(Firelink Shrine)
Marcus successfully managed to return to the shrine in one piece. His mood, however, was far from high. He quietly went to Andre while storing his weapon and shield inside his soul.
"Hm? How can I help you? Did something break?" Andre asked.
"My pride, probably, some hollows threw shit at me. I want to ask you something. Do you know what is inside the tower behind the shrine?" Marcus asked pointing to the left and upwards.
The blacksmith rubbed his beard in deep thought. "I know that past fire keepers were led there after their duties were said and done. Must be a graveyard by now. And there´s also the bell of the shrine, you don´t need to ring it as far as I know." Andre informed.
Marcus resisted the urge to beg the smith to keep his identity a secret. "Anything else?" he asked.
"Sorry, this is all I know." the blacksmith shook his head.
"Thanks. Another question, have you seen a pair of knights? One with black armor and other with steel armor?" the knight asked.
"Oh, yes. I thought the lad was you." Andre replied rubbing the back of his head in shame.
"Huh? Why?" the Lord of Cinder asked intrigued.
"Same armor and shield." the smith sighed with his eyes closed.
"Same armor? Oscar of Astora?" Marcus asked hopeful.
"No, the lad was called Anri. He seemed pretty interested in you." Andre informed.
"Why? I have never met him." the Lord of Cinder rubbed his helm.
"He didn´t tell me, maybe he heard about you, who knows?" the bearded man shrugged.
The warrior from Astora rubbed his chin, "Maybe someone spread my feats after all…or he is simply looking for someone from Astora, Andre told me the land was overrun by hollows." he thought. "What about the one with black armor?" the Lord of Cinder asked.
"As talkative as a rock." Andre said serious.
The knight crossed his arms as he went into deep thought. "Hm…a quiet person? A murderer? Or maybe just hollowing?" the knight thought. "Okay. If they come back please tell them I´m going through the church with the giant archer. Please tell them to spare him." Marcus asked.
"Very well, I understand. Anything else?" the smith nodded.
"I found this red gem inside a fiery bull demon." Marcus said retrieving said treasure from his soul.
The gem was composed of three square stones fused together, one small, one medium and the last one bigger than the others. The core of the artifact radiated a faint light and various shades of red were mixed inside like fiery stains on a rock.
"Ah, I see you found one of them. This one is a Fire Gem, a rare thing to possess. It can be infused into a weapon to give it fire but its power won´t be affected by your skill with pyromancy. A shame, really. Any weapon in mind?" Andre explained.
"Just like the red titanite…So NOW you can make fire infusions." Marcus stated annoyed since the smith denied a "fire" ember in the Second Age.
"When you live thousands of years you need to learn something. My coals are good enough to make three types of infusion: Fire, as I already told you; Refined, slightly heavy and sharp and Raw, where the weapon gets reinforced but loses sharpness and a bit of weight. I learned lots of things during these past ages, I just don´t have the tools for everything." the smith explained.
Marcus took a deep breath. "I know how you feel. I wish you could teach me how to infuse gems but you know, I have a duty to fulfill." the knight gestured to the area behind him. "As for the gem, I don´t know. Maybe I should give it to someone else…" the knight wondered.
The smith rubbed his white beard "Hm…I could find some use for it. What do you say?" the old man asked.
"A special weapon?" the Lord of Cinder asked slightly curious.
"I haven´t decided yet but I have some ideas." the muscular man replied still rubbing his beard.
"I don´t need it right now and I have my pyromancy if something happens. You can have it." the knight placed the gem on the anvil.
"Thanks friend, I promise I will put it to good use!" Andre said taking the gift.
The knight nodded once while grabbing both estus flasks from his belt. "I need 6 blue." he ordered.
The old smith raised his brow, "Are you going test some of that magic?" Andre asked taking the flasks.
"I will use a lot of pyromancy soon and I can´t run out of stamina before finishing the task." Marcus told.
The Second Lord decided to organize his equipment while the blacksmith prepared the flasks. He placed a hand over his chest and then focused on managing the items inside his soul. Ever since the disappearance of most of his utility items the knight found trouble getting the right weapons in the heat of a battle. Not only his mind was slightly slower but the location of each weapon and shield was completely changed which resulted in a severe increase in the time required to retrieve said items.
"I barely managed to get a black knight sword in time to kill the bull demon, one more second and I would have died. Let´s see…I´m constantly facing firebombs, burning fat women, explosive barrels, demons…Yep, I need a fire-proof shield. Now, which one? Black Knight Shield or the Dragon Crest Shield? The first is twice as heavy but slightly longer and I think a bit more resistant while the second is way lighter and easier to handle…Since I will be facing hollows most of the time I should go for the Dragon Crest Shield. I should also move some of the rings and the resins for emergencies…" the knight thought.
After sorting his equipment the knight took back his flasks from Andre and then went to the main area of the shrine. Marcus climbed the set of stairs that lead to the upper level and finally to the abandoned tower behind the main building. He glanced at the "giant tree" on the right but then turned his attention to the tower in front of him. The knight stood in front of the iron bars of the door and then took off the leather glove, he left it on the ground for the moment and grabbed an iron mace from his soul with the left hand.
