A/N: This fool does not own Demon's Souls.
Leeroy POV
While Virgo was asleep earlier, I was talking to the prince, who was sitting on the beam over the seal. We got to talking a bit about how the king, his knights and subjects were modest and plain, but also steadfast and compassionate. Boletaria was known as paradise on earth, but now... Prince refuses to believe that this is what his father wished for our great land. It makes me wonder, what was the king really thinking when he started this?
Virgo and I arrived to the same spot where the Phalanx once resided and continued ahead. "Okay," I looked around the room to spot out a couple of Hoplites. After readying my kite shield and my long sword, I turned to my comrade who already did the same with her weapons, "You watch my back, I watch yours."
"Go it," she nodded. I ran to the blob closest to us to attack, while Virgo blocked the spears that were thrown at us.
This continued until we cleared the area and proceeded, but a voice stopped up, "Hello! You Yonder! Over here! It's me, Ostrava!"
"Prince!" I ran past the carriage at through a small hallway where the voice came from. "Pri- Ostrava, I am here," I knelt in front of the gate. "How did you even get here right after we left?"
"Look at me, again surrounded by evil warriors. Could you, perhaps, help me one last time?"
"I will help, as many times as you need."
"Clear out the soldiers at the far end of the passage, if it pleases you. The Lord's Path, just down yonder has degenerated into a feeding ground for flying dragons. Have your wits about you."
"Alright," I got up. "Let's go Virgoooo? Where are you?" I expected her to follow me here, but she didn't. "There you are."
She stood at the entrance leading to outside, "this is a pain." She blankly stared at the burnt walkway. Just as fire hit the floor she ran forward, "hurry up otherwise it'll burn you to a crisp."
"...wait up!" I sprinted right next to her. Next thing I knew, she dove forward, into the shadows caused by the small crenelation platform above. "Now why did she- ahhhh! Hot! Hot!" I rolled, with difficulty, on the floor to put out the fire. After going up the stairs and defeating the crossbow soldiers, I picked up a soul and a wooden catalyst. "Okay," I said as we walked down, to underneath ground level. "Prince should be over there," I pointed to the left.
"And dogs who would want to eat us over there," Virgo gestured to the right.
"No way, those dogs only harm intruders."
"Are you sure they're not affected by the fog and are soul-starved now?"
"No," I held my hand up in a stop motion. "They are my comrades, they would do no such thing."
"Okay," she rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say."
We headed to the left and killed off some soldiers. "Pr- Ostrava, you okay?"
"Thank you," he said. "That makes twice. Thanks to you, I can now forge ahead. This is a token of my gratitude. Please accept it," the prince handed me some dark moon grasses and started to walk away while mumbling, "This is bad... Not a single person left... Why on Earth? How did all of this happen... Father!"
"You're not going to ask his to join us?" Virgo asked while picking up a ring with a red circle in the middle. "It's strange since you were so persistent earlier."
"There are times when a man has to be left alone," I said as I watched Ostrava's back fade off in the distance.
"Whatever," she shrugged, and we continued to the direction the dogs are in.
"Okay, stand back and leave this to me," I gestured my comrade to step back as I saw a familiar tuft of brownish-black fur running towards us. Reaching into my side pouch, I pulled out a biscuit, "Pochi, I am not your enemy." I knelt down, taking off my helmet, and held out the biscuit to the swiftly approaching dog.
"You have got to be kidding me," the wanderer said in disbelief as the dog came to a stop and hesitantly looked from me to the biscuit.
"Go on Pochi, surely you remember me." The dog sniffed me a bit, and ate the food. "Good doggy I rubbed its head. "Go get Rex, Barkhorn, Leo, and Rocket so I can share with them too." It happily barked and ran off.
"See?" I turned to Virgo. "What did I tell you? The power of comrades."
"... Pochi?" she closed her eyes and sighed. "What kind of name is that for a guard dog?"
"An awesome one," a broad smile came to my face as I saw the other dogs coming. I got out more biscuits and gave it to them. They followed us all the way up to an area where the dregling merchant from before sat in front of a barred area. "It's you again," my brow lifted as I pointed to the merchant. "You have any idea what that dragon is out there for?"
"The giant lizard?" the dregling's voice had an unamused, but playful tone to it. One of the king's pets, just like those demons. The giant monster leaves a trail of charred carcasses. Which is great for business, of course! But unless you're a scavenger like me, you'd better stay clear," he ended with that cracked laughter of his.
"Ugh, come on," Virgo groaned. "I want to get this over with. We still have all those other worlds to take of."
"Sure," I nodded as we backtracked a few steps to knock down the broken, wooden furniture that blocked the path leading up the stairs. We went to the top of the watchtower and picked up a short compound bow and some arrows as an upgrade for myself since Virgo already had one. Soon I headed back to the bridge level. After clearing the crossbowmen to the left, with the help of the dogs, Virgo and I entered through the fog and took down the two. "Okay you lot," I crouched down to the dogs' level and petted their head. "As much as I would like to have you all continue with us, this is were we have part," as I said those words the heat of the dragon's flames were felt as it swooped down. A few of them whined and rubbed their head against my armored legs. "Awww, don't worry, we'll meet again once this is all over." Giving them the rest of the biscuits I had on me, I got up and went to the waiting Virgo.
"Done?" with her eyes closed, it was as if she would miss them.
"You going to miss them, huh?"
"...what makes you think that?" my comrade gave me a skeptical look. "Let's just go already, and be prepared to get targeted by the crossbowmen up at the watchtower."
