Christmas Community Event thingy that I forgot what it was called... Soulmas right?
An Act of Kindness
It was said that at the advent of the Age of Fire, Lord Gywn himself established a yearly tradition that was upheld each year. The Winter Holiday.
On one day every winter, the people of Lordran are to stop all daily labor and hardships to enjoy time with their families and friends. Grand festivals were held during the day before the actual holiday itself. On the day of the holiday a gift exchange was to take place between friends and family.
Anor Londo during this time was said to be decorated with lanterns of red and green hues. The lanterns would be hung from each building. Street lights would be tinted green or red by sorcerers and colossal trees would be propped upward in each plaza to celebrate the holiday.
It was common to for people to go out of there way to assist other in acts of selfless heroism or bravery.
A white sheet of snow blanketed the Undead Parish, covering the entire church and its surroundings stark white. Thin icicles formed at the edge of the roof and precariously hung over the ledge, threatening to drop. A very light and milky mist seemed to cover the church and the surrounding area, while the sky high above was a compilation of white and grey that seemed to be shedding snow.
The sun had already set long ago and all traces of warmth were erased as the bitter cold of black night rolled in. All was dark save for a faint glow coming from inside the church, faint to the point it was barely visible. Barely being the key word.
Inside the holy church a lone torch was lit. The flames of the torch casting a dim light that shone in all directions like an expanding sphere. The torch was positioned next to the holy altar at which a shadowed figure was kneeling, seemingly in prayer. Anyone who knew this particular man knew better though.
Near black plate of metal clanked slightly as the figure shifted slightly. Steel gauntlets wrapped in coils of metallic thorns scraped the man's plate mail armor as he began to stand and the thin layer of ice that formed on them broke away. His shoulders covered with spiked pauldrons moved from a hunched position, moved themselves outward and relaxed slightly. Beneath his helmet covered in thorns, the man opened his eyes.
Kirk, the Knight of Thorns was cold. That was an understatement. He was freezing his fucking ass off. Ice was forming in the crevices between each spike and thorn on his armor. In truth he wanted nothing more than to leave and never come back until the snow melted.
Yet he couldn't leave. His duty demanded he stay. Screamed for him to hold his ground and keep searching.
His goal was humanity. The retrieval of the black sprite commonly referred to as humanity any way possible.
'Humanity for the Fair Lady' he thought grimly to himself.
That simple phrase motived him throughout the years of serving the two sisters of Chaos. It pushed him to keep going, to never retreat and never back down. A sentiment that nearly got him killed or brutally mauled many times before.
In a sense he had a certain affection for the sickly witch, almost like the way a father would care for a daughter.
Tomorrow was the famed Winter Holiday and he had to find something. Anything to ease the sickly woman's pain, it would be his greatest gift.
Kirk stirred himself out his deep thoughts. He could feel the ice forming again, but this time it was forming on his ass. A simple stretch broke the thin crystalline structure.
Suddenly he could feel a shaking in his satchel he kept at his side. Something was vibrating intensely creating a whirring buzzing sound.
The Knight of Thorns reached in and produced a red orb. A single yellow eye stared up at him in the mass of crimson red. In the center he could see the faint outline of a person.
His target.
His prey.
Without a moments hesitation he squeezed the Red Eye Orb and felt its dark energy scatter around him. Beneath him a gaping portal formed and he began to sink downward. Beneath his helm he felt a smile form on his face.
In another world that seemed so different, yet the same a portal emerged in the blanket of white snow, melting the white particle instantly.
Soon the malevolent figure of the Knight of Thorns emerged. A blood red hue overtook his entire body and he stood absolutely still for a few moments. The snow around him seemed to glow crimson in the night.
He felt light, like a ghostly apparition. He was like bloody phantom.
The courtyard outside the church was devoid of any signs life, save for a few black crows that perched themselves on the gargoyle statutes to watch the intruder.
All around him the world was dark, only the faint blue glow of the moon giving him a source of light.
After a few moments of continued silence he walked up the stairs into the church, his gnarled sword in hand.
Still no sign of life. Yet he found signed of a previous struggle.
The corpses of a group a hollowed Balder Knights lay in pieces in the ice covered floor around him. Pools of crimson blood were scatter on great oceans around him. Someone fought a battle here recently.
The Knight of Thorns knelt by the closest corpse and examined the damage.
A severed hand along with what appeared to multiple puncture marks in the chest plate.
Suddenly Kirk heard a clank echo throughout the church, followed by a muffled squeal. The sound originated from the upper levels.
Beneath his helm, the Knight of Thorns felt himself grinning wildly. His prey had made a grave error.
Without a second thought, Kirk began his ascent up the stairs to the second floor. His sword twirled in his hands as cheerfully walked each step.
Finally he entered the room were he heard the sound. A quick survey revealed to him that it was completely empty. Three of other rooms stood adjacent to his current one.
In the far corner of the room he saw a brown blanket prob over something. Underneath something was squirming. The Knight of Thorns readied his sword as he approached.
Suddenly he heard movement to his left, like someone was running.
He turned his shield in time to block the swing of a mighty long sword. The steel blade grinder against his own spiked shield.
His assailant was woman. Her hair was an onyx black shade. She was quite young and her face only marred by a few wrinkles across he forehead. She was dress in a brown cloak that cover most of her form.
Kirk raised his own sword and made a slash for her throat.
She quickly sidestepped and thrust the tip of her sword forward, aiming for Kirks own throat.
The Knight of Thorns blocked her thrust and brought his own sword against his shield, trapping hers. With a sudden yank he sent he sword flying to the room below.
She was stunned, her eyes focusing only on her flying sword. A fatal mistake.
Kirk brought his foot upward and kicked her directly in the stomach. She fell to her knees and looked up in time to see Kirk raised his sword to finish.
"No! Don't hurt mama!" The Knight of Thorns heard a voice scream, stopping his sword from cleaving the woman.
In the corner of the room, a child emerged out of the brown blanket and ran in front of his mother.
"Please Sir Phantom! You can't mama away too! I'll give you anything." The boy screamed.
The Knight of Thorns stared at the boy, then glanced at the mother. After a moment he lowered his sword.
Upon closer inspection of the boy, he found much to his shock that the boy was in the process of turning hollow. Every muscle in his body screamed for him to strike them both down. Yet he couldn't, he could see so much innocence in the child's eyes.
Suddenly the kid reached in his cloak pocket a produced a single humanity.
"Please take this Sir Phantom, it's all I have. Just spare mama." The boy practically sobbed.
Kirk just stared at the boy. The boy was willing to sacrifice a rare humanity to save his mother.
The Knight of Thorns sheathed his sword and reached out. Instead of taking the humanity he pushed it toward the boy. Reaching in his own sword satchel, he produced a single loaf of bread and placed it in the kids hands. Food was scarce and it was the least he could due for the kid.
Without a word the Knight of Thorns turned and left to the astonishment to the mother and son.
This was one act of kindness he could let slip, it was the Winter Holiday after all.
Beneath his spiked helm, Kirk smiled. It was going to be a long night and he had humanity to steal.
-Tokyo Express