Chapter 10:
Decisions, Decisions
Dark souls is owned by From Software.
"Talking"
"Thoughts"
"Demon/deity speech"
The newly minted quartet had traveled the short distance from the gates of Sen's fortress to the current dwellings of one of the last sane men in the kingdom. The man in question towered above the four, and was certainly very muscular (which, in all honesty, is to be expected of a blacksmith). He was hammering away on a lone strip of metal, seemingly unaware of the four men staring at him in awe, (well, three men, Garret had a more inquisitive look on his face). Eventually, the blacksmith spoke, "Well, dont'cha know its rude to stare?" That broke Garret and the others out of their stupor.
Garret was the first to speak, "Sorry about that Andre, its just different seeing you in person".
Andre stopped hammering, now looking intently at the group before him, "Hold on, how d'you know-"
Garret interrupted him, "I have the ability to see into the future, which entails knowing your name," he finished with a sigh, muttering "I should start making cards that I can just hand people. Wait, does the textile even exist here? Then again, I suppose the soapstone works just as well, but that would only make sense if I stayed in one place. And that won't do because-"
"Garret" Oscar cut him off. Said man turned to look at the knight, who exasperatedly stated, "Your rambling again". Garret smiled sheepishly before scratching his head. Solaire and Siegmeyer chortled at the exchange.
Andre himself gave a hearty laugh, "Well, its always good to see people who still try and find a little joy in this life. Anyway, though you already know this, I am Andre of Astora, a humble blacksmith".
Oscar and Solaire both blinked at that information, and Solaire asked, "Hold on, you're from Astora?"
Andre cocked an eyebrow at the incredulity in the remark, "Yeah, what, don't believe me?"
Solaire realized his faux pas and quickly added, "Er, I mean, its just that-"
Oscar decided to help out his countryman, "What he means is that, well, you're a lot bigger than the average astoran. In fact, based on looks alone, I would say you came from Berenike".
Andre nodded in understanding, "Oh, well that's understandably. In that case, you could say I'm only half astoran, my mother was the one from Berenike, gods bless her. She was huge, larger than meself".
The four then developed a mental image of Andre's family, which entailed an average man, a beast of a woman, and a little baby with a full-grown Andre's head in place of its own. Oscar scrunched up his face at the image, Solaire wondered how large their home must have been, Garret shuddered at the thought of the parents' (mainly the father's) love life, and Siegmeyer lost himself to the memories of his own wife and child back home. Garret shook his head and groaned, "Well great, now that's going to be stuck in my head till who knows when. Anyway, Andre, quick question," Andre gave Garret his full attention, "Do you regularly douse your beard in water, or are you just naturally fireproof?"
Everyone present gave the sorcerer incredulous looks, Andre eventually asked, "I'm sorry, what?"
"It's just…okay look. There are four sane blacksmith's left in this dreadful land. One's a sorcerer-smith, who mainly deals in magical enhancements, and even if something bursts into flames, he can just put it out with magic. Another one is a giant, fully decked out in armor, not to mention the fact that he physically cannot bend close enough to the metal to risk getting burned. The last guy, and I'm being serious here, is a skeleton, and bones don't catch fire, granted they can melt in lava, but that's beside the point. Hush Oscar," Garret held up a finger to the knight, "I know what you're thinking, and I'm getting to the point, which is, how come that," he pointed, a bit dramatically, at Andre's impressive facial hair, "Has not burst into flames given the sparks it comes into contact with?"
Andre was speechless, and could only respond with, "…I'm…naturally resistant…I suppose?"
Garret stared at the blacksmith before nodding, "Very well then. Come on you three, we have a bell to ring. See you later Andre".
Siegmeyer hummed before asking, "Wait a moment. Shouldn't we have our weapons and armor repaired before we head back into the fray?"
Garret just shook his head, "No, it'll be a waste. Trust me, we are going to take some beatings, and then we'll just have to get all of our stuff repaired again, better to just come back after ringing the bell". All present acquiesced to the logic, and followed Garret up the stairs.
Andre called out to them, "Don't get yourselves' killed. None of us want to see you go hollow". He started hammering away again, "Besides, if you go, so does my business".