The Lord of Cinder closed his eyes as he concentrated on the flame within him, it was like a burning core with many funnels coming from it reaching up to the tips of his toes and fingers. The knight of Astora channeled the flame towards his right hand, careful to not waste any precious energy in the process. After a moment a small fire ignited on the palm of his hand, signaling the link was successful. Marcus extended his arm upwards, moved his hand closer to the right corner of the upper horizontal bar and then closed his eyes again. The flame of the undead lord began to increase in size and dared to cover his hand when he halted the growth. The pyromancer channeled more power towards the fire to increase its intensity and heat to alarming levels.
At first the iron bar remained the same but then the material began to turn slightly orange and yellow in the middle and red in the borders. Marcus increased the temperature until the iron began to emit a hot aura of its own and then extinguished the flame on his right hand. He quickly held the mace with both hand and struck the hot metal with all his might. The iron gave in a few centimeters with the first hit but only broke after the fifth strike.
"Good, I still have 2/3 of my energy." Marcus said to himself as he grabbed the opposite side of the bar.
(Later)
The knight of Astora twitched his fingers, it took more time than he expected but he finally managed to destroy all the main iron bars. He wasn´t exactly exhausted but his mind was pushed to its limit and his body couldn´t even ignite an ember anymore. The Lord of Cinder put on the leather glove and grabbed the Dragon Crest Shield from his soul and Ciaran´s Dagger from his belt and stepped inside the broken tower.
"I wonder when they built this place…" Marcus mumbled as he climbed a spiraling staircase.
When Marcus reached the top of the tower he noticed part of the roof and the right wall were broken but since there were no signs of battle he assumed the damage was just a product of time. He turned his head to the opposite side where he found an archway that led to the exterior and into an old stone bridge connected to another tower.
"Why build a tower if you´re going to leave it empty?" Marcus asked himself as he exited the first tower and stepped on the bridge.
The bridge was entirely made of old stone blocks and had small stone rails on each side which barely touched Marcus´s thighs and only continued up to a few meters. The middle had succumbed a bit and a small portion of the left side had crumbled. When the knight reached the middle of the bridge a gust of wind came from the left which almost made him fall to his death. Marcus quickly recovered his balance and turned to the right expecting some kind of giant. The culprit was a giant black crow of about six meters in length with large wings to propel its colossal body. The bird made a large turn to the left and then dived at the direction of the bridge.
Marcus lowered his weapons after realizing it was a giant crow. He extended his arms to the sides expecting to be grabbed by the giant creature but the crow aimed on the area by his side. It flapped its dark wings a couple of times as it descended and then landed on the path in front of Marcus with grace and precision.
"Okay…so no forced travelling this time?" he asked turning to the giant bird.
The crow turned to face the knight, it looked down at the human with curiosity. The bird tilted the head to the side as if in confusion.
"You? You! Caw! Marcus! Caw!" the crow cawed in a feminine voice.
"Snuggly?!" Marcus asked lifting the visor of his helm.
Snuggly was a talking crow Marcus met in the outskirts of the Undead Asylum during his return to the forsaken prison. She possessed a limited vocabulary but was apparently smart enough to make deals and trades. The bird, however, was just normal-sized when Marcus saw her for the last time.
"Snuggly! Happy! Happy!" Snuggly cawed while flapping her wings.
"How did you get so big?! You´re as big as the one which took me from the prison!" Marcus asked not believing his eyes.
"Caw! Old!" Snuggly cawed towards the sky. "Trade? Caw!" she asked.
The knight of Astora rubbed his eyes with the back of his right hand, it was easy to understand how someone like Andre or Mildred were still alive and sane but a crow? "How?!" he asked.
"Give me, warm or soft! I give treasure! Caw!" Snuggly explained not understanding the knight.
Marcus sheathed the dagger on his belt and rubbed his chin. "Snuggly wasn´t teleported to this Age, she aged like everyone else and lived through all the cycles of fire. She grew…a lot! I thought she was just a talking crow but somehow she grew into this giant bird! But...why is her vocabulary as bad as I remember?" he thought. "Snuggly?" he asked.
"Yes?" the crow asked tilting her head.
The knight stepped back, "Did…did you learn any new words since we met?" he asked cautiously.
"Many! Caw! Many trades, many words!" the bird said happily.
"I see…" Marcus rubbed his chin. "I´m happy with your progress." the knight smiled at the bird as he placed his hand over his chest.
"Trade?" Snuggly asked anxious.
"Just a second." Marcus said still searching.
The knight of Astora retrieved an old armor with a red vest and cape, Marcus cut off the cape from the rest with his dagger and then placed it on the ground so the bird could inspect it. Snuggly took a step forward and then lowered her head to check the colored fabric. She rubbed her head on the finely-crafted material and then grabbed it with her right claw.
"Soft! Wait, here!" Snuggly ordered and then jumped to the right.
The Lord of Cinder watched the giant crow glide gracefully across the sky and land on the roof of the main building of the shrine. There she released the urn on a large nest made of wooden sticks and grabbed something with one of her claws. She returned to the bridge and landed on the exact same spot as before.
