Ciaran of the Abyss
I was inspired by the picture cover for this story. Credits to whomever's picture that was.
What if Lords Blade Ciaran was tainted by the Abyss?
Age of Dark- Anor Londo
The Dark Lord sat in utter silence and in deep thought. The throne room was motionless save for the flapping of various banners hanging high above and the raging wind seeping through cracked windows. The once proud throne representing the sun now represented the rising darkness of the Dark Lord. Beams of white moonlight shined through the cracked windows, providing temporary relief of the closing shadows.
The once proud and shining halls of Anor Londo where also silent save for the few guards patrolling the once proud citadel. The very halls themselves showed signs of previous struggles. Blood covered every floor and wall in the citadel, making it impossible to maneuver without becoming stained in crimson.
The citadel itself was not completely cleared by the forces of the Dark Lord and as they moved in deeper, more battles were waged.
Outside in the city streets, bonfires burned brightly in the darkness of the night. Yet the source of fuel was greatly disturbing to the people who lived under the reign of the Dark Lord.
Bodies.
They were piled higher and higher until they started falling off each other. The height of the mountain of bodies easily eclipsed any man into an obscure shadow. These were the ones were considered traitors and failed to conform to authority of the Dark Lord.
They weren't the only ones burning though.
The bodies of the once proud protectors and knights of the golden city also laid in the pyre, burning along with the others. A cloud of black smoke was rising into the heavenly sky above and painted the moon a bright crimson.
This was the vision of the Dark Lord, a world ruled without opposition nor defiance.
Yet something was on stuck in his thoughts, a thought that brought out his insatiable curiosity.
Sudden movement in the pit by his throne snapped him out of his deep thoughts. The black body of a serpent emerged and set it's gaze upon him before bowing.
"My liege." The serpent greeted.
The Dark Lord ignored the serpent and let his mind drift back to his previous thoughts. The serpent was no threat to him, just another servant.
The serpent merely tilted its head in confusion before cautiously saying, "My liege, are you well?"
The Dark Lord nodded, slowly stood up and walked by a nearby window to watch the flames far below.
"A thought has been on my mind for the last few days. I was hoping you could shed light on the subject." The Dark Lord declared.
The serpent nodded and replied, "Of course my liege, I will answer anything you ask."
The Dark Lord turned and walked back to his throne. Each step clanked as the metal armor hit the cold floor.
"Months ago when I slipped into the rift leading to the past, the experience gave me many things to ponder. But I find myself drawn back to one thing, a person specifically." The Dark Lord said.
The serpent looked at it's lord before saying, "A person my liege?"
"Yes. A woman clad in armor dark as the night and robes the clung to the shadows themselves. I remember each encounter with her perfectly. It always ended as quickly as it began. A golden or silver blade across my throat followed by a glimmer of a white porcelain mask. It was the first time I ever felt fear as an Undead. The woods from what I remember was the worst, I was constantly attacked from the shadows, never knowing where the attack would come. It played with my mind for days as I sat outside the fallen city." The Dark Lord began.
The Dark Lord took an intake of fresh air, savoring the freshness of it before continuing.
"I remember she was consumed by the Abyss, I could see the darkness oozing off of her. It was a nightmare fighting her. She growled, screamed, and attacked like some sort of feral beast. Artorias was not nearly as animalistic as she was, then again he was the titled as the Abysswalker. I would assume he would have out up a higher level of resistance."
The serpent seemed to smile before it spoke.
"Ah, you were fortunate enough to see the fabled Lords Blade Ciaran it seems."
The Dark Lord tilted his head in interest and as if he was tasting the very words themselves he questioned, "Lord Blade Ciaran?"
The serpent let out a brief laugh of amusement before continuing.
"Yes my liege, one of the four legendary knights of Gywn. Each one famous for their deeds. The Dragonslayer Ornstein slew dragons by the hundreds, Abysswalker Artorias challenge the Abyss head on and managed to emerge victorious, Hawkeye Gough was unmatched in archery. Ciaran however was something else entirely."
That piqued the interest of the Dark Lord and he asked, "How so?"
The serpent let out another chuckle before continuing.
"That woman brought down kingdoms and empires with just her blades. All Lord Gywn needed to do was whisper a single phrase and within a week an enemy kingdom would be tearing itself apart from within or thousands would die of deadly diseases due poison in the main food supplies."
He paused to let the Dark Lord take in that information before continuing.
