Yo.
This story is a Dark Souls fanfiction inspired by my own experience playing the game. The first time picking up the controller sends me toward a world that is both cruel as well as beautiful. I found myself determined more than ever to defeat an enemy more than any game I've played. And the joy of defeating a hard challenge in this game is unparalleled. I doubt it that any modern triple-A games can elicits the same joy I have in beating any boss. (Except Touhou, fucking Clownpiece…) Hence the obvious reason I wrote this short fiction. It was intended as a story for my year-end schoolbook; they even ASKED me to write for them! But for some reason, it was moved toward the NEXT yearbook. Problem is; I've already graduated by then. Oh well, they can stop me from publishing today's story in the magazine, but they can't stop me from posting it here!
So sit back and relax as our Chosen Undead wanders deep inside the beautiful bleak world of Lordran…
The hallway is a dark, dank pathway hewn deeper inside a mountain. Large roots protrude above the young Undead Explorer, hanging off the ceilings courtesy of the Giant Trees of Ash Lake. The young explorer frowned at the thought. Ash Lake is a beautiful place, a plain of pristine white ash as far as he can see. The large Dragon trees that stood upon the sea of ash extend above the cloud. The explorer grimaced at the thought of the area above the cloud. He lost count on how many times he died at the hands of the Giant Guardian up there. It was unsettling that disconcerting paths were under one of the most beautiful spot in Lordran. Bioluminescent mushroom and spores dotted the sidewalk, providing very little light for the Explorer. The explorer doesn't mind it, he is used to darkness. But nothing can rival the darkness of death at each kill. He knew the sensation well. Above his hooded form a ball of light floats serenely, like an angel halo he used to dream of in his youth. The spell of light was a gift from a beautiful princess of Oolacile. Alex was grateful, but he suspected that the woman is hiding something as she blushed every time he visited her to learn a new spell.
The young Explorer wore a rough black hoodie and a pair of soundless black leather trousers. He wore a set of light armour, its thick leather reinforced by Titanite, the metal of the gods. It was scratched and dented in places, signifying the amount of combat the wearer has faced. The vambraces on his arm shine despite the amount of blood on it. The explorer wore a set of black goggles which hides his beautiful black coffee eyes. His thick luscious lips smiles as he set eyes upon a sitting figure.
"Solaire! My friend, how are thou doing?" The Explorer said jovially, happy seeing his friend in a dark cold cavern. "Hey comrade, thou shalt not believe what I have endured!" the sitting figure shifted a little. "That princess Gwynevere is actually a fraud! A fraud! I died several times facing the Royal Executioner and Dragon Slayer, just to realized that the sun above us is naught but an illusion!"
"Sun…" The sitting figure spoke slowly. He was a knight of the Sun, loyal and true to his creed. He wore a white tabard over his Sun-blessed chainmail, the symbol of his adoration emblazoned upon his cloth. The green fur around his neck and shoulder keeps him warm against the relentless Dark. His weapons (A longsword and a large round shield with the logo of the sun upon its metal) were lying at its side. Strangely, his metal square helmet lies beside him.
Solaire spoke quietly. "Forget about Gywnevere Alex…I've found it…My very own sun…"
"That's good friend!" Alex replied. "You fulfilled your quest! Can I see your sun?"
The knight turned his head around and lo behold! A sight that made the explorer blasphemes the god; it was a horrible sight indeed. For on his well-chiselled Astoran visage lays a large insect, the size of a dinner plate! The insect's eight red beady eyes shone scarlet in utter malice, its sharp maw grips upon the nose of the proud knight. On the crown of spike, there stood a single large gem, which shines bright like the sun he adores! Blood pours out from the wound hidden by the bug; the scarlet fluids stained the stoic visage of the sun upon his chest with bloody tears. The smile the young Astoran knight sports were full of manic glee as he spoke. "Alex…I am the sun…this sun…is mine own…" His lips twisted into snarl that broke the Explorer's heart. "The sun…shall never be yours!"
Hot fluids streamed from Alex's eyes, the young undead unable to contain his emotion. How? How can this happen? How can this shining ray of hope in the sea of despair succumb to the madness, driving him to destruction?
I became Undead to seek my very own sun…
Solaire picked up his weapon, snarling like a beast. He strodes forward in a drunken stance. "My sun…You do not deserve it! Grrrr…hargghhh….urrrghhh…" He groaned at every step, feeling the pain and madness pushing him forward.
