Chapter 1
Waking
Author's Note: I kind of had to make some tweaks to both the lore and meat of Dark Souls in order to make it transition to a written medium well. I'll try to explain the logic behind my choices at the end of each chapter. Feel free to shoot me a PM if you feel I didn't properly explain something. There's always a chance I'll forget something.
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Fare panted as she wildly glanced around her. She had no idea where she was, only that it was some sort of deep dark carven, barely enough light to see an arms length in front of her. Desperately, she extended her palm and tried to summon a fireball, tried to will the flame into existence, anything to cast away this darkness but nothing came. It didn't work. She desperately tried to remember. How had she come to be here? Where had she been before? Nothing came.
A scuttling noise reached her ears, and instinctively she reached for her sword, only to find that her sheath was empty. A quick reach around to her back revealed that her shield had also mysteriously vanished. In fact, she didn't even seem to be wearing the armor that she had found, her hands finding only bare flesh. "What's going on?" she whispered. Fear was coursing through her, she had no idea what to do, she just wanted this to end.
"Murderer." Something directly behind her had spoken, so close that she could feel hot breath on her back. Her body tensed. She knew that voice. She had done everything in her power to try and forget that voice, but it refused to leave her. Bitter regret swelled in her stomach. "Murderer." it repeated.
Against her better judgement, Fare turned around. A giant spider, several times her size, was standing just behind her. It's entire body was a fiery red, with dozens of milky white eyes dotting its face, and the creature itself seemed to glow a bright crimson. But that wasn't what drew Fare's eyes, as she was focused on the crest of the spider's head. The upper body of a woman, everything from the waist up, was rooted in the head of the spider. A beautiful woman with flowing long red hair, smooth silky skin and well crafted dainty features. There was an exception to this, however. Her head was dangling to the side, hanging onto her neck by a thin strip of flesh, blood spurting out of the bare stump.
The dangling head smiled a cruel, crooked smile. "Murderer," it said softly.
Fare sank to her knees, her hands clasped in front of her. She had to make her understand, she had to. She couldn't hold it inside any longer. "Daughter of Fire," she blurted out, "I beg of you for forgiveness. I have sinned, this I cannot deny. I have committed one of the most heinous acts imaginable, but I assure you it was not my intent! Please Daughter of Fire!" Fare felt tears sting the back of her eyes. She hadn't meant to! Surely she could understand. "If I had had any idea of who you were. I would have…I would have…please."
The woman smiled. "Murderer." she said softly, the spider's head leaning forward, opening its giant maw to reveal a black void with no end. Fare opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. A flow of magma burst from the spider's mouth, speeding directly towards her. She knew that it would sear the flesh from her bones within seconds, if she was lucky it would be a quick death. If not, she would lie on the ground with what little of her body was left from the attack, waiting for the mercy of death. It was almost at her when everything fell apart. The floor gave way underneath her, the woman in the spider dissolved into a grey goop and she started to fall when she felt a violent jerk of her head.
The next thing she knew, she was sitting in a small, slightly dusty room, marble lining the wall and orange tiles making up the floor. A small fire was burning around a rusted sword that was planted in the ground. It all came rushing back to her. She was in Anor Londo. Quelaag was dead. It had all just been a nightmare. "Thank the Mother of Fire," she whispered.
She let out a small sigh of relief, looking at her side. Her sword was there, in fact both of them were. The longsword she had bought from Andre of Astora was resting in its sheath, right next to the green, curved fury sword that had once belonged to Quelaag. She felt a pang of guilt. She wasn't sure if she was worthy to use a sword that belonged to a daughter of a Lord after what she had done. On the other hand, she couldn't have just left it there, even if she had murdered its previous owner. A pang of guilt echoed in the pit of her stomach
"You didn't murder her!" she thought to herself. "She attacked YOU. You were defending yourself!" That did little to make the horrible feeling in her gut go away. Truth be told, she had no idea what had happened down in the depth of Blight town.
She didn't know why one of the seven Daughters of Chaos had been lurking in the cavern that held the Bell of Awakening, or why she had been corrupted into a massive beast. It was very possible that she had become a predator, waiting at a place where she knew warriors seeking the Bell of Awakening would come so that she could kill them. On the other hand, she could have very easily been trying to defend her territory from a potential intruder.
Fare would never know. The only person who had known was Quelagg, and she had taken the answers with her when she died. That egg man she had found underneath didn't seem to realize that Quelagg was even dead, much less what her plans were. And the Fair Lady, Quelagg's sister, had actively mistaken Fare for Quelagg. Fare felt her eyes sting Fair Lady, the poor thing had actually thought that she was her sister.
