"Going Hollow" by TheJournal4

Ramiel sat along the edge of the of church in the Undead Parish, the old gargoyles paid him no mind. He didn't intend to ring the bell, Lord Gwyn outlawed that any undead should even be near the bell. Two Silver Knights watched him from the bell tower. They had their greatbows trained on him, they would shoot him down at any given second.

Ramiel wore his old Silver Knight armor, his cape was gone and his helm's wings were broken away. He replaced them with antlers from an old elk he found in garden in Oolacile. He watched the undead roam around below, they slowly hollowed out. Some would just give up, hollow on the spot. They would quickly be put down, the infection of the undead couldn't spread to Anor Londo.

He still wore his old helm, he was cast out for being afflicted with the Undead Curse. Astora, Carim, Catarina, and Balder had already fallen to the curse. He looked out at the sun, it shined radiantly on him. It helped him keep himself from hollowing, but he would have to have a purpose to not hollow? What was his purpose? He didn't know, he still hasn't figured that out yet.

"Ramiel," Ledo of the Silver Knights called to him. Ramiel stood up and turned to his old friend, "Seth requires your…assistance…" Ramiel gathered his gear and walked over to Ledo. "What kind of assistance? Hasn't he already requested more maids of the Princess?" he asked Ledo. His old friend shrugged his shoulders, "Seth did help us win the war with the dragons, I guess we owe him that much."

"It's going to be a long walk there," Ramiel stated. Ledo shook his head, "Ramiel, when you go to Seth you're never coming back," he stated. Before Ramiel could say anything, a Channeler grabbed his shoulder then they vanished. Ledo looked off at the Grand Archives above, "May the Lord Gwyn watch over thee," then he left and never returned.

Ramiel found himself in a cell, next to him was a man in crystal armor. "W-who are you?" he asked the man. He simply looked over at him, "Kill…me…" he begged Ramiel. He reached for his blade but it was missing. The only weapon he had was a broken straight sword, he handed it to the Crystal Knight. "It's all I can do," he told him. The Knight took the weapon and pressed it against his chest.

He pressed down and the blade pierced his chest, killing him. A few second later, some snake men rushed to his cell and opened the door. They found him dying but he was savable. They pulled out the blade and grabbed him by his arms. Ramiel watched as the knight was dragged off by the snake men, up a ladder, and into a room. Ramiel knew that the knight was going to go hollow, he had lost hope and purpose. That's what happens to them, when they have no purpose and they give up, they hollow.

As they left, Ramiel stood up in his cell. His armor was still shining off the light produced by the crystals. He walked over to the cell door and peaked out, he couldn't see much beside a long twirling stair case. He reached in his satchel that he wore beneath his armor and pulled out his talisman. The old ragged cloth simply faded to dust in the palm of his hand. Ramiel looked at the dust in confusion, "It was fresh from the church when I got it not long ago, why is it dust?" he wondered.

Out of curiosity, he removed his helm and felt his face. He felt his soft skin, "Okay, I'm not a hollow, that's good at least." He banged on the cell door, "HEY! SOMEONE LET ME OUT!" But no one answered. He turned his back to the door then ran up to the wall, turned around and charged at the door. He threw his body against the cell door, it flew off the hinges almost instantly.

He went clashing against the stairs and tumbled down until he hit the bottom. When he looked up, he saw the Crystal Knight looking down at him, with a crystal great sword drawn. Ramiel held his hand out to him, but he didn't' take it. "Come on, let's get out of here!" The Crystal Knight didn't answer. He simply raised the blade and let it come crashing down on Ramiel.

Ramiel woke up with a start, cold sweat dripped from his head. He was back in the Cathedral in Anor Londo. He instantly felt his skin, still soft. "Ramiel?" he heard a booming voice say. He looked behind him and saw Gwyn, Lord of Sunlight looking down at him. The Four Knights of Gwyn surrounded him, Smough readied his hammer. "Well, this was completely unexpected, my lord," Ramiel explained. He got up and threw back on his helm. "Seth requested you, did he not?" Gwyn asked him.

Ramiel shook his head, "Yes, sir, but it's not like we're told!" Gwyn arched any eyebrow at him, he looked over at Smough and gave a nod. Ramiel noticed, he looked over at Smough approaching him. Ramiel pulled out his composite bow, somehow it was untouched and was still on his back, and notched an arrow.

"Sir, if you just listen!" he begged as Smough approached. "Smough, execute him!" Gwyn commanded, Ramiel looked at the Four Knights for aid. Artorias did nothing, Ornstein did nothing, Gough did nothing but say, "I'm sorry, old comrade." And Ciaran, she turned her head away, she couldn't watch her old friend go.

Ramiel was on his own.

He fired an arrow at Smough, the arrow just bounced off. Ramiel looked over at the entrance, it was left unguarded. "No, I won't die with what I know!" he told them and booked it to the entrance. Ornstein raised his spear, ready to chase after him but Gwyn stopped him, "Wait," he ordered. Smough chased after Ramiel but lagged due to his weight. Ornstein laughed as Smough tried to catch up but was failing miserably.

