams it made echoed through the Undead Asylum with no aid coming to it. As the head finally rolled of the obese body, it broke into a mass of ash and bright light that was drawn towards him, creating a form of ecstasy within him. A single, large key was left where the demon had finally perished, the ring fitting in his had well as he plunged it into the final doors lock, letting him have his freedom.

He marched towards the step covered cliff edge, ruins and bodies covering the small, jagged outcrop. He looted the bodies with flames above them before walking to the point overlooking the land, only for a large crow to ensnare him in its claws. Both he and the crow flew, over the winding mountains and empty land, until they finally reached the land of the Lords, abandoned by them long ago.