Oracle of Darkness, draw me near!
By: Alexander Sthede
Little Lamb Lost
Chapter One
I approached the thick, seemingly colorless fog with hesitation in my heart. I knew that if I entered the realm of Boletaria, I would never be able to escape. Nobody would miss me, as I had made no friends. My parents had died when I was young, and I had no siblings. I was one man, no, boy, against the darkness. I though back to how I got here, and shuddered.
An old man had stumbled into me in the streets of London, and forced a map into my hands. He said "Ready your blade child, for you shall save the world with it. Follow this map to the place known as Boletaria, and free the poor tormented souls that have gone before ye." I took the scroll, and returned to my lodging in The Count's Arms inn, and examined the 'map'. It appeared to be blank at first, but then I thought "What about soul light?" and extinguished the lantern and candles in the room. I retrieved my Augite of Souls, and held it to the map. Lo and behold, I beheld a map of Europe and directions to Boletaria.
I readied my blade, not some puny long sword, but a claymore, and checked my leather clothing for any tears. Having done this, and having listened to the drunks tell tales of the mysterious fog that hides the demons, I set forth. Not only to face the evils, but to face my fears.
I took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. Taking a slow step forward, into the fog, I felt a force pull me further inward. I readied my sword, and pressed on. I hoped no creature waited in the deep fog. From somewhere, perhaps in my mind, I heard a voice saying "Brave souls, who fears not death. I shall guide you to the Nexus. So that you may lull the Old One back to slumber." Suddenly, there was a bright light, and then I saw a field in front of me. I hefted my claymore up on my shoulder, and walked forward.
There were several odd looking men with broken swords and wooden shields, and all of them attacked me. I remember how it felt to kill them, the feeling of their souls flowing into me. It was odd, but glorious. I also met, and tried to speak with, a few armoured men, but they would not listen. They insisted upon attacking me, so I fought back, their souls, like the men before, flowing from their bodies into mine. I also remember a wall made of fog, and just beyond that, two more men. I killed both, and went up the stairs. Another wall barred my way, but I pushed through. Before me stood a most hideous beast, with the largest axe I'd ever seen. It swung, but I rolled, and I attacked it. The creature, though strong, was no match for me. I'd slain it, and a strange sound filled the room. I turned, and saw a sword sticking out of the ground, and a rock of some sort. Bewildered, I touched it, and felt a magnificent force pull on me. I was in an area filled with the souls of those who'd tried before me to best that beast, and their souls too, flowed into me. Their bodies faded, leaving weapons and herbs behind. I gathered them all, and went to leave, but there was no exit. I heard a screeching roar, the most terrifying I'd heard thus far, and ran. I was too late, as before I'd taken two steps, a rather large lizard had bitten me in two.
Somehow, I was able to hear a call, some quiet, relaxing voice calling me. It said "Soul of the lost, withdrawn from its vessel. Let strength be granted so the world might be mended. Soul of the lost, withdrawn from its vessel. Let strength be granted so the world might be mended, so the world might be mended." There was a burst of light and I saw a large, magnificent chamber. There was a strange floor, upon which I rose. "How? I was killed by a dragon! How am I still alive?" In front of me stood a beautiful woman, with wax over her eyes. She beckoned to me, and said to me "This is the Nexus. It holds together the northern land of Boletaria. Thou can'st not exit the Nexus, but each of the five Archstones will connect thee to another node." She pointed to a stone with a man in front of it, and walked away. I approached it with a mild hesitation, and the man spoke to me. "Well, you slipped through the fissure too, did you? You came for Demon Souls? Or to save this land, and be remembered as a Hero? Bah, it's all the same. You're just another prisoner of the Nexus. We're welcome here as long as we keep slashing up Demons. Hahahahah…" He was insane, as far as I could tell, and I ignored him. I touched the stone behind the man, and felt a rush. I was being pulled again, through the stone, and to another place.
After a moment's darkness, I felt the world around me. A large fire burned in the distance, and a great winged beast was making its way towards the castle in front of me. Looking around, I felt nothing. Quite literally, no feeling beyond the weight of my sword, and the sounds of this place. This castle had been ravaged, almost nothing but dust and broken carriages led up to it. I advanced, and more strange men attacked me. They all fell with one blow from my blade, their souls flowing into me. As I rose through the side passages of the castle, a noise began to grow, not unlike heavy breathing inside a metal mask. I dispatched a few soldiers, not terribly well armed, and I found the source. A man clad in black armour with glowing, blue eyes. Something about him made me believe that he was much stronger than I, but I advanced upon him nonetheless. He charged forward, shield up to protect him, and I stepped aside. He swung his shield at me, but missed, and I took my chance. I swung my claymore at him, and knocked him off his feet. Being honourable, I allowed him to rise before striking again. He lunged at me, sword first this time. I managed to dodge, but narrowly, and he nicked me. I felt no pain, but something felt odd. I swung again, this time not allowing my opponent rise.
After killing him, I looked at myself, and saw that I wasn't bleeding at all. No wound, but somehow, I felt weaker. As though my mortality had been reduced. I advanced through the castle despite my slight worry about my body. After meandering about for a while, I found a lever. Pulling it released some kind of mechanism, and I heard a large metal object strike the pathway that I'd first come up. There were stairs, and I dashed down them. After many a strange man, dreglings, I've decided to call them, I found a corpse. Not unusual beyond the fact that this one was most definitely glowing. I inspected it to find a ring with an eye for a decoration. I slipped it onto my finger, and my body instantly felt as though I was almost corporeal again. Hefting my blade, I pulled a second lever, and stepped out of the tower. I saw a rather large spear stuck in the ground and thought to myself "Oh dear. What could possibly wield that?" I went to examine it to find that the castle gates had opened. Where they were, a large wall of fog now stood. Being that I was here to slay demons, I assumed that one was right in front of me. I entered the fog.