"Stone, for weapons! Caw!" the crow told releasing a black stone on the ground.
Marcus crouched to collect the ore, "A titanite chunk?! Thanks!" the knight nodded while storing the stone.
"You, many trades, good friend. I help." the crow replied. "My home." Snuggly looked at her nest. "Come back, I like, trades!" she said and then jumped off the bridge.
The knight of Astora observed the giant crow return to her nest. Snuggly folded her wings and then sat comfortably on the simple yet comforting "house". Marcus felt a bit of envy slithering in his heart but swayed the emotion aside with a shake of his head.
"Snuggly has a nice nest. I wonder if she has any eggs, I don´t think I would be able to handle a whole family of them." the knight mused.
The knight looked upwards towards the top of the second tower. "The fate of the Undead…" he whispered going after the second tower.
When the knight reached the tower he noticed the door was already open. He grabbed the dagger from his belt and lifted his shield as precaution. When he stepped in he noticed he was standing in a small stone bridge that led to what he assumed was another elevator. Burning candles decorated every wall which revealed the absence of ground on the right and left. The Lord of Cinder carefully walked to the right border and looked down. More candles could be seen in below revealing the existence of at least three more levels without any kind of floor or platform between them.
"Could they be down there?" Marcus asked himself. "I should probably check the elevator first." he said standing up.
The knight stepped on the pressure plate. He expected the elevator to go down but the platform ascended towards the upper floor of the tower.
The Lord of Cinder stepped out of the platform and looked around. He was outside and far away from the ground. A set of stairs to the right was the only possible path and so he climbed them. At the top he found a giant iron bell hanging underneath a large roof that covered the entire top of the tower. The ground and pillars were old with many bricks cracked or missing. The knight spotted a corpse right underneath the bell, bent as if the owner was suffering intense cold at the moment of their death. Marcus approached the corpse and crouched to inspect it.
The corpse wore a set of clothes similar to the ones of the blind fire keeper, only they were torn and ragged in many parts. The eyes were covered by a similar mask but the metal had long lost its shine. A soul floated over the corpse, it was like a white core with innumerous grey tentacles sprouting from the center.
"A fire keeper soul. It looks a bit darker than I remember…Why are you here?" Marcus asked taking the soul with care. "Were you the one who called me?" he asked looking at the bell over him.
An echo came from the ground, almost like a whisper carried by the wind. There was an undead message appearing over the ruined tiles. Marcus turned his head to the right, he saw the silhouette of a person crouching by his side. He couldn´t distinguish the face but the transparent form, almost like a ghost, seemed to be wearing robes. The "shade" wrote on the ground with haste and by the time Marcus looked at the message all the words were already there.
"Use my soul to heal the dark sigils. Give it to the fire keeper."
When Marcus looked back at the shade it had already vanished. "Dark sigils? What are dark sigils?" the warrior asked but he knew there would be no answer. "Judging by the name it should be some kind of infection or curse." he stored the soul in his body for safe measures.
(Firelink Shrine)
Marcus walked towards the current fire keeper of the shrine which was standing on the left corner of the hall leading to Andre. The maiden waited patiently with her hands clasped together in front of her body staring at the area in front of her despite her blindness.
"Uh, Fire Keeper." Marcus called standing in front of the blind woman.
"How can I help you, my sir?" the maiden asked with a faint smile over her face.
"This may sound strange but…what is a dark sigil?" the knight asked.
The maiden´s smile faded like a weak bonfire on a snowstorm. "A dark sigil is a wound in the body of an undead, a gap from which the soul of a person leaks and bleeds. Forgive my curiosity but why dost thou ask?" the fire keeper asked.
"I found a fire keeper soul, I think that the owner told me it could heal dark sigils." Marcus explained retrieving said soul from his body.
The blind maiden looked down at her hands. "There´s a tale…about a fire keeper who is said to have returned from the abyss. She is said to have soothed and accepted a dark sigil but I cannot confirm this." she said lifting her head.
Marcus smiled, "I guess the dark of the fire keeper was stronger than the abyss." the knight said. "How does the dark sigil look like?" he asked.
"The wound appears as a dark circle on the flesh." the maiden explained.
"Thank the gods, I have none." Marcus sighed. "Even still…could you accept it? Her soul?" the knight asked.
The maiden lifted her hands and formed a cup with them, the knight carefully placed the soul over them.
"Thank you. This is…a very unusual event. Fire keepers aren´t meant to be together. But if this is thy wish I will gladly follow it." the firekeeper brought the soul close to her bosom allowing her body to entirely absorb the soul.
"The bonfires attended by the Keepers are special. They are linked to one another, and their flames never die. Yet never shall the Keepers of these flames meet..." Marcus thought.
"May I help thee with anything else?" the fire keeper asked.
"I feel bad calling you Fire Keeper." the knight stated looking away.
"Thou dost not need to be concerned, it is my duty to serve the flame and serve thee." the maiden answered but the knight could tell there was a bit of regret in those words.
"I mean, I don´t want to remember you as 'the fire keeper of the shrine'. I want to remember you by who you are and not by what you are. Each fire keeper is a different person, no one can say that you´re exactly like the other keepers." Marcus explained.
