Chapter Nine: The Honorable Dead

Noxus and Solaire fell through cold, still air. Things appeared almost motionless to Solaire, his mind was dull and not a thought crossed it. He was falling, and there was nothing below to catch him but the azure waters of a small lake. Then, he struck the gelid water with such force it was as if he had been slapped with the tail of Kalameet himself. He tried to breath, only to suck in a torrent of water, he flailed his arms, only to sink deeper, bubbles surging around him, mocking his struggles. Solaire attempted to scream, but all was silent and dark, and he only sank, sank, sank. His vision was fading, the light above him dwindling, the sweet, incandescent sunlight disappearing into oblivion.

But, Noxus wasn't quite ready to die, nor allow his companion to do so either. Phantom like beings composed of shadow erupted from his archtree catalyst, and shot like arrows through the frigid water. They dragged the two humans to the surface with ease. Solaire sputtered and coughed up lake water, whilst Noxus unsheathed his longsword and looked about their surroundings. The two spear-like arrows had been loosed from somewhere nearby, impaling the crow demons and causing the travellers to plummet downward. Dragonslayers, Noxus thought with some apprehension.

They had just been about to cross the border when the had been struck down. Dragonslayers patrolled this area as it was close to the Valley of the Drakes, and answered to Hawkeye Gough. Yet, the wielder of the Dark Soul was confused as to why those knights should be attacking them. The phantoms hauled Noxus and Solaire out of the lake and returned to the catalyst from whence they came. Solaire ripped his own straight sword from its scabbard, still coughing and attempted to stand. Noxus paid the princeling no mind, his attention was reserved for their enemies who still hadn't made their presence known.

"The Ash Lake is just over those mountains, if thou wishest to continue on to Astora, now is thine chance," the terse man told Solaire. To reach a realm beyond Lordran one had to cross the Ash Lake.

"What?! And run from a battle, no, I think not!" Solaire spat angrily as he stood. He took his shield from his back and strapped it to his arm, his reddish brown eyes flashed their former carnelian for a second. Noxus chuckled under his helm.

From the tree line three silver knights emerged, two bearing greatbows, the third, who stood in between the other two, had a fine spear in his hands, upon his shoulder was a green eyed crow. Noxus raised an eyebrow. He wasn't likely to get any sort of explanation from these arrogant buffoons, but that crow seemed intriguing.

"What ist the meaning of this!" Solaire roared, raising his sword. He was answered by a monstrous arrow planting itself in his shield and launching him backwards. Noxus looked at the surprised princeling, and then back at his adversaries. The two bowmen stood side by side, arrows nocked and ready, the spearmen kept his quick pace, walking rigidly until he was only a few feet from Noxus.

"Noxus, thou hast committed treason and murder, for which the punishment is death! How dost thou plead?" The silver knight bellowed as he poised his spear at Noxus's chest.

"Plead? I am a human, therefore I am guilty, good sir. But," shadows slowly crept out from beneath Noxus's armor and his amber eyes glowed like cold fireballs beneath his helm. "Ist thine feeble spear enough to prove it?"

Without another word, the knight lunged, the crow fluttering from his shoulder. The keen spear point flashed brightly in the dying sunlight, it hissed like a tremendous viper, and would have undoubtedly transfixed Noxus, heart to spine. But, it was not to be. The arch tree catalyst whirled with such speed even Solaire was aghast as he watched. The heavy staff parried the darting spear with a deep thud, and before the knight could react, Noxus drove his longsword to the hilt in the knights stomach. There was the crunch of the fine silver armor, the grotesque squelching of the parting sinew and entrails beneath, and the choked gasp of the knight. The knight fell to his knees, blood frothing from his lips, and Noxus looked without pity as the knight suffered. Placing a foot on the knight's breastplate, Noxus withdrew his blade, hot crimson spraying and viscera gushing from the gaping wound. The knight slumped backwards into the mud, never to rise again.

The bowmen loosed their arrows, but Noxus didn't stand to receive them. Rolling to the side, Noxus narrowly dodged the spear-like arrows flying mere inches around him. Raising to one knee, the man shot a bolt of jet black lightning from his staff. The bolt crackled through the air and ended its flight in the center of a knight's visor. The black elemental spear of electricity cleaved the knight's skull in two and flung him backward with such force his back broke with an audible snap. By this time, the other bowman had drawn another arrow and readied to fire it. He didn't notice Solaire rushing him.

