Twin Humanities

by fil03

In Dark Souls, the game is often adventured alone, and with fleeting contact with others. In this, I seek to explore how exactly the dynamic of Lordran changes when, instead of one Chosen Undead, a pair of siblings is chosen. Flynn and Resa will journey through Lordan together, dealing with the monsters of the land in tandem.

10. Chapter 10

Flynn

SL32 - 16 VIT - 10 ATT - 18 END - 27 STR - 12 DEX - 10 RES - 9 INT - 11 FTH

Resa

SL32 - 16 VIT - 19 ATT - 15 END - 12 STR - 10 DEX - 11 RES - 8 INT - 22 FTH

Flynn

After our short break, I got up, looking out the hallway. I still had no way to know where Lautrec had gone...this place was an absolute maze. We'd been through more tunnels than I could even count, each one of them seemingly weaving back around on itself. There had to be some easier way...something we were missing.

I turned back, seeing Resa still staring into the fire. Normally, I would have thought that this was a sign that she was hollowing...it seemed to go hand-in-hand with getting lost in the flames. However, her skin showed only faint traces of hollowing. Perhaps, for once, she just needed a short break...one that I would let her have.

I left the long hallway that led to the bonfire, cutting down the torch-bearing undead that guarded the door. I put away the claymore, reaching for the greataxe that was weighing down my back. She wasn't around to know...know how good it felt to be swinging a massive, unwieldy weapon. I'd kept myself from using the demon blade out of her request, but there was no way she would be able to make an argument against a simple axe.

Down the hallway I went, my feet sloshing through the layer of water and sewage littering the ground. One more step, and I felt my foot kick something solid, something hard...something unlike anything else here. I knelt down, trying to fish for the unknown object with my foot, locating it quickly and bringing it up to the surface.

In my hand was a rock, clearly titanite...but this was green. I remembered what Andre had told me about green titanite...it was a catalyst, of sorts, priming the metal for blue, white, and red titanite. We'd already delivered him an ember that carried a divine flame, which meant that a divine weapon was now a complete possibility for Resa. I looked down at the ember I was carrying...perhaps we could even make a fire weapon if this was indeed that ember.

I looked down at the titanite again...where had it come from? This was the second piece we'd found in the sewers, though the other was simply a large piece of standard titanite. There was no way that this was washing down the sewer on its own, unless - .

My thoughts were cut short as my eyesight instantly vanished, my head and shoulders completely embraced in a soft, rubbery texture. What came next felt more like needles digging into my skin, through my armor, piercing me alive. The sensation lasted several seconds, until I finally wrenched myself free from whatever entity was attacking me.

On the ground was some sort of slime, clearly what had just hit me. I took the greataxe and brought it down across its center, cleaving the strange slime in two instantly. Unfortunately, they merged back together over the next few seconds, the foreign anatomy of a slime something I wasn't familiar with. It rose up, growing larger than I ever thought it could, before it formed spikes out of its rubbery flesh, poking right through me. I gave two more slices in quick succession, before it finally dissolved away into souls.

I brushed at my armor, removing the traces of the slime from my armor...where had it come from? I looked up at the ceiling, and immediately took several steps back. There were four or five more, each clinging to the ceiling, lying in wait for some clumsy undead like me to become their next meal.

Then, a thought struck me...these must have been the source of the titanite, or at least the green titanite. I baited the next one out from its hiding spot, holding my claymore underneath it. Sure enough, the slime fell from its perch, and I swiftly retracted the blade. I gripped the greataxe, giving three thunderous swings in a row, the third of which ended it. It left behind a piece of titanite...though it was standard, black titanite. So it seemed they held both green and black titanite, though I didn't want to know how they got them.

I continued down the hall, cutting down each slime in the same manner, as well as the hollow that was at the far end. I found another piece of green titanite off one of the corpses, further proving that the prior piece was not just coincidence. With the hallway cleared, I returned to Resa at the bonfire. I stood at the doorway, not wanting to actually sit at the bonfire and risk losing precious time.

"Resa...are you ready to go?"

Thankfully she heard me, not too lost in whatever trance she was in to miss me. She stood up, grabbing her spear and shield from her back, and followed me out the hallway. I switched around my weapons, sheathing the greataxe while drawing the claymore from my back, as well as my shield.

"I found the source of the titanite. There were slimes hanging from the ceiling, and one of them dropped a large piece of titanite. Also, this." I held out the green titanite I'd picked up earlier, showing it to her. "Do you know what this means?"

She shook her head. "I wasn't quite paying attention when Andre was going over the titanite. I figured you were so invested in it that I wouldn't have to worry about it."

"It means that, given enough resources, we can have you set up with a divine weapon, should you want it. I have a feeling I know the answer to that."

I could tell she was tossing it around, my sister looking down at her spear. "Yeah, but seeing how often you've been changing around weapons, I don't know if I'm ready to invest into this spear just yet. We know Andre didn't have green titanite, so whatever we need, we're going to have to find ourselves. I just don't know if it's worth it for this thing." She tossed the spear around, accentuating her point.

"Once we find Lautrec, we've got no time constraints. There's no reason we can't take the time to make sure we're ready protected from Lordran. If that's finding you a weapon you're comfortable with, then I see no reason why not...where's this coming from, if I may ask?"