The maiden of the shrine felt an unusual warmth spreading across her cheeks, a feeling completely foreign to her and unlike the warm of the bonfire. Perhaps it was the presence of a Lord of Cinder which caused said emotion but the maiden couldn´t decide. However, before the sensation could grow it waned and soon disappeared amidst a torrent of ash.
"Forgive me, Marcus. But I…I don´t recall my own name." the firekeeper said ashamed.
"I could give you one, if you wish." Marcus answered quickly.
The maiden was taken by surprise, she didn´t expect such offer from a lord, the warmth had returned but this time in her bosom. "I…I don´t know." she hesitated.
"Don´t need to hurry, tell me when I come back." the Lord of Cinder waved his hand as he walked towards the smith.
"I need 6 golden sips, please." Marcus asked Andre.
"Did you get what you wanted?" the smith asked.
"Yes, took longer than I expect, though." the knight answered while going to the handmaid.
"I suppose thou art not interested in the key anymore, Marcus of Astora." the handmaid said with poison in her tongue.
"I´m sorry but I need these souls. Don´t give me that look, you´re the greedy one here." the knight warned.
The handmaid looked down, her expression hidden by the ash-covered hood. "I´m just trying to get enough to make out a living." she protested in low voice.
"I´m sure the key is worth more than 20,000 souls but there are two reasons why I didn´t buy it from you. One: I need souls to get stronger and link the fire and two: the way you speak and act, I cannot stand it." Marcus said, a few embers came off from his hand as he spoke.
"What dost thou mean?" the handmaid asked intrigued.
"You treat them like food and you don´t honor the dead. I wouldn´t be surprised if you had gotten some of your wares from the nearby graves. Be careful, greed will only lead to despair." the knight warned pointing his finger at the elder.
The handmaid frowned, "Then what I am supposed to do? Make a prayer for everybody?" she questioned.
"This isn´t necessary, just don´t disrespect the dead." Marcus shook his head.
"Your flasks are ready!" Andre called.
"I´m coming!" the knight said, "If you don´t change your ways I will be forced to find a new vendor." the Lord warned and then went to retrieve his flasks.
(Giant Tower- Border of the Undead Settlement)
The knight of Astora entered the church with "Sif" over his shoulder. He sighed after seeing the wooden structure still intact.
"I wonder if this ice monster will be a big one or a fast one. As long as there aren´t any dogs with it…" the warrior shuddered. "…are you ready Sif?" he asked the heavy greatsword.
The Lord of Cinder stepped on the button of the elevator making the wooden platform descend into darkness. The elevator stopped on a cold and dark room illuminated by candles on the walls. The knight turned around to make sure there were any hidden enemies or paths but there weren´t any. He walked forward and descended a set of stone stairs which gradually turned to the right and into a larger rectangular room.
"This place is so empty. Where are the chairs? The altar? It feels like they abandoned it long ago but the candles are still burning…could it be another time distortion?" the knight thought looking upwards. "I can´t see the roof, this is bad." the knight spotted an archway on the other side with a pair of burning candles on the sides. "Siegward managed to see the creature and walk out alive and unharmed…I can already imagine him peering from behind the archway…" the knight walked slowly and carefully to avoid making any noise.
(Flashback)
Marcus exited an old broken tower and stepped on a degraded wall. The merlons on the left side were heavily damaged with some parts absent. The undead wanderer looked down at his equipment: an old and cracked iron chest plate which left the stomach exposed, a tattered leather waistcloth and ragged leather shoes. He rubbed the back of his head with his right hand, he had a helm a few moments ago but it was damaged beyond repair by a barrage of attacks from a group of hollows. He tightened the grip over his wooden club and black iron shield and walked forward while looking left and right.
After just a couple of steps he heard a thud, his arms lost their strength and he was forced to release his equipment. Like a doll without its strings he fell on the cold rocky floor of the wall, an arrow was stuck on the back of his skull.
(End of Flashback)
The Lord of Cinder gave a large step forward and passed through the archway. He quickly lifted his greatsword with both hands and deflected an incoming attack from the right. The knight walked to the left and entered the candlelit room aiming to reach the center to get some space and a better look at the beast. It was humanoid but twice as big as a normal person and with a slender build when compared to the first ice monster. The creature carried an ice longsword and produced a chilling aura which created an ice mist around its body.
"Fast one, damn it!" Marcus shouted rolling to escape a jump from the beast.
The knight went for a downward chop aimed at the monster´s neck but the ice beast blocked the attack with its weapon and then retaliated with a strike of its own. Marcus was pushed back by the power of the attack and was forced to duck under a horizontal slash and parry another downward strike.
"Too fast, this won´t work!" he thought with the back to the wall.
The Lord of Cinder received a powerful slap from the monster which sent him to the ground and disarmed him. The knight blocked a swing with his arm but the impact shook the very core of his bones and after a third impact the hand went limp and lifeless. He knew he would die, he had no time to summon another weapon but even still he rolled to the left and away from a deadly stab.
"I need to see his moves, ugh! No matter what!" Marcus thought struggling to stand up.