"Got it," I kept my eyes on the burnt runway, waiting for the dragon to swoop down. Once the flames touched the ground, we sprinted forward, avoiding the bolts raining down on us as we got closer. We cut through the dreglings and split to take on the two blue-eyed knights on our own.
"Finally," Virgo sighed after we climbed the stairs and took down the crossbowmen, killing a crystal lizard on the way, providing a bundle of upgrade stones.. "The boss is right through the fog gate," she pointed down at the densely gray covered archway from the open gap of the watchtower.
"Then let's go," I jumped down, landing on a wagon to cushion my fall.
"Weirdo," my comrade said as she took the stairs.
Normal POV
As Leeroy and Virgo entered through the fog at the end of the short tunnel, the ground shook underneath them. In front of them was a rather large armor clad knight that reached the skies with a shield that could knock down walls. "That damn Fat Official," Virgo growled as she caught a glimpse of it disappearing behind the large wooden gate after signaling the crossbow men to aim at us. "As if a huge hunk of armor isn't enough already."
"Let's split up and take those guys down first before the Tower Knight."
"I agree," the wanderer tsked and headed to the right as her partner went to the left.
"Oh no!" the sound of bolts clanging against shields filled the air.
"How is this possible?" Virgo shouted while trying to advance up the stairs. "First the angle they are shooting from should be nearly impossible, and second, the reloading speed is ridiculously fast!" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a blue glow around the Tower Knight's sword, "Leeroy! Watch out!"
"Eh?" the Boletarian Knight turned his head to see a blue beam headed straight towards him, and quickly jumped back, narrowly avoiding the attack. "Thanks."
"Should we fight him head on and deal with the small fries later?"
"Yeah," Leeroy.
The two of them ran towards the giant of a knight, avoiding the incoming shield bash, but the force knocked them down. "Wow, this is annoying," Virgo commented as she got up with bolts grazing her body. She quickly maneuvered her way to the ankles of the boss, attacking the area where green misted particles escaped from the gaps.
"This armor is too heavy!" Leeroy frustratingly got up and tossed all his fluted armor to the side. "I will have my re-" he took a hit to the head by a bolt, making him not notice a shield bash headed his way.
"Leeroy!"
"Ruff!" a dog ran against the Boletarian knight's chest, effectively knocking him out of harm's way. Unfortunately for the dog, it couldn't get away in time.
"Pooochhhiii!" Leeroy screamed after witnessing what just happened. Pochi stay unmoving, causing something in the knight to snap. He charged at the ankles of the armored knight and repeatedly slashed them.
So the happy-go-lucky guy can go mad. I don't blame him though, Virgo sighed as she simultaneously attacked the boss and blocked the bolts.
While that was happening, a series of barks were headed their way. The four dogs from before split into two groups and swiftly ran up the stairs. They attacked the crossbow men one by one, making the rain of bolts lessen for the pair fighting below.
After enough damage was dealt at the Tower Knight's ankles, it felt from the lack of balance. Leeroy ran to the head, along with Virgo, while shouting, "this is for Pochi!" He quickly wield his weapon with both hands and quickly swung at the head, ignoring the fatigue starting to creep up on him.
At least I'm here or else he would have collapse a while ago, Virgo thought as the hunk of armor dissipated into a green mist, and her partner collapse. Strange, where's the archstone? She looked, trying to find a sword impaled to a stone.
Deep pants were heard from Leeroy as he ran to the fallen dog, "Pochi." The knight fell to his knees and carefully held the dog. "Why," tears came to his eyes. "Why did you take the hit in my place? I would have just ended up in the Nexus and be able to come back." Pochi gave what looked like a smile, and lifted its head to lick the knight's face. The dog then went limp in his arms.
Virgo walked up to her lookalike and placed a hand on his shoulder, "maybe it's because Pochi wanted to do something for its friend. And to not let you experience pain, even if it's just once."
"It hurts so much still. I'm going to miss Pochi."
"Mmm," Virgo proceeded to walk towards the fogged archway, he needs his alone time, but I can't return to the Nexus unless I go all the back. Must we move forward? The wanderer placed a hand against the thick fog, huh, so we need to defeat an arch demon before we can proceed. Her black eyes looked up at the platforms where the crossbow users once stood to see Rex, Leo, Rocket, and Barkhorn sitting.
In the time he was left alone, Leeroy had buried Pochi in the middle of the area. He gripped the collar and placed it on the cross. With helmet in hand, and pressed against his chest, he whispered, "you will not be forgotten my comrade. Thank you..."
The dogs on the platform howled up at the cloudy sky as if sending off their friend's spirit. "..." Virgo silently watched and turned around to stare at the fogged gate. 'Tis a shame that something like this happened... Hmmm?
The green mist that lingered around the air started to gather around the grave, engulfing it into a bright light. When it died down, the grave was replaced by an archstone. Leeroy stared at the archstone in awe, then smiled, "thanks Pochi." The knight went to pick up his abandoned armor from earlier and placed a hand on the sword hilt, "come on Virgo, let's go rest up before we proceed."
"Uh yeah. Ummm you go ahead. I'll be right there," Virgo replied, still facing the fog.
"Alright," Leeroy nodded and went off to the Nexus.
The wanderer took a deep breath and slowly let the air out. "I was hoping to never witness a scene like that again, but I guess it was inevitable. Rest in peace, because you're as foolish as my parents." Virgo placed her hand in the same manner Leeroy had, and was quickly whisked off to the Nexus.
