Chapter 2: Heide's Downfall
They came from the sea, like messengers of Death and War, with their boats like castles and their swords resembling watching towers of evil. The coast wasn't ready for the battle. They first arrived near the sea and destroyed the beautiful Heide with their powerful arrows, before traversing by the land to conquer the rest of Drangleic. This morning, the sky was grey, and the sea was choleric, like it had seen what the future had in mind.
"I will serve you, my Queen Gwynevere, as long as you are in power of the mighty city of Heide, along with your husband Flann, the God of Flame. My sword will forever serve your family, my shield will always protect this cathedral, and my heart will always pound for you." swore the newly knighted Alister of Drangleic in front of the throne, his hand on his chest. "You are a brave knight, my kind sir. You are now officially declared defender of Heide, and your oath will never be forgotten. May you do your duty without restraint, and may your soul be forever untouched." responded the woman, sitting on her seat next to her husband. On her lap, was a frail child with pale white skin. He was the heir to Heide's throne, and the last descendant of the Old Gods. His name was Ocelotte.
"Thank you, my Queen. You will not be deceived, I promise." said Alister before kneeling one last time and heading out of the Cathedral of Blue. The bridge had been lowered, and the Wyvern was slowly resting on the platform below, calm and peaceful. The beast had been offered as a gift by Gwynevere's Nameless brother from a land far far away, and to this day, it protected Heide loyally. Alister passed his hand on the scales of the creature, who peacefully snored as he passed the bridge leading to the main part of the city. The lighthouse in the distance illuminated the grey skies with it's comforting, gleaming aura. You could hear the distant crackling of it's fire, even from the cliffs near the coast, and it was a sign of protection and security to the inhabitants of Heide.
After Sulyvahn wrongfully proclaimed himself Pontiff, many deities were forced to leave their native home, Anor Londo, and many stories were distorted. They are tales that Gwyn and the remains of his family relocated themselves in Lordran and built a replica of their old home, but the location of that copy was never found. Gwynevere, after her old husband went crazy and the Boreal Valley became under Sulyvahn's rule, fled the city and found refuge in the God of Flame's arms. With her was her last born, Ocelotte, who she stole from her ancient lover to travel with her, in fear that horrible things might happen to him. Alister didn't think too much of these stories and rumors, since he only cared about protecting his queen and his king.
The knight walked down some stairs and arrived into Heide's burgh, where merchants, vendors and sellers were offering trinkets for a little bit of gold. The gate leading to the plaza closed behind him, ensuring that the royal palace couldn't be accessed by peasants and normal citizens. Many heads turned around when he arrived, but most people simply continued their business. From here, the Cathedral of Blue's towers seemed gigantic and unreachable, piercing the grey clouds and touching the skies. It was after all the residence of a god. Before this day, he was only a simple soldier, but now, he was a knight of Heide, which was a prestigious title only offered to the most valiant hearts. He would fight for his city and the royal family until the end, at all costs.
He wandered a bit and finally reached the port, which connected the city to the sea. Here. thousands of boats had berthed Heide, many transporting Undead to their prisons or carrying merchandise for the Lost Bastille. Sometimes, quite rarely, boats would come with foreigners from the Far East traveling to explore the world. Few were the easterners who lived in Heide, or in Drangleic in general. They usually preferred to live in Lothric, where different cultures were more...common, or at least accepted. The sea sent torrents hitting the shore, water splashing everywhere, as well as the rain that fell down from the sky. Even the flame of the lighthouse seemed to be affected by this cold, rainy weather, before it finally extinguished itself, drowning the city in darkness. A cold wind traversed the city and frightened Alister.
Then, suddenly, the sound of a powerful horn could be heard across Heide and, one by one, gigantic boats could be seen approaching in the distance. "Sound the bell! Quick, sound the bell!" screamed Alister in terror as the Giant's fleet was getting closer and closer to the shore. He grabbed his sword and hurried the citizens to get to safety. He walked back up the stairs quickly, sweat running down his face. "Giants! It's the Giants! They're attacking the city!" he stammered as he ran up to the main gate. People were panicking, screaming like headless chickens. The Giant's boats stopped when they reached the cliffs, and the Giant Lord, with his giant sword, indicated to his archers the base of the city.
Alister got past the main gateway as the Cathedral's Wyvern got up and spread it's wings in terrors, before flying to combat to defend the city. The knight joined his companions near the main wall, where he took control of a balista and started to attack the Giants. The tall and grim figures pulled their bow's cords and their titanic arrows flew towards the city, destroying the pillars that supported the plaza. Towers were crumbling, houses were falling into the sea, it was chaos. The Giants left when there was barely nothing left of Heide, after Gwynevere and her husband had already went away by land, leaving the city in ruins. The loyal Wyvern stayed near the Cathedral ever since and has guarded the remains of his old dwelling for a long, long time. Alister lost everything that day and, now, he works as a mercenary across Drangleic, taking small jobs from whoever he can, in hopes that one day he'll be able to apologize to his Queen and to be forgiven.