Line Break
Oscar and Siegmeyer had just killed the two soldier hollows in front of the church before Garret called everyone in a huddle. He then took a deep sigh and gained a pensive look on his face, "…Boys, not gonna lie, this this probably going to suck. In the church, there are a number of Baldur knights, like, a dozen mindless hollows, one of Seath's channelers, and a giant Berenike knight wielding a mace". All present grew nervous at the sheer amount of foes they would have to face. "So, here's the plan," he held out his arm and clenched his fist, "We run in there, scream like crazy, swing our blades like madmen, and pray to whatever god you follow that we kill something". Though all present wore full mask helmets, their disbelieving stares were easily felt on the pig helmet-wearing sorcerer.
Siegmeyer was the first to break the silence, "Um, I hate to be a bother but, you are joking, right?"
Garret shrugged, "Oh yeah of course. I mean, if I were alone, then that's my strategy, but with you guys here, we can actually plan and stuff". The three knights let out small sighs of relief. "Moving on," Garret spoke again, "Siegmeyer and Solaire, you two are going to take on the knight, me and Oscar will shoot at the channeler. Thankfully, they are not on the same floor, so the knight won't receive any boosts if the channeler does its dance-don't ask," Solaire put his hand down. "After that, we take out the Baldur knights and head on-no, wait, never mind, there are a couple things that still need to be done before fighting the bell guardians".
"Pray tell," Oscar asked.
Garret started counting on his fingers, "Well, in the alter at the front of the church there is another firekeeper soul, Oscar I'll trust you can handle that," Oscar nodded, "There is also an elevator that will head down straight to Firelink shrine, so we have easy access with that. Um, the gate needs to be open, and there is one other thing I need to take care of, but yeah, after all that, we're good to go". All present nodded, content with the current strategy. Garret jerked his head up, "Oh, one more thing, Siegmeyer," the onion knight hummed in response, "How'd you like a better sword?" Garret then, to Siegmeyer's astonishment, pulled a thick and dark sword from his satchel. Garret struggled a bit with the weight, but held it out to Siegmeyer nonetheless. Siegmeyer looked closely at the blade, and could tell it was a powerful weapon, despite its charred look.
But, Siegmeyer shook his head, hefting his on Zweihander, "Thank you for the offer friend, but I'll stick with this blade here. It was a gift you see, from my dear wife and daughter. Have I told you about them?"
Garret put the black night sword away, "No, but we really don't have time right now". Siegmeyer nodded, following Garret and the others into the building.
Siegmeyer got a look at the knight, and noting that the spike on his shield would not do as much damage as he would like, opted to two-hand his Zweihander. With a turn of his head, he noted that his new companions were battle ready as well. Nodding, Siegmeyer rushed towards the Berenike knight with a mighty bellow, slashing at its unprotected side. The knight stumbled in shock from the blow, but was hit twice in rapid succession by Solaire, who had managed to slash at its back. With a speed betraying its size, the knight swung its mace at Solaire, who barely managed to block it in time, and was sent flying into a wall. Siegmeyer swung at the knight again, but his blow bounced off of its large shield. The knight focused once more on Siegmeyer, who rolled to avoid its mace crashing into the ground. The weapon's impact was large enough to upset his balance however, and Siegmeyer was forced to hold a pillar in support. He turned to see the knight rear its mace high in the air, but a sizzling sound caught both their attentions, and a flash of light burst from the knight's back. A few feet away, Solaire stood, having just shot off a lightning miracle at their foe. The knight was still standing however, if a bit dazed. Readjusting his grip, Siegmeyer charged once more, and leapt in the air, slashing the knight across its chest. With a painful cry, the knight dropped its weapons, dissipating in white light.
Siegmeyer let out a deep breath he hadn't known he held in. This, this feeling in his gut was what he left home for (undead curse notwithstanding). The exhilaration of battle, testing your mettle against foes as good or better then you, and succeeding. He still loved his family dearly, and was more than happy to give up the adventurer's lifestyle for the chance to see his beautiful little girl grow up, but he still missed the rush.
He turned his head to see that Oscar and Garret finishing off the last off the Baldur knights on this floor. He then hefted his sword on his shoulders, and saw Solaire bend down to pick up something the fell in the knight's place. Siegmeyer walked over to speak with his companion, "I must say, great shot sir knight".
Solaire chuckled, "Well thank you, but please, just call me Solaire, after all, we are all undead here". Siegmeyer let out his own chuckle, patting his belly.
Oscar passed them bye with a congratulatory wave, heading straight to the altar. Garret stopped, "Hey, great job you two. Knew it was a good idea to bring you aboard," Garret hugged them both by their shoulders, gaining bashful looks from both knights. Garret just smiled and patted them both on their backs. Oscar returned, having grabbed the firekeeper's soul, and asked what they should do next. "Well," Garret answered, "There is one more Baldur knight up those stairs to the left, as well as all those hollows. I'll need your help clearing those out, and then you can go down the elevator.