The monster made a lunge with its icy blade but the knight sidestepped the attack and retreated to the middle of the room which was surround by a line of small pillars on each side. The beast approached like a mad and starved dog, when it reached the warrior it briefly stood on its legs and moved the blade to the left to charge a mighty strike. Marcus made the grave mistake of dodging too soon leaving himself exposed to the incoming strike. The Lord of Cinder was sent flying by the sheer force of the attack and slid across the ground like a doll.
"Just…chill…" Marcus thought as the beast stood over him.
(Later)
Marcus rubbed the back of his helm, he took a deep breath and then released it towards the sky.
"Did he really had to stab me five times in a row?" the knight sighed. "This is going to take a while…" he said opening the bottomless chest at his side. "Okay, blocking with a shield is not a good idea, need to be fast and agile, he can delay his attacks…I´m so glad I chose dexterity over strength!" he retrieved a curved sword from the box.
The sword had an undulating orange blade that reflected sunlight, making it look golden. The hilt was made of a dark material and was slightly curved upwards in the bottom. The knight grabbed Ciaran´s dagger from his belt and then looked at both blades on his lap.
"Gold and dark…Not dark, dark silver. Dark, silver, gold, dark, silver, gold…" the knight repeated trying to remember the names of the weapons.
(Flashback)
Marcus entered an empty coliseum made of brown stones. Some bricks were missing and vegetation could be seen across the ruined ground and wall adding a feeling of abandonment but also hope. The exit on the left and some spots across the whole battleground had dark blue stains as if someone covered in goo had walked over the place with little to no care. The knight spotted someone on the center of the arena. The person was kneeling on a clean spot with their back to the newcomer. Marcus approached the person in silence not wishing to disturb them. He stopped by their side and looked at a small gravestone.
"It´s done, Manus is dead." Marcus said quietly.
The person looked at them with a glint in their eyes but if there was any more reaction it was impossible to see. The person wore dark leggings, gauntlets and mail with silver lines across every piece. The waist was covered in a long dark blue waistcloth that reached the knees while the upper torso and upper arms were covered by a cloth of the same color. The head, however, carried the most peculiar piece of equipment. The helm was tall, a bit curved on the top and dark blue, matching the rest of the equipment. The face was covered by a white porcelain mask with ivory locks of hair visible on the sides.
"You…you defeated Manus?" the woman asked, her voice somewhat old but not enough to be considered an elder.
"Yes, took me 10 lives, though. It would have taken many more if it weren´t for that wolf. I wonder…" he said looking at the small grave.
"You...! You found Sif?!" the woman asked standing up.
"Sif?" the knight asked confused.
"Sif, a grey wolf. He´s a companion of Artorias." the woman explained. "Where is he? Did he…" she hesitated.
"I don´t know, I saved him from some hostile humanity. There was a corroded greatshield near him and I think it was producing a magical barrier of sorts." the knight placed a hand over his chest.
The warrior retrieved said greatshield from his soul. It was V-shaped and in a very bad state. The once shiny dark-blue metal was now stained and the once proud wolf crest in the middle was now covered in goo and dark.
The woman touched the blackened surface with grief, the corrosion of the equipment weighing heavily over her mind and soul. "What about Sif? Where is he…?" she asked.
Marcus placed the shield in front of the small grave to honor the fallen knight. "While I was fighting Manus I found a summon sign on the ground. I quickly used it and for my surprise Sif answered the call. But since the summoning only lasts for a time he disappeared once the battle was over. I searched the entire Abyss for him but found no traces of him, I think he might be coming back on his own." the knight explained.
The woman felt slightly relieved, "Sif can take care of himself, he´s not an ordinary wolf." You have done us a great service, Marcus of Astora. I will never forget you." she said.
The knight remained silent, his thoughts deep as the Abyss itself.
"Is something wrong?" the woman asked.
"Ciaran, could you answer me a question?" the knight asked.
Ciaran narrowed her eyes, "What is it?" she asked suspicious.
"Would you want me to keep his death a secret and give him all the credit for defeating Manus?" the Chosen Undead asked.
The eyes of the assassin softened, "Don´t you want to receive proper recognition for your deeds?" she asked rather confused.
"I do but…Artorias fought until the very end, I could feel him struggling even during our fight. In fact, he asked me to defeat Manus in his dying breaths…I feel like he deserves some credit, to say the least." Marcus looked at the grave. "I killed Manus to save this world but…I cannot lie, I don´t want to be forgotten." he turned his back to the masked woman.
After what felt like an eternity the assassin finally answered, "…Artorias would have wanted you to be recognized." she answered.
"What about you?" he asked looking over his shoulder.
More silence and the mask occluded almost any reaction from the assassin. She stood still as she pondered over the question.
"I guess you want to keep it a secret." Marcus deduced after a while.
"…I don´t want to leave you with empty hands but I´m afraid I have little to offer you besides my eternal gratitude and my blades." Ciaran admitted ashamed.
"There´s…one thing you can do for me." the knight said retrieving something from his soul.
Marcus summoned an orange curved sword and a long twisted dark silver dagger. Ciaran instinctively jumped back, she bent her knees and prepared for an incoming fight.
