"It's been a while," Godfrey said.
"Who..." Lucatiel trailed off. She saw the sword slung across his back, and a blinding image blasted through her mind. Herself and the man fighting some form of creature. Two beings bound together by their own flesh in the hull of a ship. A large circular room, orange light flashing on a demon of iron, and a darkened chamber adorned by chains hanging from the ceiling.
"I suppose it makes sense. The curse will have taken a toll on your mind by now," the man said. He approached her and held out his hand, offering a small humanoid figurine made of wire. A warm shadow radiated off of it.
Not moving her blade from Gavlan's chest, she took the figurine from him. "What is this?" She demanded.
"You know what it is," he said. "Look back, deep into your past. Who do you think it's supposed to be?"
The pain in her skull became too intense to bear, and in a fit of pain she crushed the figure. Like water from behind a dam, her memories flooded forth. "Godfrey..."
"Yes."
The confirmation solidified a sea of memories struggling to fit themselves into her mind. "You... most made a point of avoiding me..."
"While I made a point of engaging you," he finished.
A cool tingling prompted her to remove her mask, and in the reflection she saw her face as it once was, for the first time in over a year. "That thing... I gave that to you in Harvest Valley."
"Yes, you did. A human effigy is one of the few powers in this world that can reverse hollowing after it has already begun. By giving that to me you ensured your own salvation," he said. "We have much to discuss Lucatiel, in the meantime however, would you lower your sword and stop scaring Gavlan? He's quite harmless, just a kind merchant."
"Oh," she said, "sorry about that." She relaxed her arm and became aware of two things: her arm was sore, and she could feel that her arm was sore. For the first time since she began to go hollow, she could actually feel.
"Godfrey... know her?" Gavlan tentatively asked.
"Indeed I do Gavlan." The silence was broken when Lucatiel fell to the ground, physically and mentally exhausted from the ordeal of the last month.
"She need help?"
"No Gavlan, just rest. I learned the first time that I became hollow, that we cannot die, nor can we sleep. As the fire keepers tell every one of us: 'a journey without rest.'" Godfrey bent over and lifted the unconscious warrior, preparing to take her back to Majula.
"Gavlan see you soon?" The merchant's voice seemed far away as Godfrey placed his hand at the base of the bonfire.
"Perhaps Gavlan. Perhaps."
—
As the fire drew back from his vision Godfrey saw nothing but dark. Lucatiel was gone from his arms, and an explosion behind him shook the ground. Godfrey spun around, drawing Lucatiel's greatsword from his back. Before him burned a pillar of flame, and when the fire died a monstrous being appeared who's face was barely perceptible among the sparks and tangles of wood.
"Aldia. I shouldn't have assumed you were dead at the throne of want."
"Spare me the drama Godfrey. If you truly believed me to be dead, then I should not be wasting my time with such an arrogant fool." The thunderous voice rolled through a plain of darkness and fog, seeming to shake the very Earth. "Regardless, you shall have to suffice. I believe I have completed Vendrick's work. Not to end the undead plague, but to keep the infected human. A simple question had to be asked. What happens to one's souls when they are lost? They travel to another realm, that exists between the many worlds you have visited with that soapstone in your pocket. I have devised a method by which you may travel to this Cauldron of Souls and take it's power into yourself. Much as the three Great Lords did, you will gain power. More power than a human was ever meant to have. You must not let it consume you. These souls must be used as fuel to light a new flame."
Godfrey chose this moment to cut in. "Enough of the monologue Aldia. Where is Lucatiel?"
"The girl is in Majula. She is being cared for by the herald and the hag. Your body is there as well. I simply reached into your mind for a little chat. You must travel north Godfrey, to ancient Anor Londo. You shall find me there, in the Duke's Archives."
The darkness faded, and Godfrey awoke in the master bedroom of Cale's former home. The cartographer having long since set out to explore the rest of the world, Godfrey had made repairs to the mansion with Lenigrast's help. It had essentially become the new Drangleic Castle, the original being home to all manner of hostile creatures. As he dragged himself from the bed, Godfrey immediately noticed the absence of his equipment, which had been replaced with a thick tunic. He stumbled toward the door, in a haze from his mind being opened up like a door for Aldia to waltz in and out of at will. When he reached the bottom of the stairs, Godfrey heard hushed conversation coming from the kitchen, the only identifiable voice being that of Melentia. "Oh don't ye' worry deary, he'll be just fine."
Lucatiel's voice echoed out next, "I should hope so. Perhaps half an hour more and I'd have gone hollow."
As Godfrey stumbled into the kitchen, Lucatiel jumped up from the table while Melentia simply turned to look at him. "So ye' finally woke up ye' lout! Luca here's been worryin' about ye' since ye' two popped out of the bonfire."
As if to contradict Melentia, Lucatiel walked up to Godfrey calmly and without a word. Faster than Godfrey could've reacted, even if he hadn't had his mind hijacked, Lucatiel's fist snapped out to impact his jaw. Before he could collapse, Lucatiel was hugging him as tightly as she could, to the point of restricting his breathing. "Damn you Godfrey. I thought you were dying, gods damn you."
Godfrey managed to croak out a response through her suffocating embrace. "I'd hate for you to rectify that."
Lucatiel jerked slightly as if not realizing what she was doing before slowly releasing him and stepping back slightly with a sheepish look on her face. "Sorry..."
"Oh ye' two are adorable. Make sure ye' invite me to the wedding!" Melentia cackled as she walked out the door, back to her usual spot by the eastern wall.
After a few seconds Godfrey broke the silence. "Sorry about her."
God I love torturing you guys. Thanks to Mellia Bee, who gave me the motivation to start writing again.