"She was the ultimate assassin. Entire family lines were wiped off the face of existence and doomed to be forgotten. It is often stated that Artorias was the dark knight out of the four, which is true, but personally I feel Lord's Blade Ciaran fit that role much better."
The Dark Lord thought for a moment before asking, "Lord's Blade? Is there anything to that or is it just a title?"
"It was her position. It was an order of all female assassins that served The Lord of Sunlight. I believe they took their headquarters on the lowest level of this citadel."
Suddenly an explosion was heard followed by shaking. The Dark Lord immediately placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and began listening.
He could hear multiple men shouting and cursing. Most likely his guards.
As if on queue, one of them ran through the door and fell to one knee as he faced the Dark Lord.
"Report. What is the disturbance?"
The guard answered, "A few of the explosive barrels we were planning on using to break through some of the gates exploded. We have multiple troops dead and many more injured."
The Dark Lord raised his brow on confusion and then asked, "Exploded? How?"
"My liege, we are unsure of the cause. We speculate that one of the dead soldiers was the cause. The darkness here makes torches necessary so I believe they may have dropped one."
That put the Dark Lord on alert, his soldiers didn't just "drop" torches. They were much better trained than that. Something else was at work.
"Guard return to your duties."
"Yes my lord."
The serpent glanced at the Dark Lord in curiosity.
"My liege, is something wrong?"
The Dark Lord glanced at the serpent before replying.
"No. Leave me alone for the night, I wish to be alone."
The serpent nodded then slowly disappeared down the hole.
The throne room was silent save for the clacking of metal against stone as the Dark Lord walked to his throne.
Instead of sitting, he stood and waited. His armored hand rested on the hilt of his sword.
He knew what was coming and he would be prepared for them.
This throne was his now and he would defend until he collapsed.
Age of Fire- Ooliciale
Silver Knight General Romulus, watched the city of Oolacile burn around him. Fires raged in various areas throughout the city, sending black smoke high above into the air. The corpses of the tainted citizens of Oolacile lined the street and formed a pile so large that the knights had climb over some of them.
The Siege of Oolacile had been a success, the corrupted were exterminated and the city was in the process of being cleansed by fire. Despite the obvious victory, he could not bring himself to join the celebration with his fellow knights.
Before the siege, two of Lord Gywn's great knights departed to combat the source of the outbreak. Knight Artorias and Lord's Blade Ciaran left earlier in the morning, before the assault began.
Romulus glanced up to the sky above. The sun was almost below the horizon and the darkness was slowly setting in. Only the bonfires fueled by the corpses of the dead provided refuge from the closing darkness.
However he wouldn't dare order his forces to move into the abyssal cavern far below, especially not with the coming dark. He would have to wait until morning.
As a he walked to give orders to his knights, he felt a sense of dread fill his mind. Something definitely wasn't right.
Lord's Blade Ciaran slowly crawled through the dark cavern until she finally found a wall she could lean on. Her dark blue robes were torn to shreds in several places, leaving her ebony armor visible. A jagged long crack ran through the center of her porcelain mask while the ivory locks of hair hanging out of her headdress were scattered messily.
The Silver and Gold Tracers lay on the grey floor beside her nearly broken form.
Her muscles screamed in pain with every movement, while her vision began to slightly blur. Slowly the darkness was overwhelming her.
A few meters away, the enormous figure of Artorias was lying face up. Several cracks and dents adorned the once shining armor. His shield was missing, but his mighty sword was sheathed into the grey rock floors.
With great effort, Ciaran pulled herself closer until she reached his cracked chest plate. It was cold to touch but still relieved her when she heard his heart faintly beating.
"I have failed... The Abyss, I can't let it spread..." Artorias whisper hoarsely.
Ciaran looked down at him and whispered,"We failed. The darkness was just too strong, that creature was just too strong."
The Abysswalker lay in silence for a few brief moments. The sound of his breathing became hoarser and much more labored.
"Ciaran... you must leave...warn Lord Gywn of the events that transpired here. Lordran must be ready for the coming darkness..." Artorias whispered to her.
"If I leave Artorias, I intend to bring you with me."
Suddenly the Abysswalker's arm shot out and grabbed her, then pulled her close. She struggled in his iron grip for a moment before relaxing as he spoke.
"No, my time is up. I cannot fight much less even move properly. This is not time for your usual antics, so do not argue with me. Lordran must be prepared and you will warn them of the coming threat."
The Lord's Blade bit her lip as she listened to Artorias.
He was right, this was not the time to argue. She was a knight of Lord Gwyn and she would not allow her personal feelings to cloud her judgement, despite how much she hated it.