"Hmph! So this what you want…I should have seen it coming." Ciaran said calmly.
"What? No, no, no! I don´t want to kill you!" the knight crouched and threw the blades across the ground. "I just want you to train me." he stood up.
The assassin looked at the weapons with the corner of her eyes and then focused her attention on the knight. "Train you?" she asked narrowing her eyes.
"When I fought Manus I realized how clumsy and slow my moves were. I would really appreciate if you could teach me your attacks and how to move more swiftly and effectively if possible." the knight explained.
"I´m not skilled in the usage of large swords, Artorias…" the assassin said quite saddened.
"I use a whole arsenal of weapons, the claymore is just my favorite." Marcus said retrieving a steel longsword and dagger. "Don´t worry about my safety, I died 104 times until now." he smiled.
"You count your deaths?" the masked woman asked intrigued.
"Each death is a painful experience from which I improve myself. One of the benefits of being undead, I suppose…" Marcus answered.
Ciaran grabbed her weapons from the ground. "Very well…do not expect any mercy." she warned entering a stance.
(End of Flashback)
"Dark Silver Tracer and Gold Tracer!" Marcus shouted triumphantly raising both blades towards the sky. "I should repeat these names from time to time or I will end up forgetting them." he said standing up. "Alright, let´s see if I can still do all those moves." he said stretching his arms.
(Later)
Marcus stepped out of the elevator and descended the same set of stairs as before. He looked at the archway and quietly approached it with weapons in hand. When he was just a few feet away from it the Lord of Cinder ran the fastest he could and then slid across the ground right as he was about to pass the archway. An ice-cold blade passed over his head coming from the left but by the time it hit the ground the knight was already recovering and going to the middle of the room. Marcus turned to face the creature only to see it jumping towards him with the arm stretched forward. He sidestepped the attack and then parried the blade with the Gold Tracer, allowing it to slide to the right as he moved on the opposite direction. The knight of Astora went for a quick stab with the Dark Silver Tracer aiming it at the exposed neck of the creature. The blade sunk deep on the intended target making the beast scream in anger and hate. Marcus went for another attack with the curved sword but received a powerful slap from the creature which sent him flying back. The Lord of Cinder, however, was prepared this time. He craved the curved dagger on a spot on the ground with exposed earth and allowed the momentum to move him in a half circle going from right to left. The knight remained crouched as he waited for the beast to approach.
"Why it is taking so long for the poison to take effect?" Marcus thought rolling under the creature. "The poison flows through the blood and spreads…Of course! His blood is frozen!" he swiftly slashed the back of the creature.
The knight gave a step back only to hit a pillar behind him. He ducked when the monster went for a straight punch and then attacked the exposed arm with his curved sword twice before parrying another slash.
"And of course, the frozen blood also reduces the risk of bleeding!" the knight thought rolling to the side.
"At least the cold helps me with my moves, I would be sweating by now if he was just a normal beast." Marcus thought.
As if reading the knight´s thoughts the monster breathed a cold stream of air at Marcus. The Lord of Cinder was caught off guard and was covered in an icy mist. Marcus felt his skin get colder and his muscles quickly getting stiff and numb. He tried to parry an incoming attack but his body was unresponsive and he was left defenseless against the attacks of the monster.
(One death later)
"Poison don´t work, bleeding is very unlikely, need to cause some significant damage if I want to win and something to stay warm…" Marcus said rubbing his chin. "I don´t think any clothing will help me in this fight, I wish I had spent more time in the Painted World…but that´s not my home, I´m only an intruder." the knight sighed. "Is there any pyromancy I could use? Thinking about it can I still perform all of them?" he said searching the chest on his side.
"Undead Rapport…power within, iron flesh, flash sweat…flash sweat?" the knight grabbed an old reddish scroll. "This is the one, creates an inner flame which is so hot that makes the caster sweat profusely…this should keep me warm for a whole minute. However, it will also negate the benefit of the cold aura on my body. I need to finish this quickly and under a minute...maybe I could bait him to breath the ice mist again…" the knight closed the bottomless box.
(Later)
Marcus entered the dreaded room with a large step. He swiftly parried an attack from the left with the Dark Silver Tracer and then trusted his claymore at the beast´s left underarm. The monster tried to slap the knight with its left hand but the Lord of Cinder swung his claymore at the same time and aimed at the exposed elbow. The combined force of the attacks was enough to break the frozen bone of the beast making it roar an acute scream. Marcus stepped back as he parried the barrage of attacks with both his weapons. He sidestepped a downward swing and then stabbed the neck of the ice monster with the dagger.
The knight of Astora spun around to dodge a quick stab. He used the opportunity to swing down the blade at the monster´s head, stab the neck again and then swing the greatsword upwards hitting the head. The beast swung the sword horizontally but the knight spun around with his greatsword extended forward parrying the attack as he went to the right. Marcus gave deep breaths as he retreated, all those moves were taking a toll on his body and he didn´t know for how long he could keep the rhythm.
The monster roared with all of its might, the creature moved the head to the side and the breathed a cold mist from left to right. However, instead of dodging the attack Marcus charged forward with the claymore over his head, the mist having little to no effect on him. He stabbed the right eye of the creature with the dagger and then cut off the head of the ice beast with a two-handed swing of his claymore. The decapitated body remained still for a second and then fell to the ground like a doll.