Fare bitterly thought back to how she barely had been able to get away from the Fair Lady before she had completely lost her composure. Even then though, she had asked why she was crying. She had wanted to know why her older sister was crying. "Mother of Fire save me," she whispered.
"Hm? Did you say something?" Fare looked up. Sitting on the other side of the bonfire in slightly worn but still shining armor was Solaire of Astoria. His helmet was on the ground in front of him, revealing a rough but friendly face and short golden hair.
"Bad dreams," Fare said, pulling off the helmet of her scavenged knight armor and rubbing her eyes. She would be hesitant to call anyone her friend in Lordran, you rarely stayed around someone long enough to become friends with them. Solaire was an exception to this. Even though their paths commonly separated, he was the only person she found herself regularly fighting alongside, and there was simply something strong that was forged when you were constantly relying on someone to keep you alive.
"I think everyone has them," Solaire said, nodding sympathetically. "With the world the way it is now, I would be afraid of the person who didn't have nightmares."
"That doesn't do much to make it easier to bear," Fare said. "Wait," she said, looking at Solaire. "You have nightmares?"
He nodded, smiling sadly. "All the time, I am not ashamed to admit. I'd rather not say what about though. Personal matters, I hope you understand."
"I do, I feel the same way about mine," Fare said. "I just know how it feels and I want you to know you can talk to me."
Solaire let out a gentle laugh. "If I didn't know any better, I think you had feelings for me." Fare snorted. The idea of her and Solaire together was laughable. To be honest the idea of her being with anyone seemed far-fetched to her. Solaire flushed slightly at the snort. "Oh no, dear me. Pretend you didn't hear that."
"Hear what?" Fare asked. Before either of them could help themselves, they both burst into laughter.
"Oh, it's good to remember how to laugh," Solaire said, still chuckling lightly. Fare grinned at him, the nightmare that she had had out of her mind. "Well, as much as I hate to break up the good mood, I feel like you and I are well rested. You did promise that you would tell me about that serpent when we were."
She sighed. She had remembered that. She would've told Solaire when she had first gotten here, but that had been right after she had run up a flying buttress, dodging arrows the size of spears while she had done so. She had been a little bit tired after that, to say the least. "He calls himself Kingseeker Frampt, he appeared at Firelink Shrine after I rang both Bells of Awakening. He said that I'm the Chosen Undead, and that I'm supposed to take Lord Gwyn's place and drive off the darkness plaguing Lordran."
"I see he has excellent judgement then! I can think of very few who are more worthy to take the place of the Lord of Fire than you," Solaire said, a sincere smile on his face.
Fare flushed. "Shut up," she mumbled. "I'm not a leader. I guess I'm pretty good at fighting considering everything I had to do to get this far, but a leader of an entire kingdom? I'm a peasant from the Great Swamp! I may dress like a knight, but I only found these weapons and armor and learned to use them after I got here!"
Solaire smiled. "Perhaps that is why you are not Lord yet. The journey Frampt has set out for you will mold you, give you the skills you need."
"Maybe," Fare said skeptically. There was no way she was going to give up on the quest that she had been given. It seemed far-fetched, but with a lack of alternative options in the miserable world of Lordran, she was willing to take any chance to make it better. Even if she did feel like it seemed impossible that she was supposed to rule the entire land. Still, she knew she had to press on, it gave her something to work towards, something that gave her purpose. Without it she might go-"NO! NO!" she mentally shouted at herself. "Don't even THINK about that! You are NOT going Hollow!"
Slowly, she raised up the palm of her hand. The mark of the Darksign, that uneven charred circle, growly faintly. How many times had she died? How many times had her sanity been put at risk? How many times had she treaded the line between coming back, in agony but still of sound mind, and becoming one of the hundreds of thousands of mindless Hollows that roamed through Lordran.
"Fare?" Solaire said, tilting his head.
Fare shook her head. "Sorry. Anyway, Frampt said that I had to come here to Anor Londo to find something called the Lord Vessel. He seems very enthusiastic about it, apparently it'll help me somehow. He really does want things to get better." She wrinkled her nose. "I just wish his breath didn't smell like someone crawled in his mouth a year ago and died."
Solaire chuckled. "Well Chosen Undead-"
"Please don't call me that," Fare said, wincing as she heard the title. She didn't want to be some pompous stuck up braggart who spouted off titles every time she met someone.
"Very well then. Fare. It is your duty to retrieve the Lordvessel and return it to Frampt. It would, however, be my pleasure to help you on your mission. If you will allow me that is."
Fare paused. "And this is different from how you helped me kill the gargoyles on the roof of the church and that giant dragon with the mouth for a ribcage how?"
Solaire shrugged, still smiling. "Somewhat more permanent?" he replied.