With a grimace she looked at the dying knight beneath before saying, "Farewell Artorias."
With that she turned on her heel and began limping away. A single tear left her eye as she left her greatest friend behind.
The darkness engulfed the Lord's Blade Ciaran as she walked the dark caverns of the Abyss. She could feel the influence of the dark pushing against her very soul, trying to corrupt her.
Her will was strong and she would not falter easily.
Suddenly she could feel another presence. Something primal, omnipresent, and powerful. The surrounding darkness seemed to ripple as the unseen foe moved.
Ciaran could feel the earth beneath her tremble slightly with each step it took.
No where to run now. A distorted voice whispered.
The Lord's Blade head snapped fiercely around to look for the source of the sound.
How foolish. You thought you could escape assassin? Always running and hiding, you always were the weakest.
The Lord's Blade growled in frustration. She pulled her places out of their sheaths and took up a defensive stance.
How does it feel to be the victim this time assassin? Pathetic you're just like an animal when cornered.
Ciaran let out another growl. The voice came from everywhere and she had no way to track it. The voice was just taunting her, mocking her and try in to pick her apart.
The Abyss will always try to break you down and drive you to the point of insanity. That's how the corruption starts. It picks at your darkest memories and thoughts. Remember Ciaran, everything just say everything is lie. Do not let it grab hold of you, do not let it damage you. The voice of Artorias rang in her head.
She remembered that lesson well, it was one of the few times she got to talk to her friend outside of missions. She cherished that memory as a child would their first gift. It was important and she would need to remember that.
Fool, the Abysswalker is dead. What chance do you have?
That struck a nerve.
"Damn it! Show yourself" Ciaran screamed.
The voice pressed its advantage.
I thought the Lord's Blades did not break the composure. No wonder Artorias ordered you to leave, you're useless.
"That's not true." Ciaran whispered. The corruption began to take hold.
Tell yourself that. Repeat that phrase as much as you like. It will avail you nothing and just like the Abysswalker, you will be mine.
Before Ciaran could reply, she suddenly felt a great pressure take hold of her mind. Something was drilling into her mind. Tearing it apart. Ripping bits and pieces out.
Ciaran fell to her knees gripping her head in agony as the being violated her mind. The excruciating pain caused her to scream and the silver and golden tracers fell to the floor. The signature white porcelain mask fell to the floor also.
Lord's Blade Ciaran, the top assassin in Lordran. Now you're my top assassin. The voice hissed.
"Shut up!", Ciaran bit out in between screams.
The porcelain mask, a gift from Lord Gywn himself is now mine also.
The Lord Blade attempted to stand up in resistance, but she was swiftly planted to the ground as the pressure increased even more and causing her to shriek.
The famous Knight Artorias? You seem to have had great respect for him. So much potential wasted, you should have made him yours when you had the chance. Now he belongs to me.
"...No." Ciaran whispered.
Thoughts of the Abysswalker flooded her head and for a brief moment she felt warmth, before it was ripped away.
You belong to me Ciaran. The voice seemed to whisper in her ear.
"Stop... It." Ciaran growled back.
Your body, mind, and spirit are all mine Ciaran. Any emotion, skill sets, and anything else you possessed belong.
Suddenly the Lord's Blade could feel something. To her horror she could see the tendrils of darkness embracing her, consuming her and taking hold from the inside.
Suddenly she felt nothing.
"Who am I?" Ciaran asked herself.
Another surge of pain sent her back to her knees.
Then utter blackness greeted her. The being know as Lord's Blade Ciaran was consumed by the Abyss.
The being once known as Lord's Blade Ciaran rose slowly off the rock surface of the Abyss. Her black armor creaked as she moved upward.
The darkness seemed to be oozing off of her as she came alive.
In fragments of her broken mind, she could remember her original purpose.
Kill.
The darkness within her seemed to grin widely at the thought.
A few meters away the enormous frame of the Abysswalker stalked toward her with his sword dragging being him.
As they both saw each other they paused.
In both of their fragmented memories they seemed to remember something. A silent agreement of partnership seemed to pass over the two former knights.
Suddenly they heard noise coming from the surface.
An image surfaced into both their mind. Images of an army clad in silver was up above waging war.
Another moment of silence passed before they looked at each other again.
As of on queue they both let out a scream. A primal and terrifying scream that reached the surface.
The Abyss commanded one thing.
It commanded annihilation of the above army.
Without waiting for further orders, they both began to charge to the surface.
Down in the deep caverns below, Primal Man smiled in victory.