The Curse That Binds Us
A Dark Souls II fanfiction by LookinGoodYamcha

Author's notes: The following is a fictional work based almost entirely on my very first experience with the Souls series, particularly my favorite entry, Dark Souls II. I'd been interested in the series as a whole since the first Dark Souls craze hit in late 2011, but it wasn't until I was randomly given DS2 about a month after it came out that I had my first taste of this lovely franchise. Not to long after starting my journey, the nature of the game encouraged me to role play as my character and create a backstory for him, and this was the eventual result.

As my last fanfic did not completely adhere to this site's rules, this is my first fic written in mostly traditional book style. It took a fucking while. I hope you're happy. Bear in mind that this story contains varying levels of seriousness. I kept with the general theme Dark Souls II provided, but the Souls community is one known for its instantly recognizable sense of humor, so I decided to inject a bit of that in the story. That being said, I hope you stay with it for the long haul .Peace is the Mission, thanks for inspiring me to write this. Oh, yeah. The author's notes also won't be near this long in the future.

One last thing; I will release the first three chapters over the course of one week. After that updates will be weekly. I'm only saying this in case someone asks about the release schedule. I initially wasn't sure when this would be released, but I ultimately decided to publish it on February 1st, as part of the Monty Oum Project. Of course, if you're reading this after it's been fully released, this information is irrelevant to you. Anyways, enjoy.

Perhaps you've seen it…maybe in a meme…. You have? Listen closely, then. This is the tale of he who bears the undead curse. The wayward knight, and all the curious souls he met along the way… Granted, most care not to hear this fascinating tale, as there is an unnaturally biased preference toward the first one, the one that came before it. I cannot fathom why one would actually enjoy dragging their feet through uninspired gray, moss-covered stone just to get to the good part of a story, but pay these people no mind, as they've gone hollow and long ago lost the ability to form their own opinions… Oh, don't give me that look. It's a fine story in its own right, and I assure you I will recount it another day. For now, our unwitting pawn of fate must begin his journey to the murky, forgotten kingdom. I believe they called it… Drangleic…

Chapter One – He Who Bears the Curse: My Name is Knight LoveGame!

20th of Rain's Hand
Southern Kingdom
Province of Wes'Sv'Urginiah

The sun's soothing warmth began to caress the kingdom of Wes'Sv'Urginiah, signaling the beginning of a new day for the humble province that had flourished for many years under the leadership of King DSP. The province, small as it was, lacked any sort of proper military. To compensate, the king accepted anyone old enough who was willing to fight, regardless of ability or background. Granted, the kingdom had never been to war, either, so it was more of a precautionary measure than anything.

The bright vestige of a sunrise glinted through the window of a rather plain-looking stone house. Its sole resident was LoveGame, one such knight. Sunlight poured through the half-opened wooden blinds, prompting LoveGame to shift around in his bed, reluctant to leave its comforting warmth at such an early hour. With a yawn, he stretched his lanky, tanned body and pulled the mocha-tinted blanket off of his toned abdomen. Still half-asleep and with his legs tangled in the blanket, the knight stirred again and fell out of his bed with a resounding thud. "Hwoah!" he exclaimed, now jolted into the waking world. He reached for a nearby calendar and studied it with intent. "Man… Already? It really is today, huh?"

Tomes of every imaginable size were strewn about LoveGame's bedroom, culminating in a large pile on his bed, opposite of the side he had slept on. He looked around and chuckled to himself. "Heh… I'd been so caught up in reading about that place; I almost forgot which day I was leaving…" He smiled to himself, running his hand through the back of his long, soft ebony hair, and pushing it out of his eyes. LoveGame closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Drangleic, here I come!" exclaimed the knight with a wide grin.

Even LoveGame didn't exactly remember why he chose to start this journey. Perhaps he sought to earn favor with the king, or maybe he was lured by rumors that the land was rich with souls and lovely treasure. Whatever the reason, the knight continued to psych himself up as he got dressed, first in his standard clothing. Over that, he donned the crimson armor of the Volgen falconers. LoveGame had never been to Volgen and likely didn't even know of its existence, but the armor was cheap and effective, granting it widespread use. He performed a stretch as he got used to the extra weight, and snapped on his leather belt, which he sheathed his broadsword on after slashing it through the air a few times.