"I don't really see why you can't. After all, I am supposed to be a leader, might as well get some followers," she said.
Solaire got to his feet and did an exaggerated bow, grinning goofily. "Then by your leave my Lord."
"Shut up," Fare said, but she was grinning.
"Well, then, we have a Lordvessel to find," he said getting to his feet and sliding his helmet back over his head.
"No sense in putting it off it seems," Fare said, putting her own helmet back on. "I ran into a couple of Black Knights with giant bows outside. Did you see anymore on the way in before I got here?"
"They weren't Black Knights, they were Silver Knights," Solaire said. "The Silver Knights are the guardians of Anor Londo. The Black Knights are the ones who fight the enemies of the Lords in far off lands. I suppose you could say the Silver Knights are the shield and the Black Knights are the sword."
"Ah," Fare said, feeling rather embarrassed. She had a sinking feeling that what Solaire had just told her was common knowledge to the people of Lordran, and even outside kingdoms. She hadn't lived in Lordran or the outlying kingdoms, she had lived in the Great Swamp, far away from castles and cities. She felt rather stupid and lowered her head slightly in shame.
Solaire seemed to notice. "Oh don't worry," he said gently. "It's a simple mistake and it's not particularly vital to our mission. Just know that they tend to use lighter weapons than their black brothers."
"Right," Fare said, drawing Quelagg's fury sword with her right hand and grasping her crest shield with the other. Solaire himself had drawn his sword and shield before walking away from the bonfire, to the exit of the room. Fare followed and reached him just as he gently creaked the door open.
The two stepped out into the hallway, glanced to either end, and began to move deeper into the castle. Fare was still rather impressed by the state of Anor Londo. So many parts of Lordran seemed to be in ruin, which made the massive intact buildings of the city seem impossible by comparison. As they neared the end, they both spotted a pair of Silver Knights, eight feel tell and clutching longswords and shields. Fare grit her teeth, raised her shield but she had only taken one step forward before she faltered.
One of the knights had stepped forward, but instead of attacking, it had actually sheathed its sword. With its now free hand, it pointed down a hallway, the other knight watching silently. "It's giving us directions?" Fare whispered to Solaire. "Have you ever seen them do this before?"
"I've only seen Silver Knights once or twice," he replied. "Maybe they can tell that we're here to retrieve the Lordvessel."
Fare scowled. She had her doubts, mere hours ago she had been dodging arrows the size of spears from Silver Knights. For some reason however, these Silver Knights weren't attacking them. It could be that things were different now that they were inside the castle itself, but she had her doubts. "Well, I don't exactly want to pick a fight if they're not interested in starting one either," she said. "Might as well follow them."
Solaire nodded as they both turned in the direction the Silver Knight was pointing. For what felt like a good half hour the walked though the countless winding corridors of the castle. Every time they reached the end of a corridor or hit a dead end, a Silver Knight was there to point them in the right direction.
"This is eerie," Fare muttered, as they turned away from yet another knight. "I'm so used to everything trying to kill you in this kingdom. I feel like any second they're going to drop the courtesy act and surround us. They could have a wall of spears and swords around us in seconds, and we'd be dead.
"We've strong armor and good steel," Solaire said, "they'd have to be prepared to sacrifice many of their own to defeat us. If we were separated, they might have a chance, but together we would be a nightmare to them."
Fare fought back the urge to laugh. Solaire could be a little naive at times, but truth be told his optimism could also be a breath of fresh air in the world of Lordran. "You're confident."
"You and I have overcome much to make it this far, we can handle knights that are a mere shadow of what they used to be," he replied.
Fare frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
"Haven't you ever wondered why Black Knights never speak?" he replied. "In a way, they're not that different from Hollows. Back before the fire began to dim, they were mighty warriors. They were the knights who fought alongside the Lords and kept pace with them. They were without peers. But now, their armor is all that remains of them. All of these suits are empty, filled with the ashes of the warriors that once wore them."
Fare blinked. She had expected to feel embarrassed once again for not knowing something that was apparently obvious about the Black Knights, but instead she felt shocked. "How did that happen?"
Solaire shook his head. "There are only rumors. One rumor is that Gwyn sacrificed his soul to the bonfire to keep it alive longer, and when he died all of his knights turned to ash because of the bond they shared with his soul. Others say that the Black Knights fell victim to the Darksign as well, and that they disintegrate instead of rotting like we do. Some people even say that the Black Knights are just animated armor brought to live using the dark magic of necromancy. I don't know myself, the world the way it is now is simply a long line of questions without answers."
