A Martyr's Tale
Chapter 1 - The Newly Arisen Man
Ariel gave one last reassuring smile as she disappeared in a blinding light, akin to those that ended me, and I was once again greeted by darkness. Honestly, I hadn't expected that. A grand speech to motivate me or some special exit would have been nice, but she had gone on and just left. To be fair on her part, I doubt wasting time while some universe was on the verge of destruction would have helped things. Soon I was greeted by a large panel as tall as I and wider than me too, shining brightly a couple feet in front of me. We both floated in some void of the sort, or so I could tell from the light it emitted only gave image to my body (which for some strange reason was absent of clothing, though I won't get into it). Upon a quick look of the panel I could tell that it was the creation screen the player receives after creating a new save on the game. "Perfect," I sarcastically joked, beginning my choosing of options. By default my body was in place of the usual one, prompting me to quickly change my physique to something better. When presented with a cheat, always accept it as my old gaming pal once said.
Finishing the final touches of my "character," I continued onto the starter item and class selection. Immediately I took note as to how they changed it by adding more categories to choose from, such as what weapons I would use and the clothing beneath my preferred armour. All of this was fine and dandy as it only made my job easier, but something stood out to me once I opened the weapon selection. Amongst the vast array of swords, axes, polearms and the such, there was a weapon with a unique name unlike the rest. It read 'Longsword (Dulled)'. Curious, I opened the description of the weapon and read it.
'Longsword (Dulled)'
Despite the appearance of a normal sword, this one has had its blade dulled down to stop it from slicing through enemies. Those who prefer non-lethal advances in fights favor this weapon for its uncanny ability to knock opponents unconscious rather than kill them. (Slash damage is converted into bash at the cost of souls not being collected due to opponent knocked unconscious rather than killed. Effective against armored opponents. Weapon Skill: Merciful Blow)
Intrigued by the concept, I considered the possibility of the weapon. How would I be able to defeat required bosses if I knocked them out? Then it occurred to me, Ariel spoke of the game being completely different than the normal version. In the universe, there was bound to be some sort of victory that involved not killing your opponent. I decided that I would go with the weapon for now, and if I needed to I could pick up an enemy's weapon in the future. Clothing and armour was a simple choice, a gambeson and leather trousers underneath the knight set you would see in the game. To my satisfaction, I was given the choice to wear them to test the comfort. They fit well, probably morphed appropriately to heed my form. Once that was done I moved onto the stats, likely my most anticipated part.
Stats mattered the most in the game of Dark Souls. For those who had appropriate attributes and a weapon which 'scaled' with said attributes, they'd find the game a lot easier. Four categories were made for the player to keep track of: attributes which listed things such as overall strength, health, or mana; base power which showed you how much health, stamina, and mana you had along with other things like spell slots (otherwise known as attunement slots); defense against different attack types like physical attacks, (strike, thrash, thrust. In this case, strike was practically blunt damage) or magical attacks; finally, resistances against debuffs (bleed, poison, frost, curse). All of these things were changed by the attributes, armour, consumable items, or most importantly your overall level. I knew most of the game's enemies, so I could forget the wider picture and focus on attributes until I got further in. Correction, if I got further in.
Starting off as level one, I would be quite weak at the beginning of the game like everyone else. You would speak to the firekeeper at the Firelink Shrine to level up by using souls. Suddenly it dawned upon me - I had chosen a weapon which was non-lethal. Any enemy I defeated wouldn't give souls. Ah, a problem that could be solved at a later date. I was too eager to see what laid ahead, and wanted to get stuck in as quickly as I could. So I finished up the last bits and accepted the character, naming it "William" of course. Slowly the panel faded into black and I found myself entering a state of unconsciousness. Here we go.
