Chapter 1
In unknown territory
"Hum, well it seems to be the place."
I stood before an old sign made of wood, in the middle of a path that would lead me directly into a great forest. It was early in the morning, and the only thing I could hear was the sound of crows flying above me. The fetid smell of decomposition and death was slowly fading away, a sign that I was leaving this repugnant undead settlement. On the sign, I could barely read what was written. It seems that like everything around this old, forsaken place, time took its toll. On it, it simply said :
"Turn back, this path is strictly forbidden, by the orders of..-"
I couldn't make out the rest of the sentence. Anyway, I was sure that no one would really even care at that moment if I went beyond that sign. The kingdom of Lothric, and even the entire world, is falling apart. I looked at my old, worn-out map. No doubt, I was at the right place. I walked behind the sign and made it into the forest. As I looked around me, the colors drastically changed. Everything went from a depressive, gray theme, to a lush green. The smell of pines and other trees was rather pleasant, a moment of respite from all the death and decay that I knew too well. It filled me with confidence as I went onward. I was on my way to a forsaken, ruined land. It was called Astora, a place known for its advanced society and culture. It was once a place of nobility. But, that was all in the past. In time, the land fell to ruin. As an explorer, it was my duty to travel there. My main goal was to explore this place, searching for its treasures and knowledge. But, absolutely nothing would prepare me for what I was going to face in my journey. The path lead me through the entire forest, until a mountain was blocking my way. Luckily, my map spoke of a passage inside it that would bring me beyond it. With the materials I had, I was able to make a torch. I was now prepared to enter the great peak. Without losing any time, I hastily went inside.
After quite some time, I arrived at the other side, and I was welcomed by a deep fog, it was impossible to see in front of me. There was no sign of plants, only rocks and dirt. As I walked forward, my carelessness almost got the better of me ; I realized that until a certain point, my left foot didn't touch the ground. I took a step back as I gasped, almost tripping on the ground. I was faced by a cliff, it was evident that I would have died there. After looking around me, searching for another path, I roughly saw to my left a safe way to go down. Cautiously, I walked there and placed a hand on the wall of rock next to me, in fear that I would almost fall again. Time passed, and slowly, the fog was dissipating. Finally, I was at the bottom of the mountain, as I gazed in front of me, the light of the sun started to pierce through the clouds, and a cold breeze made the fog completely disappear. Before me, there was a grim, yet spectacular sight. At last, I could see in the distance what remained of the land of Astora. The legends were not lying, for the devastation was absolute. From where I was, I could see entire houses, churches and castles in ruin. I was not surprised, no matter how tall kindgoms are, they always suffer the same fate. All of this, because of the undead curse that plagued mankind for ages.
I decided to follow a path made of cobblestones that would lead me to what seemed to be the capital of Astora, my unlit torch in my hand. Well, what remained of it, at least. As I set foot in the old town, I couldn't help but feel uneasy. I have been in many places around this wretched world, and I have seen a lot of dark, unspeakable things. But in this land, something was definitely off. As I walked among various remains of houses, I realized that there was a lack of scent in the air. I couldn't smell anything. And oddly enough, it was extremely silent. The only thing I could hear was the sound I made as I walked on the ground full of rubble and rocks. Then suddenly, I heard a howling sound near my position. Then, it was followed by many more. That abrupt breaking of the silence startled me and I looked swiftly around, searching for the source. In a hurry, I raised my straight sword in front of me, trembling in fear. I looked behind me and was greeted by a monstrous presence. It was what seemed to be a deformed dog. Its eye sockets were empty, and its skin was completely black. From its mouth, there was a strange, dark foggy matter pouring out of it. Other similar dogs then appeared behind him, I was now outnumbered. The only option I had was to leave immediately.
"By the gods, this was a bad idea, what have I done?!"
Fear got the best of me and I decided to run away, not looking behind me. Even so, I could hear them. These foul atrocities were trying to catch me, and they wouldn't stop until they took a good taste of my flesh. It is then that I realized that I was completely lost, running aimlessly into the ruined town. Slowly, the last rays of sunlight were gone, leaving only darkness. It was completely pitch-black, and without any way to see, I accidentally tripped over a rock that was in my way. As I fell on the floor, I started to panic and I looked around me again, desperately trying to see anything. But, it came to me that the sound of the dogs was gone. They finally decided to leave me be, it seems. Or, perhaps they got another unlucky traveler. Either way, I needed to find a place to sleep. I had lost my torch in the commotion and needed to make another one. Now with a source of light, I could see in front of me. After minutes of walking, I could see the remains of a church. Surprisingly, it still had a roof. As I went inside, my eyes widened as I saw something rather familiar: a bonfire. It consisted of a burned, coiled sword planted in the ground. At its very bottom lied some dusts and pieces of bones. Every undead are linked to theses bonfires. As they die, they come back to life at it, unscathed. But, it had no flames at all. I suppose it was unlit for quite some time. I approached my right hand toward the coiled sword, and suddenly, the bonfire was lit with a comforting flame. I sat next to it, letting out a sigh. I opened my backpack, it contained various supplies for traveling and my trusty estus flask, a powerful potion that heals every wound. I took a sip from it, and I could feel all my pain fading away. I had no shield with me, and I knew it was a fatal mistake. I then leaned in front of a block of stone, trying to sleep. I thought to myself that the next day I would be more vigilant. There is no way that I was going to leave. This town was testing my resolve, and it did not falter. But, I couldn't shake away this feeling I had. I was right, something was wrong in this land. Even so, it would not stop me.
So this is my very first chapter. More will come during the next week. Thank you very much for reading it and I would be very grateful if you could also review it, so I may learn from my mistakes.