"And please! Don´t revive!" Marcus said breathing heavily and sweating.
The knight continued to gasp as he retrieved the dagger from the corpse. The flame created by Flash Sweat diminished and then completely disappeared seconds later allowing the knight to cool his body and breath more easily. The clothes underneath the armor were soaked with sweat impairing the movement of his arms and legs by a significant amount. Marcus flexed his arms and legs and then took a deep breath.
"2 deaths, not too bad. I thought it would take 5." the knight said going towards a large wooden door at the other side of the room.
Marcus opened the great door with some difficulty since his strength wasn´t at its prime. For his delight sunlight bathed his tired body and the area in front of him wasn´t as desolated as he had expected. The place seemed to be an old forest, the right was blocked by a large wall of rocks while the left had a mound of earth which effectively acted as a barrier. The earth was a dark brown with some leaves spread on the corners. A tree of medium size stood tall and proud on the knight´s left and another one could be seen not too far away on the left side.
"Oh! Marcus, you´re here." a familiar voice spoke.
The knight looked around in search of the owner of the voice. He spotted Mildred resting at a bonfire at the right corner just a few steps away from him.
"Mildred? What are you doing here?" the knight asked sitting by her side.
"Waiting for you, isn´t it obvious?" the cannibal said with a smile.
Marcus frowned, "No." Marcus replied honestly.
The demon slayer grunted something under her breath, "When I got back home I realized I didn´t reward you for your brave rescue. How could I be so ungrateful?" the woman shook her head. "I knew you would come here so I waited for your arrival. This is for you." Mildred summoned a large soul from her body, it was slightly yellow on the borders. "A demon soul." the woman offered.
The knight lifted his brow but took the soul and inspected it. "I thought a demon soul was supposed to be red and orange, where did you get this?" he asked looking at the demon slayer.
"I killed a large stone demon not too far away from here. I guess his flame was nearly extinguished." Mildred answered with joy and pride.
The Lord of Cinder lifted his visor and rubbed his chin, "Hm…very interesting." he murmured. "Thanks Mildred." he said storing the soul in his body.
"You´re welcome, if it wasn´t for you I would be demon snack right now. I still remember how we first met, how you offered me a purple moss and everything." the cannibal looked at the meek flames of the bonfire.
"That was the second time we met." Marcus thought disappointed. "Mildred, I forgot to ask you. Do you happen to know the location of any Lord of Cinder? I couldn´t find any of them until now." the knight explained.
"YES!" Mildred shouted victorious.
The knight was taken back by surprise. "You do?" he asked.
"Ah! Sorry." Mildred rubbed her cheek in shame. "Er…Yes, I know the location of two, actually. You´re very very veeery close." the woman answered with a penetrating gaze akin to a hopeful child in her birthday.
"Really? Which ones?" the Lord of Cinder asked.
"There´s the Wolf Swamp and the Deep Church." Mildred informed looking away. "…I hate those places…" she whispered.
"The Abyss Watchers and Aldrich?" the knight asked and the woman nodded slowly. "Can you show me the way?" he asked.
"Follow the path through the forest, it will lead you to a clean swamp and then you choose where to go." the cannibal said pointing to her left. "We will need to be careful, there are some weird bird people walking around, they´re very nasty individuals." she said.
"Bird people? Shouldn´t they be inside the Painted World of Ariamis?" the knight thought.
"So, are you ready?" Mildred asked looking back at the lord of cinder.
"Uh? No, not yet. I´m going back to Firelink Shrine, it won´t take long I promise." Marcus apologized.
"Need to prepare yourself, I know. Go on, I will be waiting for you here." the woman said disappointed.
Marcus lifted his brow, "Why is she so eager to reach the lords? Does she hold a grudge against one of them? If she needs my help to reach them…then this means the area is very dangerous." the knight thought extending his hand towards the coiled sword of the bonfire.
(Firelink Shrine)
The Lord of Cinder sat in front of Irina, "Hello Irina, how are you?" he asked kindly.
"Ahh, Marcus of Astora, welcome back. I`m doing fine." Irina answered with a kind smile.
"I forgot to teach you another miracle. Hm…do you still remember the last one?" the knight asked.
"Saints of Carim are trained to memorize the tales of the gods. I too was trained to do the same." Irina said a little more confident than before.
"Oh, so your memory must be pretty good." Marcus stated summoning a scroll from his soul and offering it to Eygon.
The gargoyle knight read the tale in silence, "Not a very common miracle amongst priestess but…I see no problem with it." the holy knight said giving the scroll back to the knight of Astora.
"For a moment I thought you would deny it." Marcus stated opening the scroll. "Okay, the next miracle is called Magic Barrier." he said reading the title.
The tale of Magic Barrier wasn´t one of Marcus´s favorites but he understood why Havel came up with it. The rock-clad knight was right in in hating Seath and his magic, the blind dragon was a disgusting and selfish being who only cared about his research. Marcus, however, didn´t despise magic, in fact he was a full-fledged sorcerer by the time he linked the First Flame. In his eyes magic was like pyromancy: a tool which could be used for good or bad.