Bong… Bong… Bong…
That familiar noise echoed inside my eardrums, beckoning me to wake from my slumber. Achingly I sat up in the ash filled grave, treated by a small gust of wind that blew through my helmet's visor. So it begins, I thought to myself as I used the side of the grave to help myself up. Graves littered the cemetery as with most, but these ones were oddly lined up on uneven ground that made my surroundings seem like a wicked fairy tale. In some sense, it was. Surprisingly, my armour felt much lighter than I had expected. I've worn medieval plate armour before during the Renaissance festivals held annually near my hometown. Perhaps my body was stronger than realistic standards, but I couldn't be sure until I found out. Not hard considering the first enemy is up ahead. Stepping out of the grave, I would make my way down from the mound it was on, taking glances at the dead tree that loomed above it. Ahead was my first encounter with an enemy, anxiety began to brew inside my stomach in anticipation.
Crookedly standing around the corner to my right was, as I expected, a tall, malnourished looking figure dressed only in tattered robes awaiting me. On cue, they raised their arm which wielded a shortsword, racing towards me with the intent to harm. Now, I had have my fair share of fights in the past while growing up. I played with fake swords, battling my friends in the backyard, and got into good scraps with the school bullies when I entered high school. Never ever have I been in an actual sword fight before though. Truthfully, who can say they have fought someone with a sword in the modern world? Understandably, I was completely inexperienced in the art of sword fighting, but regardless of that fact I am a creative man. Creative enough from watching all those historical documentaries and fantasy movies to know the proper from improper in basic attacks, and how to deal with said attacks. With swift thinking I met their charge with one of my own, however I used my shield as a ram to halt their advance. Enough momentum was put into the charge to easily knock them off their feet, and onto their back a few feet away. Instinctively, I raised my sword arm up to finish them off with an overhead attack but I saw that wasn't necessary as they were sprawled out on the ground completely unconscious. My first taste with combat was finished as quickly as it started, leaving a little dissatisfaction in my heart. Nonetheless, my foe was defeated.
Pressing on into the small path that led opposite of where I was supposed to go, I went to a location where there was supposed to be a soul drop. Soul drops were consumable items in the game that gave you free souls on use, yet I had different intentions when finding the actual thing. It was a small white orb that floated ever-so-gently off the ground about an inch high, and when I grabbed it it felt like a soft wind current in my palm nearly blocked out by the thick gauntlets protecting my hand. Supposedly, if I crushed it I would receive a small amount of souls. However, I didn't want to absorb the souls. I didn't want to, what felt like to me, devour the souls of those who have died. Because, unlike in the game, these were real souls. Hence why I chose the longsword that had a dulled blade, so that I wouldn't receive the guilt of killing another living being, wicked or not. Some doubt entered my mind about dealing with tougher enemies, and soon bosses, but I focused on my newly developed rule rather than the future. For now, these souls would be safely stored in my inventory… Did I have an inventory? Another panel, like the one I used to choose my equipment, appeared at will of me thinking of an inventory. This one showed the one you would have in-game with added features for the new items. Hesitantly I raised my hand that carried the soul drop to a slot on the panel, watching it disappear then reappear on the slot I had chosen. "Stay safe, buddies," I whispered with a smile, continuing back to where I started.
Time for the next part of the area, where there would be many more enemies to deal with instead of one. Don't be scared, don't be scared, I repeated in my mind as I approached a fountain along the path that held a precious item: the ashen estus flask. Sat down next to the fountain was another enemy of the same design from before, or a grave warden as they're called in the game. Not giving them time to get up, I made my descent onto them by a sudden attack. Doing an overhead strike, my blade slammed down onto their head producing a satisfying, yet gut-wrenching, "THWAK!" Defeated, they fell limp onto their side. I had to check the pulse to make sure I hadn't accidentally killed them through applying too much force. Luckily they were still alive, despite the horrifying encounter with my sword, so I left them to see the fountain. Chipped and old, the fountain looked like it hadn't been maintained nor filled in years. On the side facing me was a corpse, pressed against the fountain where a larger chip than normal was. I could only assume that they had landed there and caused the damage, dying shortly after. Resting between their legs was a brightly glowing blue flask, one I was very familiar with. Estus flasks were items that replenish your health or mana in-game. Perhaps the most useful item in Dark Souls, also the most used. You'd be given only a certain amount of charges each flask, only rechargeable by earning souls or resting at a bonfire. Bonfires seemed to be my only option as I was going the non-lethal route. Picking up the ashen estus flask and storing it beside my normal estus flasks on my belt (I had figured they would attach from examination during the armour selection), I wished them peace before leaving.