Fare glanced out of a nearby window, trying to process all of the information she had just been told. As she did, she spotted something that caused her to stop in her tracks. "Solaire, what's that?" she asked, pointing out of the window. Clouds were gathering in the distance, the flash of lightning bolts illuminating them. At first glance, it disappeared to be an ordinary lighting storm, but there was something off about it. The clouds were darker than any clouds that Fare had ever seen in her life, to the point where they looked less like clouds and more like concentrated darkness. The lightning bolts were dazzling when they shot out of the clouds and into the ground, but inside they looked dim and faint. Barely visible through the clouds.
"Abyss," Solaire said softly. Fare looked at Solaire in horror. This was something she actually knew about.
"The same Abyss that New Anor Londo was flooded to stop?" she said in terror.
"There's nothing else that it could be," Solaire said grimly, still looking at the storm. "Of all the things that have gone wrong with this world, the Abyss is the most recognizable, and the most dangerous. It's why Gwyn was willing to sacrifice an entire city just to keep it at bay."
"It must be the bonfires," Fare said quietly. "They're going out. The Abyss appeared when everything started to fall apart, and now the bonfires are even dimmer. It's easier than ever for the Abyss to reach us." Horror filled her as she spoke these words. Even in the Great Swamp people had spoken of the Abyss in hushed tones. A great void that swallowed up any living thing that got near it, and whatever it didn't kill, it twisted into mindless and warped beasts. Beasts that would carry out the Abyss' will and slaughter all who opposed it. No blade could cut the Abyss, no spell could banish it. The bonfires were the only defense against it. The bonfires that were slowly going out.
"I can't see how else it would be possible," Solaire said. "We need to move more quickly. Us getting the Lordvessel, you replacing Lord Gwyn, it's the only way we can stop it."
"I hope," Fare thought. "Hope? What are you saying? Of course it'll work, it NEEDS to work." Fighting back the urge to swallow, she and Solaire kept moving forward. After some time, they found themselves in a massive open hall, the ceiling far above them and a massive gate at one end.
"I think that's the main entrance," Solaire said. Fare felt a twinge of annoyance. She had gone through the arrow dodging incident just to find docile knights who would send them marching about a castle until they ended up by the front door? Had simply letting them in been too much of a hassle?
A pair of giant sentries wielding shields and halberds stood on either side of the hall. They glanced at the two of them before pointing their weapons away from the front gate. Solaire and Fare walked by them, Fare idly watching the sentries. If they wanted to, she had little doubt they could simply just crush her like an insect with their shields. Thankfully, it didn't come to that, and within seconds they had reached the end of the hall.
They stepped through an archway, into a chamber nearly as tall as the hallway they had just exited. It was empty, except for the pillars that filled the room, and a large figure in gold armor on the far end. It was easily the strangest armor that Fare had even seen. It emulated the look of a man with a massive pot belly, even going so far as to properly show how such a man's breast would look. Fare gagged as she spotted this. It was so well crafted that Fare though the man might actually be that fat, until she spotted the giant warhammer that he had one firm hand on. The head of it easily dwarfed her and Solaire put together.
Whoever it was, he simply stared at the two of them. Fare considered calling out when a voice echoed from above them. "Are you the one chosen by Frampt?" She snapped her head up just in time to see a figure jump down from a balcony above them, landing near the other one. This man was smaller than the first, though still a head larger than a Black Knight. His armor was much more impressive, being the same bright gold as his companion's, but with sharp edges to it, and a helmet that looked like a Lion with bared teeth. A spear, as long as he was, was clutched in his hand.
"Yes," she said. "I'm Fare of the Great Swamp. Frampt said I'm to succeed Lord Gwyn as Lord of Fire," she said. "Who are you?"
"I am the Captain of Gwyn's Four Knights. Ornstein the Dragonslayer." Fare's heart leapt up into her throat. The Ornstein the Dragonslayer? Everyone had heard of him, even in the most remote corners of the world. There were countless rumors about him, ranging from his ability to slay any foe with a single strike, to the possibility that he had been able to fight all three of the other Four Knights to a standstill.
Fare nodded. "I've heard of you. If even half of the tales are true I'd be deeply impressed."
Ornstein chuckled softly. "I thank you," he said. "And my companion is Smough. Former royal executioner. I have taken him as a squire."
Fare blinked. She had never heard of Smough before. As if he could read her mind, Solaire whispered in disgust, "You wouldn't have heard of him, he's a disgrace. He's brutal and cruel to those who were put at his mercy and he was once caught eating the remains of a man he had executed. Among other things."
Fare's eyes widened. Someone like that had been allowed in Anor Londo? She was about to ask for clarification when she saw Smough looking directly at them. It was impossible to tell at this distance and with Smough's helmet on, but Fare felt like he was glaring at them.