The knight read the tale and when he finished it he looked at the blind maiden expecting to see some sort of reaction.
"This tale is from bishop Havel, I heard it is commonly bestowed upon cleric knights but I never managed to hear the story…thank you Marcus." Irina bowed her head in gratitude but her face demonstrated a degree of worry.
"Is something wrong?" the knight of Astora asked deeply worried.
"I´m afraid I…I don´t have any more miracles to teach you." the blind woman explained disappointed.
"Oh no, this is bad. Think of something, you idiot!" Marcus thought but his posture remained calm and relaxed.
"There are divine braille tomes." Eygon said breaking the silence.
"What is braille?" Marcus asked curious.
"A form of writing made for the blind. The pages contain several bumps in the form of dots which can be read by the blind." the gargoyle knight explained.
"Were you trained to read braille, Irina?" the Lord of Cinder asked hopeful.
"My mother taught me when I was just a few years old." Irina said as she remembered her past, a small smile sprouted from her lips.
"Perfect!" Marcus thought while nodding to Eygon. "Maybe I can find a divine tome written in braille and then you could teach me the miracles." the knight suggested.
"I´m sorry Marcus, for causing so much trouble…If only I knew more miracles…" Irina said lowering her head.
"That´s no trouble at all. I will just need to keep an eye for a specific book." Marcus said standing up. "I will come back when I find one of those divine tomes." the knight promised.
"I pray for your safety." the blind woman held a talisman close to her bosom.
"I will surely need it, a friend of mine says she knows the location of two lords." the knight said going to the bonfire.
When the Lord of Cinder was about to teleport a yellow mist surrounded the bonfire and a new figure emerged from it. The person wore a metal plating and chainmail treated with silver with iron gauntlets and leggings with some of the shiny metal in them. The head was covered by a silver headband which held a silk veil that reached the end of the neck. The person´s face was young and clean of any scars or dirt and yet their eyes carried a heaviness only found in the most experienced of soldiers or kings. Marcus looked at the newcomer with curiosity, he felt a strange feeling of familiarity but he was sure he never met this woman before.
The woman glanced at the Lord of Cinder for no more than a second before going to the stairs at the other side of the room. She adjusted the position of her long rapier and then sat on the ash-covered steps.
Marcus looked at the bonfire, "Mildred is going to kill me if I take too long. But who is she…?" the Lord of Cinder looked at the knightess which in turn was observing him. "I better figure out before anything bad happens." he thought walking towards her. "Hello there, I don´t think we have met yet." he said trying to sound as friendly as possible.
"Hm? you're an Unkindled, aren't you?" the knightess asked.
"I´m NOT an Unkindled." Marcus thought but refrained from saying anything.
"I am Sirris, of the Sunless Realms, former servant of the Divinity. Duties we each bear, but one's duty is a solitary affair. I doubt we've much to gain from fraternisation." the woman introduced herself.
"You are Undead, as well? Then we've no time to fraternize. I have my mission, and you no doubt have yours." Marcus thought remembering his first conversation with Rhea of Thorolund. "I´m Marcus of Astora, undead…We may have our own duties but everyone has a duty against evil." he said.
Sirris couldn´t help but give a faint smile, "I suppose you´re right." she said.
The Lord of Cinder glanced back at the bonfire, "Mildred is going to kill me if I don´t come back. Forgive me but I have to go, goodbye." he said turning his back to Sirris.
"Blessing of the moon upon your journey." the knightess said.
Marcus stopped and then looked back at Sirris, "You said your name is Sirris of the Sunless Realms, right?" he asked and the woman nodded. "Okay, just to be sure. I don´t like to forget a name." the knight said touching the bonfire.
When Marcus came back to the old forest past the giant´s tower he found Mildred sharpening her giant black sword with a stone.
"You´re late." Mildred scolded.
"I didn´t say the exact time I would come back." the knight tried to defend himself.
"Don´t get smart with me, young knight. What were you doing?" the demon hunter pointed her index finger at the Lord of Cinder.
"Telling a story to a blind woman." he answered crossing his arms. "Who does she think she is? My mother?" he thought.
"Oh! Sorry…I thought you were just playing around." Mildred apologized, "Are you ready to go?" she asked.
"Yeah." the knight replied summoning his claymore and the Dark Silver Tracer.
Mildred looked at the weapons with a raised brow, "What an odd choice of weapons." she said.
"At least I´m not carrying a giant slab of metal." the knight retorted.
The demon huntress chuckled. "I suppose you´re right." she said light hearted.
Author Notes:
One more chapter, hell yeah!
Marcus´s commentary about the lack of furniture in the church is a reference to the impractical buildings of many games: Areas with no beds, no chairs or without some important items.
The official guide book for DS3 states that the crow of the shrine is rumored to be named Snuggly (a clear reference to DS1´s crow, Snuggly).
The outrider knights are immune to poison/toxin and Vordt is immune to bleeding, hence why Marcus couldn´t do much damage with the "Tracers".
Mildred´s gift is a reference to Demon´s Souls.