Ahead were more enemies, more than I thought I could deal with at the moment, so I devised a plan. Run like hell. Which I did, straight past the grave warden that would shoot at you using exploding bolts and onto the first bonfire. Lighting it was easy, all I had to do was imitate the actions of the character in the game. It worked as the bonfire suddenly started giving off embers before going up in flames entirely. Splendid warmth washed over me, giving me a sense of ease which I desperately needed. No time to dilly around, I told myself, leaving behind the short moment of comfort. Manning up to my next opponent, I charged them like I had with the previous two - aside from those I ran from. Instead of blindly attacking me, this one defensively readied their weapon to counter my charge. Caught off guard by this, they didn't show mercy as I had barely enough time to react when they sidestepped to evade my attack, thrusting their own blade at my side. Fortunately for me, they had stepped to the side where I had my shield which allowed me to block the attack. It felt like an attack would: rough, but my strength stopped any form of wavering in defense. Their blade didn't stop once it met my shield, instead scraping off one end. Determined to press the offense, I slammed my shield into them in hopes of getting them on the ground. Successful with my attack, they stammered backwards and fell on their backside. Swiftly slashing with my sword, I saw the blade hit them in the temple. Bingo! Their body fell to the ground unconscious.
Victory is a bittersweet thing sometimes. Anyone would be happy to come out victorious in a battle, especially when their lives were risked, but I felt a mix of joy and guilt. Inflicting pain on others was always a moral dilemma. I'd rather befriend someone than fight them, unless it was special circumstances that justified the means. Well, I won't regret my decision now. An even greater challenge lied up ahead: Dark Soul 3's first boss, Iudex Gundyr. Easy to some, hard to others, Iudex Gundyr is supposed to teach the player that defeat will be a frequent presence in Dark Souls. At least in my opinion anyway. I'm no longer in a game anymore though, this is the real deal. Real fights back on Earth usually include brawls or worse, shootouts, yet I don't believe Earth features fighters twice your size that have inhuman strength let alone thick armour. Even a ballista would have a hard time killing Iudex Gundyr. Shit, only way to go is forward so I'd rather I get it done with sooner than later. Passing the crossbow-wielding grave warden that shoots abnormally slow bolts, I found myself standing in the very arena of the being I was so afraid of. "I guess this is where I'll feel that pain," I noted as I approached Iudex Gundyr, who was kneeling in the middle surrounded by candles, pierced through the heart by the infamous coiled sword. Disgusting tendrils growing from his right shoulder blade flailed in different directions as I approached. Showing bravery, I gripped the sword and ripped it from its gorey sheathe. Dust pushed out from beneath his mask, blown away by his exhale as the man came alive again.
He rose to his feet without warning, giving me little time to back up before he took up his glaive. Gundyr was as tall as you could expect, no less than ten feet high with a body that could most likely lift an elephant. His glaive was even more intimidating, and I was worried about it before he threw his first attack. Stepping forward, Gundyr slashed down at me from above, forcing me to step aside as the glaive landed. Chunks of rock were scattered through the air upon the impact, accompanied by the water surrounding his little circle where he stood. Dedicated to the fight now, I began my assault on Gundyr with a combination of sluggish attacks. Each one connected (there was no way I could miss with his gigantic figure), putting visible cracks into his armour. Surprised, I continued to attack before I saw him go for a counter by thrusting his fist at me. Having gotten cocky and not devising a proper plan before attacking, I was left open to the counterattack with no hope of evading. Crushing force sent pain rippling through my body as his fist connected against my side, sending me flying several feet. All the air inside my lunges had properly been pushed out, and my entire torso had felt like it was broken once I landed. Mercilessly, Gundyr sent his glaive down at me again as I was on the ground, but I somehow managed the energy to roll to the side. Forcing myself to stand, watching as he tried to maneuver the polearm sideways to swipe my from my legs. Instinct told me to jump, and within a split second the glaive passed under me. Now it was my turn for payback, I regained myself after landing and went in for an attack. Learning from my mistakes, this time I had a plan.