"Smough has done things I do not approve of, I will not deny it," Ornstein said. "Nonetheless, I saw potential in him, so now he squires for me. So, Frampt has declared you the Chosen Undead?"
"Yes," Fare said, nodding her head and trying to keep her eyes on Ornstein and off of Smough. She could feel him staring at her. "He said that we had to retrieve the Lordvessel. I take it that guarding it is your duty?"
"Indeed it is. However, Frampt is not here, and he has no way of communicating with the palace," Ornstein said. "Just because you claim that you are the Chosen Undead does not mean that you are. There are two of you here, therefore making it through Sen's Fortress is not enough to prove you are the Chosen Undead. Many have done it."
Fare's head pounded with frustrated and a spike of anger shot through here. That was it? She had come all this way and they didn't even believe that she was who she said she was? "Then how do you suggest that I prove it?" she asked, taking care to keep her voice level. The last thing she needed was to give Smough an excuse to use his hammer on her.
"Simple, a duel," Ornstein said. "Did you notice that the Silver Knights stopped attacking you when you entered the castle?" Fare nodded, frowning. She had been wondering about that. Ornstein sighed sadly. "They were given orders before they became what they were. To guard the castle from all except the worthy that enter it. It is why they still attacked you until were inside, at which point you had proven your skill as worthy, to get past their guard. I must as you to do the same with me."
"You gotta fight the two of us," Smough said. His voice was much softer than Fare had been expecting, but there was a barely concealed tone of malice in it. "The last of the Four Knights." Before she could stop herself, Fare sniggered. This man in giant saggy armor, one of the Four Knights? Lord Gwyn's chosen warriors? The concept was too hilarious to take seriously. "Sorry," Smough said. "What did I say that was so funny?"
"You are not one of the Four Knights," Solaire said sternly. "You squire to one of them. There's a difference. There's a reason there are only four of them, it's a position of the utmost honor. You have already received a great honor by squiring for the last one left. You are not, however, his equal. You may be one day, but that is an honor you will have to work towards. To earn."
He gestured to Fare. "Much like how Fare has had to work to earn her honor as the Chosen Undead, and how Ornstein is still asking her to work for it. We must work to earn what we desire, we can turn to friends and allies in our times of need, but we still must earn it and not simply demand it be handed to us. You must do so to become one of the four just as Fare must do so to succeed Gwyn, and I must do so to find my sun."
Smough let out a soft laugh. "Your sun? It's right up there in the sky," he said, pointing upward. "What? You never looked?"
Fare glanced at Solaire. She would never admit it, especially if it meant mocking Solaire, but she had never understood what he meant about finding his sun. Ever since they had met, he had told her how he had come to Lordran to "seek his very own sun" . At first Fare thought he had thought he was mad, but things had gotten confusing when Solaire had said that she should find the concept odd.
After that, she had no idea what to think of him. If Solaire had lost his sanity, he would not have found looking for a sun to be strange, yet he clearly had enough of his wits about him to know how bizarre the concept sounded. Just to pile on how confusing the whole matter was, he never explained to her what he meant by finding his sun, simply smiling and walking away whenever she asked.
"Not the sun, my own sun," Solaire said. "I don't know what it looks like, but I have faith I'll recognize it when I see it."
There was a barely audible sound, and Fare had the nauseating feeling that Smough had just smacked his lips. "I want to fight him," Smough said. "He came with the Chosen, shouldn't he be tested too?"
"He is a trusted companion of mine, he has helped me surpass quite a few challenges, and even helped me ring the first Bell of Awakening," Fare said hastily. She felt rather selfish for saying so, but she didn't have very much confidence in her ability to fight both Smough and Ornstein on her own. Ornstein alone was cause for concern, she shuddered to think how she was supposed to get around his spear while also avoiding Smough's hammer.
Ornstein, however, glared at Smough. "Kindly do not speak for me Smough. I intended to fight the Chosen by myself. My goal is to gage her skill, not kill her. If, it pleases you however, you may fight her companion." He looked at Solaire. "Forgive me, I don't recall you name."
"My apologies, I never gave it," Solaire said, his voice warm once again. "Solaire of Astoria."
Ornstein paused, thinking silently. "Very well. Solaire, you shall fight Smough, and I Fare. None of us is to interfere with a duel that we are not a part of."
"Good," Smough said, heaving his warhammer off of the ground and holding it in both hands.
"Good luck," Solaire whispered to Fare, stepping away from her, his shield and sword raised.
"Are you ready?" Ornstein asked, looking at the Undead.
Fare drew in deeply and exhaled. Ornstein wasn't going to be fighting to the death. That meant he would most likely be holding back. If she fought with everything she had while he didn't, she might actually have a chance. She fought back the urge to swallow. "Yes."
