Sorceress Silvia finished her final enemy, before sheathing her catalyst and dagger. She looked satisfied around her, looking at all the corpses of the Hunters she had slain. It wasn't a pretty sight, but a satisfying one. Especially for someone who weren't too familiar with their combat techniques yet, then slaying all these fighters felt really good.

She was preparing for another battle when she heard a sound. A branch snapped, and heavy steps came her way. She looked into the dark of Darkroot Forest, but no enemy unveiled. But then came a slight figure into her sight. Then the rest of the man entered. And this was no slight figure.

He was clad in black grayish armor, his leggings looked like stone, and his gloves had horrible chains around them that looked like they weighed more than Silvia's full garb. His chestplate was the most horrifying. It looked like the armor that the knights of Berenike wore, but it had thorns coming out of its shoulderplates and all the way down to his elbow. On his head was a sack with eyeholes crudely cut out, and on his shoulder rested a gigantic axe that also looked sharp enough to sever her head with a slight nick. It reminded her too much of an executioner. His left arm wielded a steel shield that most likely could crush Silvia with a mere push.

She ran. She ran and ran and ran from the charging foe. She ran for the bridge crossing to the other side of the Forest, hoping that she could lose him and surprise him there.

His steps were like earthquakes behind her, and they were getting closer. Her first steps hit the stone of the bridge, but now he could not be further than 30 feet behind her, his stomping was too close.

Panicking, Silvia turned around and blasted a soul spear towards the hulk of a man. It bounced off his shield like a feather trying to stop a charging rhino. She wouldn't do much more with her full weight of about 60 KG. Seeing no other option, she sheathed her catalyst and pulled out her dagger. The axe came down, but Silvia was ready, and dodged under the axe. It smashed the stone next to her right leg, and the close call was enough to startle Silvia. She didn't muster to try a counterattack before the giant shield came her way. She tried to backstep the attack, but she didn't go far enough, so the shield nicked her anyway, causing her to stumble. She almost fell, but it would have been better if she had, for the axe came again. It knocked the sorceress hat off her head, revealing her blonde hair, which now fell freely into her eyes.

A survivor's instinct kicked in, and she hopped backwards, just as the colossus swung again. Now she had rolled into a stone structure similar to the one on the other side of the bridge, with a staircase leading down to the right off her. She tried to take in the rest of the building, but suddenly the giant man tackled her so brutally, the spikes on his shoulders punctured her cloth and stomach. It was followed by a toss over the man's back, sending her into a summersault before landing hard on her back.

Wounded and fatigued, she had no energy left to rise up again. Her rapidly fading eyes observed the man lifting his axe high, and readying the "execution". Then blackness so dark filled her vision, she thought she had died. But she was still breathing, although barely, and she was still feeling pain, so she must be alive? Then a healing so fresh repaired all her wounds and clothes, and breathing no longer hurt. A faint voice said: "She is mine."

Then the dark shield covering her eyes pulled back, revealing an equally hulking man wearing the armor of the Iron Golem and the helmet off a legendary Berenike Knight, a giant axe made off a Dragon's tail lying on his shoulder. Said axe was already bearing down on her, but due to her recent healing, she was able to slide between his legs, just as more stone was loosened from the smash of the axe. The man with the sack on his head backstepped, believing the attack was meant for him, but when he saw the black armored man being vulnerable to a counterattack, he charged forward, his axe coming diagonally down on his foe. It was deflected by another swing of the opponents axe, and the Executioner then realized that he was possibly facing someone of equal strength to himself. He would not allow it.

Before his opponent could counter, he bashed into him with his shield, bringing the man off-balance. A swing came down on his head, but it was deflected by the black shield off the Berserker-like knight.

The Berserker, now seeing his opportunity, kicked his opponent back before jumping in with his axe raised high. The Executioner would not manage to block it properly, so he rolled backwards. It wasn't long before a charging shield bash came back though, and they ended up in the middle off the bridge, struggling to push the other back.

Meanwhile, Silvia had managed to get up and observe the two fighters. Both relied on their raw strength, none of them too technically superior. They were accurate with their strikes though. Every parried swing or blocked attack was in perfect balance, and their stances changed every attack to compensate for missing room on the bridge. She knew she would be no good in this fight, as her dagger wouldn't even penetrate their all-covering armor.