LoveGame meandered into his kitchen, splashed some water on his face, and grabbed a backpack full of the supplies he'd assembled for the ensuing journey; a handful of lifegems, some antidote moss, and a calorie-mate bar to satiate his hunger until he could find something else. Wes'Sv'Urginian knights were infamously underequipped, meaning LoveGame would unfortunately have to procure a shield in Drangleic, though he had faith he would find one without much issue. With all his necessary items in tow, he took another deep breath and crossed the threshold of his door, locking it behind him and waving goodbye. Although he lived alone, he saw fit to bid farewell anyway, as it was symbolic to the knight.

The walk from LoveGame's house to the Wes'Sv'Urginian docks was a rather short one, and thankfully so, as the only boat he could procure was a manual rowboat. The knight eased himself in, balancing his center of gravity as the wooden watercraft rocked slightly on the calm water glittering from the sun's reflection. LoveGame began to row, rowing until his homeland disappeared out of his sight onto the skyline. "Ohh, I can only imagine how sketchy I must look doing this alone… I look like a some kinda drug dealer." he muttered to himself as he continued traveling by sea.

Roughly an hour later, LoveGame saw something that broke the scene of the calm, serene sea; a vicious whirlpool of nearly-black water. Beyond it was Drangleic's gate; the knight's destination was within reach. Unfazed by the swirling torrent, LoveGame thought aloud, "Yeah, there it is, all right… this is one of the first things I read about. Funny, I wasn't feeling this nervous until I actually saw it for myself. Okay, no time for second thoughts, LoveGame!" By the time he'd finished speaking, water was already spraying his face and the roar of the whirlpool nearly drowned out his voice. Rather than resist it any longer, he closed his eyes tight, held his breath, and let the torrential whirlpool swallow him up along with his boat…

Things Betwixt

Slowly coming to his senses, LoveGame awoke on a peculiar, small altar composed of six stone pillars. Though the whirlpool had spit him out only moments ago, the knight was curiously bone-dry. His surroundings appeared cavernous. Many more stone pillars rose out of the chasms of indiscernible depth, almost touching the cave's ceiling. Grass and other plants grew in patches on the ground. Most breathtaking was the view LoveGame had upon peering straight upwards as his vision slowly returned: a colossal break in the roof with pure white light trickling through it. This eerie limbo appeared otherworldly, but LoveGame could not mistake it; this was the entrance to the kingdom of Drangleic.

He began to push himself to his feet, but gasped at the sight of his hand. It was now an unnatural, sickly green and looked decayed. "What a fantastic start to my journey… Shit, don't panic. Maybe it's temporary. All sorts of weird shit is said to take place here." Noticing his boat didn't survive the trip, LoveGame realized he couldn't turn back anymore, and pushed ahead. Past the altar was a small clearing, and he was met with a group of strange, feral animals gnawing on piles of bones. "I know these things! Yeah, they're called 'beavecoons'. I wonder if-"

Before he could finish that thought, the animals scattered in different directions out of sight, obscuring themselves in the darkness of the immense cavern. Just a few paces ahead, LoveGame's attention shifted to a dwelling of sorts, apparently carved from a hollowed-out archtree. It was lit with the dancing fires of several torches and lanterns. "Whew. It doesn't look abandoned… Let's hope whatever lives there is social." said LoveGame, approaching the wooden door and cautiously creaking it open.

The knight was immediately met by three elderly women in eye-catching red robes, seated next to a crackling fireplace. They all turned to him and waved him in simultaneously. Each one spoke to him in turn. "Git gud, casual!" said the first one, rocking in her wooden chair. "Another one? Ugh… I bet he plays Brawl…" said the second, taking a sip of tea. The last one rose from her chair to address the knight. "Please excuse my sisters. We're known as the Fire Keepers, and we were expecting one such as you."

"M-me?" stuttered LoveGame. "Why would anyone be…" She studied him closely, noting his grotesque appearance. "My, my… Look at your face! I know the face of the curse when I see it, I'm afraid."