"Very well." Before Fare could even react, Ornstein was in front of her. She had no idea how it had happened, he had been on the other side of the room and no more than a second had passed. She had no time to figure it out though, as Ornstein was thrusting his spear at her. Desperately, barely able to keep up, she shifted her shield to block the attack. He didn't let up, a flurry of swift blows followed, Fare's shield quaking in her hand as she struggled to keep her grip.
In the middle of his barrage, Ornstein nimbly stepped to the side, thrusting far to the left of Fare's shield. Fare fought back the urge to scream in pain as the spear ripped through her side, her armor practically nonexistent against Ornstein's strength. He pulled back for another thrust, but Fare acted. She knew if she tried to block him again, he would just shift again and attack her side. So she went on the offensive, charging forward, fighting the pain, and swung her sword.
Ornstein reacted quickly, jumping back just avoiding the blow. Charging forward, Fare thrust her sword again, this time managing to drive it into Ornstein's leg. It did not, however, go as deep as Fare had wanted it to, only a few inches deep. Ornstein's armor had absorbed the majority of the blow's force.
His body tensed, but he did not stumble. He thrust forward again, this time his spear burying itself in Fare's stomach, her blood splattering all over the floor. Seething in agony, she broke off, turning and putting distance between her and Ornstein. As she ran, she sheathed her sword and grabbed a glass flask from her side, swallowing a mouthful of the golden liquid inside. Estus, a healing draft. It dulled the pain in her side and stomach and stopped the blood dripping to the floor. The pain still lingered through.
She turned on the spot, shield raised. She had expected Ornstein to be directly behind her, but he was where she had left him. Remembering how fast he could move, she didn't lower her guard, tensing as she saw him raise his spear. He did not charge though, he thrust his spear forward in mid-air, and a fork of lightning shot out. It hit her shield, which did little to stop the energy surging through her body, bringing with it agonizing pain. "All right then," Fare though to herself. Holding out her empty hand, she concentrated.
Fire ignited there, feeling warm in her palm and growing into a ball the size of her head. With a grunt, she threw it at Ornstein, who sidestepped it with a single graceful move. Fare pelted a second ball of fire and this one found its mark, impacting on Ornstein's chest. He did not scream, but Fare could see his body wince as it hit. He stiffened, and once again crossed the room in a single charge.
Fare didn't think, she acted. He had done this before, attempting to block the assault would simply result in her being overwhelmed and flanked. She threw herself forward, under the thrust of Ornstein's spear, she grabbed the hilt of her furysword. Letting out a roar, she drew the sword and swung it as hard as she could with one swing. It hit the highest part of Ornstein she could reach, which was his side, the blade burying itself in Ornstein as blood spurted out.
For a second, Fare felt a great sense of accomplishment, and pulled back for another swing. Ornstein was quicker though. Taking a step back, he unleashed another flurry of thrusts. Fare, in the middle of a sword swing, couldn't get her shield up in time. The next thing she knew, she was on her back, her sword having flown out of her hand. Her chest was in agony, she could feel five different wounds and warm blood trickling out.
Forcing herself to her knees, she drew her Estus flask and swallowed two mouthfuls. The wounds stopped bleeding, but the pain didn't truly vanish. Panting, she drew her longsword and got to her feet, but Ornstein was holding his hand up. "Enough," he said, twirling his spear and planting the hilt on the ground.
"W-what?" Fare said, her grip tightening on her longsword and shield. "But we just-"
"I meant to judge your skills, and I have. An ordinary Human would not have lasted five seconds against me, much less have inflicted a wound on me." He chuckled. "You inflicted three."
"You inflicted seven," Fare panted. "I just-I mean-it seems like you won."
"The goal was not to win, but to if you are worthy of being called the Chosen Undead. I say that you succeeded." He nodded his head. "Forgive me for the pain I caused you, I needed to see everything you were capable of."
"I understand," Fare said, while inside of her a maelstrom of conflicting emotions roared. Part of her was mad at Ornstein, part of her was ecstatic that she had passed her test, and mostly she was confused as to what had just happened.
"Now then, your companion should…ugh." A groan of pure disgust came from Ornstein. A quick glance told her why. Smough had none of the speed or control that Ornstein did. He was swinging his hammer viciously, trying to kill Solaire with one swing. Solaire was dancing around Smough with ease though, the hammer swings taking too long to prepare in order to catch him. Solaire was completely unharmed, while Smough's blood had splattered all over the floor. Smough's armor was even thicker than Ornstein, but Solaire darted forward and swung his sword at Smough's legs, plunging it in-between the gaps. Smough responded by hissing and swinging his hammer again, Solaire easily dodging. The former executioner didn't seem to have any other plans. He didn't retreat, didn't try and defend himself, he didn't even change his offense.