Line Break
Garret let out a huff, smoothing his hair-he noticed that he was beginning to get used to the stench the helmet gave off, and that worried him a bit, so he took it off-once again bemoaning that the channeler didn't leave its trident behind. "Oh well, its not like we really need to stat boosts. The ten-minuet long health and stamina boosts…I'm not helping myself". He found himself in front of the broken door leading to the cage where Lautrec was being held. Even know, he still had reservations about letting the devout knight free. "…At the end of the day, he's getting out no matter what. And if I want to help Anastacia he needs to kill her and take her soul…One thing's for sure, Oscar's going to want to kill me once all this goes down". With a shuddering sigh, Garret kicked the debris away. He walked up the steps and soon saw Lautrec, sitting against the wall of his cell. Lautrec looked up in surprise.
"Oh," he spoke in his rough voice, "still human are you? Then I am in luck. Would you-" he was cut short as Garret quickly unlocked that cell, throwing the door open with enough force to rattle its hinges. Garret turned around just as quickly. Lautrec voiced his confusion, "What? Not even going to say hello?"
Garret stopped, and turned his head, leveling the knight a glare that sent shivers down his spine, "Our futures are murky," ill-disguised venom dripped from his words "Lets not get too friendly". With that said, Garret reequipped the bore helmet and jumped off the top of the stairs, leaving Lautrec to wonder just what he did to piss off the sorcerer.
Line Break
Oscar, Siegmeyer, and Solaire were all quiet on the trip back up from Firelink shrine. Siegmeyer broke the silence, "I say, your sister is a charming girl. Shame she is forced to stay behind those dreadful bars. And the company is none too pleasant either".
"Yes," Oscar sighed, "That Petrus seems a bit too stuck up for my taste".
"Not to mention that sad soul by the bonfire," Solaire chipped in, "A shame that he sees fit to simply do nothing. But still, if that's what keeps him human". Oscar would have responded, but then the elevator reached the top, and the gate opened to reveal Garret leaning against a pillar.
Garret looked up as he heard the three near him, "Hey, you guys rest at the bonfire?" they nodded, "Hmm, I did too. Took the liberty to kill everything standing between us and the bell," he started moving, "Let's go".
Upon entering the upper floor, the knights were shocked at the sight before them. Not the dozen or so bodies strewn across the room, that was expected, but the brutal states of said bodies were a surprise. Limbs and heads were separated from bodies, deep gashes all along the bodies themselves. If hollows could bleed, they would be ankle deep in blood.
Garret noticed that no one was following him, and turned to ask what was wrong. It was then he remembered that after his "talk" with Lautrec, he was very angry, and vented out on the respawned enemies, particularly the mindless hollows. His three companions all turned to him, their silence doing all the talking. Garret just plastered a wide, sheepish smile, "I, uh, wanted to break in the halberd I got…yeah". Everyone still stared at him, and he back at them. Eventually, Oscar shook his head and moved forward, giving Garret an awkward pat on the shoulder. Siegmeyer and Solaire followed suit, careful to avoid any body parts. Solaire did stop to talk to Garret though, saying, "I will say this my friend, if you show half as much ferocity towards the guardian of the bell, our victory will be assured". Solaire squeezed Garret's arm in a comforting manner, and then began climbing up to the roof. Garret just sighed and smiled at Solaire's gesture of support, then trailed close behind.
Once they had finished the climb, the three knights turned to Garret, "All right," he began, "These guys, gargoyles actually, should be fairly simple to beat. For one, there are two of them, both perched on the tower itself, but the second one only shows up after the first one has already taken some heavy damage. They can fly, and breathe fire, but prefer to stay on the rooftop and stab at us with their weapons. The first one can swing his tail like an axe, but it can also be cut off, with the added benefit of his tail becoming a pretty sweet war axe. They are weak to fire, but since none of us are pyromancers that doesn't really apply. The attacks are all easily telegraphed, and blockable. Don't try to block the breath attacks though, it'll only end badly. The way I see it, me and Solaire will hang back and shoot the things with magic while you two get up close and personal, agreed?" Siegmeyer and Solaire nodded, while Oscar just shrugged. "All right then," Garret held his sword up in an angle, and the others followed his example, their blades crossing in the air. "Let us go forth," he bellowed with vigor, "In the name of Jolly Cooperation!" Solaire and Siegmeyer cheered mighty "Huzzahs!" while Oscar started laughing. He then led the group out the fog door, moving through the cool mist onto the church rooftop.