Do not hesitate upon calling the aid of the Warrior of Sunlight; we are always ready for some jolly co-operation! Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!
Alex blinked the tears back. He draw his rapier out, its black Titanite metal shone against the glow of Solaire's maddening 'sun'.
Alex and Solaire danced around the large gargoyle, fighting in synchronized pattern. Alex weaved around the gargoyle's halberd as Solaire hacked off the gargoyle's tail with his sword. The comrade in arms grinned in mutual respect as the gargoyles let out its death shriek.
Solaire swung his blood-stained sword; its silver blade no longer shines with the blessed light he was known for. Alex easily dodged the blow; he was a panther, strong and coiled as well as swift. Solaire grunted as the explorer's blade bites his thigh. Solaire is no longer the skilled warrior he is, as the bug reduced him into a berserk animal.
Alex, sometimes while I gazed upon the sun, I've always wondered; am I nothing more than a fool? Chasing an impossible dream? Am I viewed nothing more than a laughing stock by the gods?
Alex growled as he stabbed the great heart of Solaire, but it means nothing against him. Being Undead means that you can take much more damage than a human can as well as immortality, at the cost of slowly losing their sanity in each death…
Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho! I guess that's not too far from the truth!
…It was a matter of time before Alex became like him, a husk of his former glory, hungry for the flesh of men and never will be sated no matter how much was consumed…
Why? Why? After all this chasing, the sun eludes me…
Solaire was a powerful knight, being able to take on a dragon without fear and won. He dances around his enemies blow as he hacked and stabbed in a beautiful display of skill. The same sword, the instrument of art was swung in frenzy, lacking all the style of the owner.
…I searched from the Anor Londo, the city of the Gods itself…
Solaire's movement became laboured, his body sports several cuts and wounds from Alexander's black blade. He swung with less vigour in every swing; his body has taken too much.
…All the way down the dark Crypt of the Gravelord…
Alex stabbed the bug itself. "Die you dirty worm!" Alex yelled in pure fury, angry and terrified that he has lost his true friend to this maddening creature. "begone with thee!" Alex swiped the ball of light from the crown, eliciting a shriek from the bug. The bug fell off Solaire's face, its tail and body sustained too much damage.
And so was Solaire.
… Am I not worthy? If only I could be so grossly incandescent…
Solaire screamed; his blue eyes bulged out in pure agony. Alex closed his eyes, the tears never abated in the fight. How can he not cry? His stalwart, stoic companion in arms is killed by his hand. The man of indomitable wills cries out in despair as his iron fortitude were broken finally. Solaire dropped his weapon, falling on his knees in defeat. Alex dropped his rapier. He manages to grab his friend before he fell down.
"Ahh…No…Alex…I am sorry…" Solaire weakly spoke, his eyes dimmed by tears. His was of pain, Alex was of regret. "Please don't leave me…its cold…very cold…"
"Hush now Solaire." Alex said, his voice cracked in every syllable. "You can rest now."
"Alex…Thank you…" Solaire replied weakly, but the smile he gave is bright just as he is. Alex wanted to save him, but he was no fool; Solaire is above rescuing. His forehead sports a hole, the bone and flesh gave way for the fist-shaped aperture that bleeds in every pulse. The only thing he can do is to ease him toward death. Alex knew what these bugs are; it was the Fool's Crown, as it crown-shaped body sits snugly onto any fool's skull. It has a hallucinogenic substance in its bite, making the victim feels at the top of the world before dying. Even the re-birthing effect of the curse cannot undo the madness brought by the bug. Solaire's desperation has brought him here. Alex cursed the beetle, he cursed the Gods, he cursed the Curse, and he cursed everything. But he cursed himself the most.
"Its fine Alex…having you here is good enough" Solaire said, his smile only to be interrupted by a series of cough. His eyes dimmed as death comes near. "My…sun…it's setting…" Solaire's eyes watered, his eyes darkened as despair took hold. "It's dark…It's very dark…"
The young warrior stood upon the castle tower, proud and confidence is his posture. The sun shines upon his figure, illuminating the young warrior. Unbeknown to him, the sunshine reflected off his metal armour, rendering him bright and grossly incandescent like its idol. Alex approaches him, drawn on like a moth to the fire, awed by the grossly incandescent figure that the sun has shined upon…
And Solaire was no more.
The sun is like a magnificent father! If only I was so grossly incandescent…
The explorer' light orb began to dim. The orb sputtered a bit, before fading to nothingness.