She was looking for possible weak spots in their suits when she heard a sound behind her; the sound of an invading phantom. She spun around, and rightfully enough, there was a phantom. This one was the polar opposite of the tanks on the bridge. This one had a long black coat, no helmet, steel leggings and clothed gauntlets. In his arm was a long thrusting weapon and a dagger was sheathed on his lower back. Above said dagger back was a crossbow. He turned around and noticed her. A sleek smile fell upon his face, and she knew that once again she had run into a superior force. But she preferred this guy to the berserkers on the bridge.

He attacked. He spun thrusting blade ceremonially before shooting forward, looking to decapitate Silvia. She narrowly ducked, and tried to thrust back with her dagger, but he swatted it aside with his bare hand. No counterattack came, but her instinct made her dodge. Now she was backing up towards the forest area again. The sleek smile was still plastered on the man's face. He is playing with me, she thought angrily.

She anticipated his next move, but when none came, she pulled her catalyst out as quickly as possible and fired a heavy magic arrow. It was despite her speed dodged easily. He was walking intimidatingly towards her, now the smile gone. That made Silvia even more uncomfortable. She decided that there was no reason in fighting, so once again she ran from a superior force.

When she came to the believed exit from the forest, it was no longer there. In its place was a thick fog.

I can pass through it, Silvia thought panicked. I've always been able to.

But when she hit the fog, it was solid as brick. She could not pass.

She spun around, and saw the man coming towards her, now the smile back on his face. Coming up the stairs, he pulled his crossbow out. This is it, she thought, and closed her eyes. The sharp sound from the bow came, but no bolt speared her to the fog wall. Instead it hooked the robes on her elbow, and stuck her to a moss-covered wall. She was still standing unharmed.

Now he finally stood right by her. His breath was in her face. She could not fight, her dagger had been dropped somewhere, and her catalyst was out of reach on the stairs. She had to await the man's judgment. Surprisingly, he spoke: "Mages like you are normally so annoying."

She met his eyes, looking up due to him being a few feet taller than her.

"You though, are easy prey." With that he put the cold steel of his blade at Silvia's neck, preparing to sever her head. However, in his little speech, he hadn't heard the heavy steps behind him. He didn't know before a greataxe cleaved his spine in half, sending him to his knees, before his head was severed by a devastating blow. His phantom disappeared.

Now stood the Executioner in front of her. He was even more intimidating than the previous man, standing at least 7 foot tall, with an axeblade larger than her torso.

She pleaded. "Please. Please."

He walked all the way up to her, and whispered faintly: "The Executioner knows no mercy."

With that he pulled his axe back, preparing the killing blow. Silvia was struggling against the bolt through her elbow, sweat pouring down her face. And then it loosened.

She fell uncontrollably forward, as the axe crushed the rock where her head had just been, and she tumbled into the huge man. He looked puzzled, and she used this opportunity to kick him in the chest. He stumbled, not bringing the axe with him. He landed on his shield, which was strapped on his back, the round form of it sending him tumbling down the side of the stairs. He landed with a loud thump.

Silvia looked shocked at her own hands. The act was in a moment of adrenaline, but how had she found the strength? I could not possibly trip that man over. Her victory was short-lived however, for the Executioner was already getting back up, now angrier than ever. She was trapped. If she tried to run, he would catch up. Fist fighting would be another story, for her agility would not compensate at all for this giant's grip. She was not refined enough in close combat. Then she saw it. Her dagger, lying on the other side of the stairs. She sprinted around and picked it up, now slightly more confident. Could she kill this man?

No time to think, for here came the giant. He stomped up the stairs, lifting his fist for a devastating punch. He didn't even bother to pick up his axe. He would crush her with his bare hand. She rolled sideways, just as he punched through the old rock of the stairs. She almost tumbled off the edge. The roll had hurt her. Fighting on these stone stairs won't work. We need to get down on the grass.