The sun blazed overhead, not a cloud in the sky to impede its heat. Oscar swept his head side-to-side, scanning for danger; Siegmeyer was humming, a low, troubled hum compared to his usual jovial tunes; Solaire was clenching his talisman tightly, lightning crackling in his hand; Garret looked up at the bell tower with a hard expression, eager to get this over with. He motioned for Siegmeyer and Oscar to move forward, pulling out his staff, ready to fire. The two knights slowly walked forward, shields raised in anticipation. Once they got about halfway across, a loud crack reverberated through the air. Both men immediately looked to the top of the bell tower, and saw one of the statues begin to move in place. The statue then burst, bits of rock flying everywhere as the gargoyle roared and took flight. It circled around the tower before zooming down in front of the duo. It crashed onto the roof and roared, some flames licking the air around its maw. Oscar and Siegmeyer gave each other reassuring nods (steeling their nerves) and charged.
The beast roared in acceptance to their challenge, and leapt in the air. Oscar and Siegmeyer scattered as it hovered above them, escaping the crushing blow of its blade. It hefted the blade, and turned to Oscar, who was closest. It ran forward, and swung its blade in a wide, horizontal arc. Oscar dodged under the strike, and struck its body. It bellowed in pain, which was amplified when it was hit in the back by a lighting spear and soul arrow. It growled at its new attackers, who were charging up some more shots. It rushed the duo, stiffening as it was hit, but otherwise remained unimpeded. Both men rolled out of the way as it leapt into the air and tried to crush them beneath its stone feet. It snarled in annoyance, before yelping (of all things) in pain, as well as stumble a bit. It turned to see Siegmeyer, who had cleanly cut off its tail, and was now holding the thing in his other hand. The beast roared at Siegmeyer, who decided to give the beast a lesson in irony and smashed its freshly cut tail into its maw. It recoiled in pain before jumping in the air, flying crooked before landing opposite the group. It glared at them with its cold, dead eyes, and then grinned as well as a gargoyle could when its now awake comrade joined the fray. Both beasts inhaled greatly-with Garret barely able to scream, "Scatter!"-and released a combined inferno of flames.
The smoke from the attack permeated the air, but two magical projectiles still found their marks: an arrow for the damaged one, and a spear for the newcomer. Both beasts roared, but the former started to choke mid-roar, before disappearing in a flash of white, Oscar's sword having just been shoved into its chest. Its sibling roared in anger, and swung its tail at Oscar, who was caught off-guard, and was sent careening across the roof. Before the monster could celebrate however, an axe embedded itself into its chest, and it soon found itself surrounded by Solaire, Siegmeyer, and Garret, all mercilessly hacking away.
With a mighty flap of its wings, it sent the three skidding back, before hovering in the air and raining fire down upon them. At least, that was the plan, before a sharp pain in its left knee forced it to smash on the rooftop. It saw an arrow sticking out its kneecap, and glared forward to see Oscar with bow, panting heavily. By the time it started to suck in breath to burn him to a crisp however; Siegmeyer had jumped in front of it. Planting a foot on its chest, Siegmeyer wrenched the axe embedded in its body free, before slamming it on top of the beast's head. It didn't even get to cry out before disintegrating in a white light, its halberd left in its place.
Siegmeyer was panting heavily, and didn't notice Garret walking up to him until he patted him on the back, "Woah! Siegmeyer, that was amazing!"
Siegmeyer hummed bashfully, "Oh, well, thank you I suppose. Don't really know where that came from, I just let my body do the moving".
"Good thing too," Oscar took a swig of his estus, "I was afraid I was going to be end up roasted".
"Indeed," Solaire clasped Siegmeyer on the shoulder, "I doubt that any of us save you have the strength to pull off such a maneuver my friend. I'm sure if your family were here, they would sing in praise".
Siegmeyer chuckled, "Oh, I doubt that. The missus has a terrible singing voice, something that my precious Lin was unlucky enough to inherit".
Garret chuckled as well, before pocketing the gargoyle's halberd, "Well, come on you three, got us a bell to ring".
A/N: And there we are. Next chapter marks the halfway point of the first third of the game (DLC notwithstanding). Next chapter brings forth weapon upgrades, a demon made of godly stone, and everyone's favorite topic, religion. Remember to leave a review. Later.