"Enough!" Ornstein snapped. "You are besmirching the name of the Four Knights Smough!" The fight stopped instantly. Smough was breathing heavily, while Solaire barely seemed tired. Upon realizing that the fight was over, Solaire immediately put some distance between him and Smough.
Ornstien crossed the room in a flash as Solaire slowly made his way back to Fare. The dragonslayer glared at Smough, though he had to crane his neck up in order to do so. "Sloppy," he said. "No tact, no form, no discipline. He didn't even look like he was trying very hard to avoid you. You let your anger get the better of you."
"He insulted me," Smough hissed. "Don't you always say a knight should have his pride? He said I wasn't one of the Four Knights. Am I supposed to-" he was cut off. Ornstein flipped his spear over and thrust it forward. The butt struck Smough in the face, and although he was wearing his helmet, he still clutched at his head and let out a soft groan of pain.
"You insulted his goal just as much as he insulted your position. Your words were even sharper I found. Yet he did not let his emotions rule him. He kept his focus on the fight and didn't let personal grudges dictate his actions A painfully basic rule of combat that you seem to be struggling with." Ornstein let out a groan of frustration. "I see so much potential in you Smough, but you need to unlock it yourself. The human is right, you need to earn it."
Smough made a noise that Fare couldn't quite place, but said nothing else. "I apologize for my squire's unruly behavior," Ornstein said. "You have proven yourself worthy of being the Chosen Undead, and your companion of being worthy of following you."
Fare sighed in relief. "Thank you. Frampt said that the Lordvessel would be here. Do you have it?"
"I don't, but my Lady does." Orenstein pointed his spear at the balcony he had jumped off of earlier. "You will find her upstairs. Good luck on your quest." Fare glanced at Solaire, who gave her a firm nod. The two of them made their way across the room, Smough still glaring at both of them, before coming across a pair of stone elevators.
Fare noticed that one of the elevators was rather small, just enough to hold a couple of people, while the authored was simply gigantic. "Makes sense in a way. Ornstein wouldn't fit on the smaller one." Both she and Solaire stepped into the smaller one, and were raised up. Within a few seconds, they were stepping off onto the balcony. A bonfire was dimly crackling in front of them, and to the left was a giant set of double doors.
Fare's heart was pounding upon seeing the doors. Part of her wanted to stop at the bonfire first, to refill her Estus and make the aching pains in her body vanish, but those thoughts were pushed out. She felt a kind of panicky excitement at the sight of the doors. Whatever Frampt had sent her here to do, whatever Ornstein had meant by his Lady, it was on the other side of the door.
Without thinking, she found herself in front of the giant double doors, a hand on each one, pushing. It opened slowly, but still felt much easier to open than Fare had been expecting. As the doors creeped open, Fare felt the urge to either cover her eyes or look away. She felt like she was staring into a bright light, even though the room beyond was no more well lit than the one she was in. Fighting the urge to slam her eyes shut, she forced herself to look forward.
A massive woman, who dwarfed Ornstein, Smough, and even giants in size, was lying on a couch that was big enough for even her, looking at Fare. She wore fine silk clothing that seemed to flow over her body, covering her nearly entirely. For the most part. Fare felt a rather uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach when she saw that the woman's bust was rather exposed. It only doubled when she realized the sheer size of it, each one easily being bigger than her.
"Thou hast journeyed far, and overcome much, Chosen Undead. Come hither child," the woman spoke.
Forgetting her discomfort at the almost otherworldly gentle voice of the woman, Fare moved forward. A clink of metal on stone told her that Solaire was right behind her. He gasped in a voice that was equal part shock and joy. "Gwynevere. Daughter of Gwyn. Queen of Sunlight." Fare felt a jolt. She was in the presence of the Queen of Sunlight?
"Indeed I am," Gwynevere said gently, the two stopping in front of her. "Since the day Father his form did obscureth, I have await'd thee. I bequeath the Lordvessel to thee." From underneath the cushion she rested on, Gwynevere grasped a stone bowl that was nearly the size of Smough's hammer and placed it on the ground before Fare. "And beseech thee. Sucked Lord Gwyn and inheriteth the Fire of our world. Thou shall endeth this eternal twilight, and avert further Undead sacrifices.
Fare glanced at the Lordvessel. It certainly had the look of something important, but she had no idea how she was supposed to get it out of Anor Londo. "Bring the Lordvessel to Frampt. Worry not about its weight, for thou who touch the Lordvessel are bequeathed with a great gift," Gwynevere said, as if she could read Fare's mind. "Thou who touch the Lordvessel may travel through the bonfire to any other bonfire that has touched them, along with whomever touches them."