LoveGame tilted his head in confusion. The Fire Keeper touched his hand. "Do you know anything about the undead curse?" The knight nodded. "Well, it appears you're afflicted with it." LoveGame's heart sank a bit upon hearing this. The woman looked at him and noticed his expression. "That's why people come here, after all. To seek a cure for the curse."

LoveGame put one hand on his head. "Fuck me, this is a lot to take in. I knew there was another reason I wanted to come here so badly. So you're telling me this was in my body all this time? Like, latent?"

"I'm afraid that's the truth." said the old woman with an air of sorrow. "Here, at least take this. It's very little, but it should alleviate some of your worries." She produced a small wicker effigy in a vaguely human shape. "Peer into it and tell me what you see." LoveGame did as the woman said, and it didn't take long for his own visage to appear in it. "It's an effigy of myself?" he inquired. The woman nodded, and somehow, LoveGame was compelled to hold it close to his body. It faded from his grasp, and he saw his skin and body instantly return to normal. The knight breathed a long sigh of relief and couldn't help but smile. "Ahh, that's so much better! So, was that all I needed to do?"

The Fire Keeper shook her head solemnly. "Unfortunately, no. It will restore your human form and keep you healthy, but curing the undead curse is not that simple. You're going to have to enter the kingdom and seek the herald. She will surely guide you further on your mission. I should warn you, you'll likely have to kill a great many things that no sane man would dare look upon. I'd tell you to hold onto your souls, but I won't fool you; you're going to lose them. A lot." With that, the other two ladies joined her in a cackle. "I never did catch your name, young man."

"I'm LoveGame. Knight LoveGame of Wes'Sv-" LoveGame began to announce with pride.

The Fire Keeper interrupted his boast. "Where you hail from is none of my concern. LoveGame will do fine. It's mostly for record keeping, anyway. Now, move along and make haste to the kingdom. You must go on a journey without rest, but there is a fire here if you require healing."

LoveGame wandered around the dwelling for a bit as the old women went back to their tea. As one would expect, it was a humble home not unlike his own, but well-furnished with enough amenities to live there comfortably. He wandered upstairs where sacks of various supplies were kept and found another human effigy, which he quietly pocketed. Assuming there was nothing left for him there, LoveGame pulled open the back door and headed outside toward the break in the horizon. He once again took in his surroundings; a wooded path lined with trees, fallen and hollowed.

LoveGame produced a black hood from his bag, pulling it over his head in lieu of a proper helmet to conceal his identity. "With this place, you never know. I've got to learn to stay safe if I wanna make it." He continued along the path and heard a gurgling sound. Realizing he wasn't alone, LoveGame drew his broadsword from his hip, taking advantage of his lack of a shield by two-handing the weapon. A hollowed human shambled toward his back. Startled from hearing the sound again, LoveGame flinched, causing his sword to slash the hollow. It faded into ashes in the wind before the knight ever laid eyes on it. "The hell was that, anyways?"

His boots thumped against the hollow wood as he kept moving forward, collecting all the available loot. He bent over to pick something up, alerting two more hollows. They tried to sneak up on him, but as he got back up, his sword arm moved slightly and stabbed them both without him noticing. "Isn't this supposed to be a little… challenging? I must be hearing things; this damn place is deserted."

What appeared to be the "break" in the cavern's ceiling was actually its exit, and therefore the entrance to the kingdom. As he approached its mouth, he saw three hollows; two with swords and a single archer. He hid behind a nearby stone formation before they were alerted to his presence. "Finally, some real action. Okay, LoveGame. Think." he thought to himself. "I knew this part would come sooner or later. If I can strafe the archer, I'll run in and hit the closest one, then I'll-"

Suddenly, LoveGame's train of thought was derailed by another figure leaping out of the brush on the opposite side of the cave exit. In three quick flashes, it struck down each hollow effortlessly, with movement too complex for the naked eye to follow. It returned to LoveGame's side in an instant and he gazed up at it, or rather her as he caught his breath: A young woman with very light blonde hair elegantly layered over one eye, wearing a full set of form-fitting steel armor.

She twirled her crimson blade before sheathing it and addressed the very confused knight. "'Sup. LoveGame, is it?"