When Ramiel got to the entrance he turned back to them, "Seth's experiments, he's taking the maids like he did a knight and myself. He turned the knight into a crystal, imbued him with it! Who knows what he's done to- "Ramiel was cut off by a small blade entering his back. Blood ran down the wound, he looked down at the blade. Then looked up at Ciaran, she vanished into mist. He managed to look behind him and saw her mask, "Ciaran…"

She pulled out her blade, she caught him as he fell. Blood poured out of his mouth, "If I go hollow," he asked his dear friend. "Yes?" she asked in a hushed voice. He reached for his hilt, the blade he lost returned to him, he handed it to her. She took it from his and held it close.

"Here's my sword, here's my shame…" he trailed off at the end. Ciaran shook him, "Ramiel? Ramiel?" she asked him. He didn't speak again, she gently rested his body on the ground. Gwyn slowly walked over to her, "It had to be done," he assured her. She looked up at her lord, "Yes, I understand. He was a threat, he knew too much."

The God of Sunlight nodded, something else got his attention when a runner came to him. "My lord, my lord! Oolacile is under attack!" the runner told Gwyn. "By what?" the God asked. The runner shook his head, "I don't know! No one knows!" Gwyn looked over at Artorias.

"Artorias! Gough!" he commanded, the two knights rushed over, "Deal with the threat!" The knights nodded, Artorias looked down at Ciaran, she looked up at the man she fell for. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he told her. She nodded then turned back to her fallen comrade.

Ramiel was still looking right at her, the last thing he saw. She sheathed her blade and held his own blade. It was inscribed with his name and rank amongst them:

Ramiel, the Lord's Heavenly Blade

She took his sheath and placed it on her back, then inserted the blade. She picked up his body, "It belongs in Firelink Shrine," she told Gwyn. He nodded understandingly, "Do what you must, he was your friend." She nodded happily and carried his body out the great doors of Anor Londo, down the stairs where Gwyndolin was waiting for her.

"I can help with…your friend," he told her. She snapped her head at the Darkmoon Son, "What can you help? You can only help bury him, he's gone. Hollowed," she told him. He shook his head, "No, I can save him." Ciaran looked at him with a perceptive look. "He's undead, he cannot be saved." The Darkmoon laughed, "Undead can post-pone their Hollowing if they are given a purpose to not hollow." He gestured for her to follow him, she looked back at the gates where Gwyn was watching closely.

"Fine, make it quick, Darkmoon," she agreed reluctantly. She followed him down the stairs and into the hidden chamber behind the statue of Gwyn. There, the Darkmoon Knightess waited for them, "My lord. Lord's Blade," she greeted them.

The Knightess reached out for the body but Ciaran yanked the body of Ramiel away from her. The Knightess understood where she was coming from, "This way." The Knightess lead her all the way to a small painting of a small cottage next to a lake. Ciaran was also in the painting, which she found strange.

"What is all this?" she asked. "A way out," Gwyndolin said as he came over to the painting. He waved his hand and a small portal opened up, "It can save your friend. But it will just be an illusion inside the painting, giving him a reason not to hollow." Ciaran looked at Gwyndolin suspiciously, "Why are you helping me, Darkmoon? I have done nothing for you to earn such help," she said.

The Darkmoon chuckled, "I am frowned upon for being born under the moon, I'll help any to try and have my father see that I'm just as good as being born under the sun." Ciaran looked down at her fallen friend, his body was weightless and light. The blood from the wound kept dripping and dripping, "I killed him, because it was the right thing to do…right?" she asked the Darkmoon.

"I cannot say, did it feel, right? Or did it feel wrong?" he asked her. She shook her head, "I hated every bit of it. But my lord asked me to so it was right…I think," she trailed off at the end. The Knightess reached out for Ramiel again, "He will be resurrected when he put him in the painting, he will have no memory of this event, he will believe a lie and that lie will save him."

Ciaran took one last look at Ramiel, "It's for the best, Ram," she said in her old young voice. She handed his lifeless body to the Knightess, she nodded then held it for the portal to take. The body was sucked in, Gwyndolin closed it with a wave of his hand.

"Go now, to Oolacile. Artorias will fail unless you are there," Gwyndolin told her. She looked up at him with shock, "Thank you." She told him. He nodded. She took off out of the room, Gwyndolin knew he would never see her again.

Ramiel was dead, hollow by now. He lost everything, because of why? Why did he have to die so the secret was kept? Was it the will of the gods, or was it by the fate of nothing at all?

…

Ramiel woke up sweating. He was in a bed, a straw and wool crafted one. He looked over and saw his gear leaned against the wall. He noticed he was in a cabin, close to a lake near the mountain tops. He got out of bed, he was wearing a tunic with his old trousers. He grabbed a long coat next to his armor then threw on his boots. He slung his composite bow over his shoulders, along with a small quiver of arrows.

He stepped outside and saw a penn of trees and elks roaming around. He raised his bow with an arrow notched, "I guess it's dinner time," he muttered as he released an arrow. The arrow whistled in the air as it struck the deer. He walked over to it and pulled out the arrow. "Ramiel," he heard a familiar voice call to him.

He turned around to see his dear friend Ciaran sitting in a tree. Ramiel smiled as he walked over to her, it was like a dream come true. Peace, serenity, no curse.

Everything he could have asked for…but what happens when he realizes what happens and goes hollow? Only when the flame fades and the curse calls for the Chosen Undead will he wake from a painting. In the city where the sun doesn't shine…