Waiting for his next move, she was ready to sprint down the stairs at any given time. No given time came, the next move was too sudden. Once again it was a tackle, and once again Silvia felt the spikes on his shoulders penetrate her body. They fell off the stairs, and with an agonized scream, the spikes were pushed deeper into her belly as they landed on the ground. The man got off her, and she narrowly dodged his coming stomp. The rock boot shook the world for Silvia, as she tried to stand and run to recover for her damages. She started to stumble away, but the huge man's fist closed around the robes off her midsection, pulling her back again. She struggled, and in a rush of panic, the cloth tore off her midsection. She didn't care, she was already running. The Executioner was fumbled for a moment, but quickly pursued her.

Looking over her shoulder Silvia knew this wouldn't last. He couldn't be more than 20 feet behind her. She had to come up with something. She started zigzagging between the trees, but the man was not dumb, so it only led to him getting closer. He is more familiar with the area than I am. Running down a slope in the forest, she noticed a bridge with a ladder beside it. She went for the ladder, and just before the man's arm closed around her, she slid down the ladder not caring about the burns on her hands. He could've followed, but something was stopping him. (Get the reference?)

Eventually he came, and when he hit the ground, Silvia realized that she had trapped herself. Across another bridge was a solid fog gate, which she was now backed up against. She hoped that the bridge was too frail to keep the man's weight, but the ropes seemed solid, each of them about 5 cm in radius. Now he came across, not even holding himself steady on the swaying ropes. She smiled slyly. The man stopped for a second because of the smile, but continued walking steadily. She raced to the end of the bridge, her heart pounding, and started cutting the ropes with her dagger. The Executioner realized that if the bridge fell, he would drown in the river. It was not happening.

…There, almost there! Silvia thought frantically, now a mere sliver off the rope left. It snapped… and so did her ribs as a heavy fist punched her gut. She flew into the fog wall, before slamming into the ground, right at the Executioner's feet. He bowed down, eyeing her, almost looking curious. If I can push him…

No more thought came, before his large hand closed around her throat, leaving crude wounds with the rough chains around his rock gauntlet. Picking her up with ease, air was rapidly leaving her lungs, her face was turning blue. He did not intend to let her die with this little pain, so he loosened the grip, only to harden it once she had pulled air again.

Silvia was holding both her arms on his, trying to pry his fingers away. Just when she thought she had succeeded, the grip tightened even more than before, and her feet went even further from the ground. Then he dropped her. She hit her feet hard on the ground, falling over from lack of air, inhaling deep pulls of air from the breeze of Darkroot Forest. She wanted to get up, but she lacked energy.

The Executioner would not give her the luxury of breathing again, so he kicked her hard. She fell backwards, and into the flowing river beneath. Her shrieks filled the air as she was pulled underwater, and sent down the waterfall.

My axe. The Executioner thought, before leaving this world and returning to his own.

…

The Executioner is a character that I have use often in the forest. It uses a Greataxe, sometimes a Stone Greataxe or a Large Club, wears a sack with Thorn chest and Havel's gauntlets/leggings. It also uses a Balder Shield.

This whole chapter is a dedication to how Dark Souls treated me: I felt like I was getting better, then suddenly (excuse the language) a new foe/invader shows up and beats my shit in. It's a tribute to Darkroot, and how chaotic it can get. And just when you think you have a chance of winning, Dark Souls pushes you under the water again, and you're spit out at a Bonfire. Much like this chapter: Silvia is feeling accomplishment from defeating the Forest Hunter NPCs, but then a force she hasn't encountered before arrives. Seeing how this is a much tougher opponent, she gets beat down. Then suddenly another shows up *Ahem* Maneaters *Ahem*, but then another enemy with a completely different style fights and destroys your build. And when Silvia has gotten her dagger against the unarmed Executioner, she has accomplished something she never thought she could do (happened numerous times on my first playthrough), but then Dark Souls crushes her again. And it doesn't do it quickly. "Just Estus up my little boy, it'll not be punished by a hornet stab/critical grab attack/kick off a ledge/all-the-goddamn-enemies-in-the-goddamn-area showing up to swarm you/1-shot before you reach drinking." Yeah right.

As always, feel free to leave suggestions/thoughts on the chapter, and if I do it wrong, it's my turn to be criticized. Have a nice time punishing me.