Gundyr saw that I was going to attack, so he tried to halt me with a shoulder ram. Someone his size could easily put someone like me down with an attack as simple as that, but I found this as an opportunity. When he threw himself forward at an angle I stopped myself in my tracks, letting him get some distance with the ram before he stopped. Seeing my chance, I quickly charged forward under his torso, slashing at his knees with all the might I could muster. On the first attack, his armour cracked greatly, but on the second attack it shattered. He fell to his injured knee, allowing me to move up swiftly and attacking the small opening in the side of his helmet just below the ear. I jabbed my sword through the hole, getting in a good hit at his neck. His pained groan was a good sign that I did something, motivating me to pull my arm back to get another stab in. Suddenly, those tendrils that I spoke of before began to frantically thrash around like they were aggravated. Black gooey substances flicked from their slimey flesh, some of it getting on my helmet. Gundyr himself began to shake violently, prompting me to move back as quickly as I could. His second phase, I thought worriedly. In the game, Iudex Gundyr has two phases. First is his normal self, but once it passes onto the second phase - he becomes a monster.
Massive, black tendrils expanded from his body, the ones before no doubt, and began to combine into a large serpent head. His entire torso became engulfed by this mutation, and from his side grew a large hand unlike anything I have seen before. It had rotten, boney white tissue dripping from the fingers, and nails that seemed razor sharp. The serpent head released a loud roar that shook my entire body, giving me a sense of dread as the beast started to advance upon me. Collectively, Gundyr's glaive and the hand both came at me, forcing me to dive right in front of him. "Fuck!" I spat as I barely missed death then and there, hitting the ground beneath his groin. Like a scared rat, I crawled between his legs only to hear the water I was in splashing around from something. Our serpent head from earlier had a tail that was brushing against the ground in hopes to crush me. Unable to dodge it, I raised my shield in front of me and hoped. Pressure worse than Gundyr's punch squished me against the ground, pushing me a few feet before it relented. I stood up to my best ability, watching as he began to turn around. As he was turning, I noticed he had trouble due to the injury I inflicted on his knee prior to the mutation. Such weight from the abomination of a serpent only added to his inability to properly use the leg, and he had to use the hand for assistance moving. Newly realized advantages came to my mind, and an idea began to form. Easiest way get to the branches of a tree? Chop the tree down.
Once he was fully turned towards me I awaited for him to attack again, bracing myself for anything unpredictable. His hand reached forward, pushing him off the ground and into the air. Perfect for my plan, I watched until he was just above me before evading, getting behind him as he landed. Unsurprisingly, his knee couldn't take the weight from the fall and he fell to a kneel, giving me the opportunity to race my way beside him for my attack. Right before I had went in for the attack, I changed the way I held my sword by gripping the blade with the sword upside down. Now I could use the quillon, or crossguard, of the sword to get in some extra bash potential for my attacks. Opening with an attack at his cheek to stun him, I began to bash the quillon into his good knee. Because of my position, neither the hand nor the serpent head could attack me in response. The armour broke off satisfyingly, allowing me to break down the actual knee. Each hit he yelped loudly, and every time he regained his composure I would stun him again by bashing his head before continuing my attacks. Eventually it was too much, his knees fully shattered from the damage, and he fell forward onto the ground. Had I not moved out of the way I would have been crushed by the beast, but my senses were too hyped up on adrenaline to let me down now. Irritated and immobile, the serpent head began to thrash about as I began my attacks on it as well. I guess Gundyr controlled the hand as it lost movement at the time he gave in, leaving me to my pickings. "Leave this body alone you shit - covered - snake!" I yelled as I slashed about at the serpent's blind spot, receiving a screech each time.