Holding his sunlight straight sword in both hands the former prince leapt at the unprepared silver knight. The blade whooshed through the air and slammed down hard on the knight's forearm. Solaire felt the shock run up to his shoulders as the blade sliced through the hard armor and into the flesh and bone of the knight's arm. To his surprise, the former prince's sword had stuck fast in the knight's limb rather than cutting straight through. The knight gave a gruff scream and dropped his greatbow. Staggering away from Solaire, the silver knight clawed at the sword gruesomely stuck in his arm as blood spurted freely from the wound. His screams were cut short as an arc of black lightning pierced his sternum and blew chunks of organs and vertebrae out of his back. The knight was thrown into the lake with a tremendous splash.

Breathing heavily with adrenaline, Solaire waded into the blood darkening waters and wrenched his sword free from the knight's limp arm. A long strip of flesh and dangling bone came with it. He looked back at his companion, expecting some sort of explanation. Noxus was standing silently, indifferently wiping blood from his longsword with his threadbare surcoat, his staff stuck firmly in the mud beside him. Before he could articulate a question, the crow glided out of the air and landed upon the gnarled knot on the staff's top.

"I told those fools to put their arrows in thine chest, not thine creatures." the crow sighed in Velka's unmistakable voice. "Yet, their honor would not allow them to do something so duplicitous." She ended with a giggle, and before their very eyes, the crow turned into a tiny prepubescent girl in a dress of raven feathers, her bare feet balancing on the arch tree catalyst.

"What game art thou playing, Avenging Princess?" Noxus asked dourly.

"Game? Why my sweet Noxus, the Darkstalker and I art bringing thine dream to reality!" she answered, cocking her head to the side and smiling coyly. "Gwyn shalt be punished for years of sins, Seath and the Witch as well, oh, how faithless they all hath been! But, thou, thou art perfect, so stoic, so resolute, oh, I would hath loved it if thou had joined us." Her voice became pouty and she bent over to stroke Noxus's helm with a delicate hand. "Yet, Kaathe told me that thou refused his offers, that thou were only interested in the natural course of events. Dost thou think that Gwyn shalt let the Great Flame burn out? No, he wouldst crush every soul in this world to keep the skies from growing dark."

"It doth not matter what Gwyn shalt do, the Age of Dark shalt come in due time, and if Kaathe and thyself think to rush its advent, then thou shalt destroy many lives. How canst thou do something so atrocious, Velka? Thou art unyielding, yes, but thou art not capable of genocide. Kaathe hast poisoned thee, and I shalt remove his foul head for it." Was Noxus's growling answer. The goddess of sin laughed sharply.

"No, 'tis thee who hast been poisoned, my lord! Thine precious Witch of Izalith hast made thee weak, and thou shalt reap what others have sown, Noxus!" The diminutive goddess burst into green smoke and black feathers and was gone. Noxus scowled darkly, and looked over towards Solaire, knee deep in water with a worried look on his face.

"We must return to Anor Londo posthaste!" Solaire stated, trudging out of the frigid waters. He had been banished, but he had to warn his family, sweet Gwynevere, pensive Gwyndolin, and his stern father, it was his duty!

"No," Noxus answered simply, sheathing his blade.

"What dost thou mean 'no!' " Solaire snarled, his eyes blind with rage.

"I promised to taketh thee to Astora, yet, 'twould seem I am needed here. But, thou art still weak and foolhardy, thou wouldst die before we reached the citadel. Thou shalt go to Astora, young prince, and perhaps thou shalt find thine own sun instead of forever chasing after thine father's." Noxus raised his arch tree catalyst and a tiny black sprite burst from the gnarled wood. It struck the prince in the forehead, and he collapsed, his memories going black. Noxus slumped to his knees exhausted by the spell. All that Solaire would awaken with was the knowledge to go to Astora, his name, and the dream he cherished most.

Removing his armor, the wielder of the Dark Soul dressed the young man in it, hoping it would bring him some protection. His leather jerkin, thick knee high boots, and black trousers were his only armor now, but he still had his sword and his catalyst. Fatigued, Noxus walked away from Solaire and the lake, his thoughts on Manus, Gwyn, and… and…

"Damn it, she better be alright," he growled, his amber eyes narrowing in rage and worry.