"Well that'll do it," Fare thought, reaching out and gently touching the stone bowl, Solaire doing the same. It felt pleasantly warm, as if it gave off its own heat, and she could feel it spreading through the rest of her body. Even though her hand was protected by a gauntlet, she felt the warmth. "This gift," she said, looking up at the Queen of Sunlight, "how do I use it?"
"Reach into the bonfire and picture your destination in thine mind," Gwynevere said, smiling. "That is all. The Lordvessel will be vital to thine quest. Frampt will explain all you need know now that thou has it." Fare swallowed. She still wasn't quite sure if she was excited or panicking, but either way her hand on the Lordvessel was trembling.
She forced herself to take a deep breath. The Queen of Sunlight herself had given her her blessing. Not only did Gwynevere think she could do this, more importantly Gwynevere thought that the curse of the Undead could be removed. This could work. There was hope. Her quest wasn't impossible. As these thoughts filled her, her hand stopped shaking. Warm, comforting relief washed over her and she smiled. "Thank you," she whispered softly. Gwynevere just smiled.
"Solaire, do you mind helping me carry this back to the bonfire?" Fare asked.
"It would be my pleasure," the knight said. He had not said anything to Gwynevere, but he had spent the entire time beaming at her. Fare wondered for a minute if she was what he had meant by the sun he had been looking for. Maintaining eye contact certainly had similar results to looking at a sun, but she decided now wasn't the time to ask. Both of them grabbed one end of the Lordvessel, and with a great heave lifted it up over their heads.
It was much easier than Fare had been expecting. The Lordvessel wasn't light, but neither was it as heavy as she expected a stone bowl of its size to be. She and Solaire managed to get it outside of Gwynevere's throne room with ease, placing it down directly in front of the fire. "So, to Firelink Shrine?" Solaire asked.
Fare didn't answer, she was staring directly out of the window. The dark clouds she had seen earlier had come even closer. In the time it had taken them to meet Gwynevere, they were almost directly on top of the palace. They were fewer and smaller, as if they were dissipating like a real storm, but the few that remained were just as pitch black as they were before. "With haste," she replied. The two of them approached the fire, a wave of pleasant warmth washing over Fare as they did. The pain in her body from her fight with Ornstein faded away, and she glanced down, noting that her Estus flask had filled itself as she had expected.
"Very well," Solaire said, both of them taking the Lordvessel with one hand and reaching out to the bonfire with the other. However, the very second their hands reached the flame, a loud crack filled the palace. Fare snapped her head up to see a lightning bolt, the same consuming black as the clouds that it most likely came from, passing through the roof as if it wasn't there. Before Fare could blink, it had reached the ground, impacting on both the bonfire and the pair of outstretched hands. Fare could feel herself tipping over, the same as if she was falling off a cliff. Before she could register anything else, she was falling through darkness. Never-ending darkness.
Fear pounded through her. She didn't know what to do. Just as she felt like she was going to lose her nerve, she spotted a small light. The direction in which she was falling was bringing it closer. It grew closer and closer, until it was close enough to blind her. She slammed her eyes shut. Then opened them again. She wasn't in Anor Londo. She wasn't in Firelink Shrine either. She had no idea where she was.
XXXXX
Author's Note: Some of the obvious changes I made with this chapter are Solaire sticking with the main character, Ornstein and Smough talking, and there not being hostiles inside the palace. These changes all have one thing in common. They work all right in video games, but not in a written medium. Having no one be with you to help you ever and everything trying to attack you works in a video game, not so much in a written story where there needs to be more variety and character interaction. There can't be constant action and fighting. Solaire strikes me as the type of person who would want to stick with the Chosen Undead and I wanted to give some character to Smough and Ornstein.
Speaking of which, their duel not being to the death makes sense IMHO because they're supposed to help find the Chosen Undead. It'd be a devastating end to everything they were trying to accomplish if they made the Chosen Undead go Hollow by accident. That and a fight to the death would be a waste of talented warriors like Ornstein and Smough if they Chosen Undead ended up winning.
The Lordvessel granting the ability to travel from bonfire to bonfire to anyone who touches it isn't too far out there, it's never explained how you got that ability. Besides, in Dark Souls II anyone can do it, so the ability clearly isn't that special. The "And whoever touches you" was a necessary change for the crossover part of this story. The Abyss storms were also needed for that, and considering that it's been shown that the Abyss is both leaking into Lordran AND can transport you great distances across time and space, I thought it was golden for a crossover.
Ok, that's all the changes I can think of, be sure to let me know if I forgot anything. And let me know what you think of this new story.