Hours passed as I continued to batter the serpent, until I finally saw the tendrils rip away from Gundyr's body. One last gurgled screech was heard, and then the serpent was no more. All that gooey substance dissipated like smoke, gone within seconds after the serpent's death. Exhausted myself, I slumped onto the ground near Gundyr giving a long sigh. Silence is an overlooked commodity, I thought to myself as I enjoyed the absence of screeching. Then unexpected words ripped me from my rest, "Have you no respect of a fallen champion, lord seeker?" Turning to the culprit, I saw Gundyr sitting upright while using his glave to lean on. "I thought you were a wayfaring clown," I jested, earning an angry snarl from the warrior. "You are unkindled, but you using a weapon only slaver's would fancy!" He spoke with such intense hatred I almost felt offended by his tone, but I wouldn't find it appropriate to be angry at someone who's knees I had just broken. "Pardon?" Gundyr scoffed at my ignorance, "Slavers use weapons meant to damage but not kill, so that they may bring home livestock of men for the rich." I was intrigued. Not only to speak to Gundyr, who was never supposed to be able to speak, but the fact that he was speaking of something I don't think was present in the game. "Ah, well, I use this to save lives rather than take them. Same thing I did for you, saving you from that abomination on your back." Maybe it sounded a bit arrogant to say, but the words were spoken true. Gundyr would silently stare at me for a few moments, before he said, "Kill me, so that I may die a warrior."
"What?!" I choked, convinced that he may have lost his mind. "I do not wish to be saved, though you have my thanks for taking that wretched serpent off my back. To die in battle is a warrior's fate, so I am asking that you end my life to spare me the dishonour." Now this is just too… "Sorry, friend, but I'm in no mood to be taking lives today." By some means, I understood him wanting to die by his values. It did not mean I would oblige his request however. Slowly he reached up to his helmet, removing it and revealing his face to me. He was a scarred man with brown skin and short hair. His irises were gray, yet weirdly had symbols in the middle of them. I doubted that he was blind. "Then what will you do with me?" He asked cautiously, his expression rightly skeptic of just about everything I had going on. "I'll bring you up there," I spoke as I pointed towards the Firelink Shrine, "where you'll recover from your injuries. Once healed, you're free to do as you will. For now though, consider yourself under my care." Confused by my words, he watched as I stood and made my way behind him. I reached down and positioned my hands under both of his armpits, causing him to instinctively lean away with his glaive at the ready. "You want to walk, then? Or will you let me drag you because I sure as hell can't carry you, I think." My uncertainty as to if I could carry him came from the fact I didn't know my own strength at the moment, but that's another matter for another time. Giving in to my reasoning, Gundyr reluctantly leaned back so I could drag him.
"What's your name, stranger?" He asked as I dragged him to the large door at the end of his arena. "William." I answered politely, releasing him. "My name is Gundyr. I hope one day we can fight again, under better circumstances." How I wanted to interrupt him and tell him I know, or say his name before he introduced himself to leave him more confused than he already was. I was sort of nice though, so I refrained from doing so. "I'll take you up on that in the future, but under the condition that we fight as friends rather than enemies." I said, thinking of myself a little cheesy while I did it. Gundyr chuckled dryly, giving me a, "I'll take you up on that in the future," before placing his helm back on. This will be the start of something great, I promised myself as I opened the doors. Something that will end on good terms.
Oh how wrong could I be…
Author's Note
Hi, Prolific here! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of 'A Martyr's Tale'. If you didn't, please tell me why in the reviews so I can work on it in the future! For those that did like it, feel free to follow or favorite the story so you can get notified on the updates when they come out. I'll be traveling soon so I may be a bit late with uploading, but I'll make sure to continue working even while I'm traveling. Hope to see you next time, have a good one!
May 10th Edit: Hello, Prolific here! Sorry that it has been a long time since my last upload, I've just been clogged with work and other matters that I need to deal with. To be honest, I sort of forgot about this in the spree of things. No worries, I'm sure to get some content out sooner or later, I just need some time! :) See you next time.