At that she broke down, leaning heavily on my shoulder. "Look at me versus you. You've been changing constantly since the day we've been here. You've gone through, what, four weapons? Five? I can't even remember. That's your second shield, and your second suit of armor. Me? I'm using the shield you said I needed and this spear replaced my mace. That's it. I feel like this whole world is changing, and yet I refuse to."

I reached for her hand, lifting up the talisman from her hip. "You forgot the biggest change, something I haven't done. You've become part of a covenant, and you've learned to heal people through prayer, as well as conjure spears of lightning through prayer as well. Tell me, does that sound like someone that refuses to change?" I poked her head. "You're changing mentally, spiritually, while I'm changing physically. Don't underestimate that, because I'd have been dead several times were it not for a miracle."

"Yeah, but…"

"None of that, sister. Once you're able to meet with Reah again, I'm sure you'll learn even more incredible miracles. You can't tell me you aren't excited about that. You know you can't."

"Fine. As much as I hate to admit it, you're right. Now let's stop worrying about me and find a way out of this mess."

I nodded, and we continued on, through the tunnels. We rounded a corner, and then another, coming out on a long hallway. If my guess was correct, we were near where we'd seen the butcher earlier. I was hoping that we'd see some sort of other exit by now, but it seemed like this was a straight shot to the hallway with the slimes. We rounded one more corner, following down the same hallway.

To our left was a hole in the wall, broken away however long ago. From the looks of it, that was where we'd seen the butcher...though it was hard to tell looking at it from the other side. Up ahead was one last room, and our only chance to find a way out.

I took one step inside the room, finding it almost completely filled with barrels...there had to be three dozen of them, at least. In the back corner, however, I could see a hood poking out from one of the barrels. It could see us too, eyes clouded by fear. "What do you want? Are you back for more?"

Not this again...I needed to ditch this armor, and quickly. I took off my helmet, showing myself. "I'm not him...though I can't blame you for thinking so. Let me guess, you helped someone dressed like me, and as payment they trapped you in here?"

The man nodded. "Yeah, that sounds about right. Look, since you're not him, you need to run, now. There's this freak around here that wants to eat me. Wears a sack over her head...I'm surprised you dodged her."

He must have meant the butcher...there was nothing else that matched that description. "We took her out a while ago. You're safe now."

He shook his head violently. "If you did, then she's back, and I think she's hungry!"

At the same moment, a grotesque figure burst through the door. It was the butcher...or another one, it was impossible to tell. Still, the sack over the head and massive meat cleaver gave it away instantly. The butcher charged into the room, only stopping once it saw that there was more to be had here than the strange man that was trapped in the barrels. It spun about, careening into the barrels as it did so, before charging right at Resa.

I immediately stepped into action, lunging to the side, interposing myself between the two of them. Resa had started showing remarkable fighting prowess...I'm guessing our forced fight with the goat demon had removed whatever trepidations she had. Still, I didn't want her to be getting hit because I wasn't there...I wouldn't allow it.

I spun about, drawing my claymore, and whirling around to send it slicing through the butcher's midsection. A clean cut split right across the stomach, thick rivulets of blood instantly beginning to spill forth. The butcher didn't seem to care though, raising it's knife high over its head, preparing for an attack. I'd remembered this from before, however, and took a half-step back, letting the blade pass harmlessly in front of me. I countered, swiping right, and then left, leaving twin gashes across the front.

From behind, I heard the familiar crackling of electricity, as a lightning spear was launched directly at the butcher. It let out a howl of pain, and I continued my onslaught, the butcher's front now beginning to look horribly mutilated. Still, somehow, it persevered, trying to catch me off guard with a sharp, horizontal strike. I held out my shield to absorb the hit, barely even feeling the impact. I heard another lightning strike coming, and a moment later, the butcher burst into souls.

I wiped my blade clean, moving over towards Resa. "First the rat, and now this? I'm starting to think you're trying to even our kill count."

She laughed, putting away her shield. "Don't worry brother, I'm far from worried about it. However, it wouldn't be fair to let you do all the work."

"Fair enough." I turned back to the man in the corner, still trapped back there. "Let's get you out of there."

I took out my claymore, cutting down barrel after barrel. They were, in general, poorly constructed, seeming to break apart upon impact. Still, it seemed like there were an endless supply of them, as I advanced further towards the man in the corner.

With one final, careful strike, I cut down the last barrel, freeing the man. He fell to the ground, his legs instantly giving out. Resa rushed over, helping him to his feet. Now that he was finally out, I could get a good look at him. He was dressed in rags...though he seemed to dress them up. Two decorative necklaces hung from his body, the only way that let me know that the burlap he was wearing was his choice, and not a punishment. Still, the man looked terrible, with cloth straps hanging down from the loose parts of his clothing.

"My name...is Laurentius. Laurentius of the Great Swamp. I wouldn't suppose you've heard of us...not many people do. May I ask who you are?"

My sister responded for me. "My name is Resa, and this is my brother Flynn, of Thorolund. So, you say that a man, dressed in my brother's armor, trapped you in here?"

Laurentius nodded, leaning on the wall to stabilize himself. "Yes. I was exploring down here, trying to find a place called Blighttown, when I ran across him. He seemed lost, even more lost than I was, and so I helped him out. Showed him the places I know, tried to help him out… The last thing I remember was his shield bashing into me. I'm willing to bet that he knocked me out, based on how things went. When I came back to my senses, I was stuck in this barrel, and that butcher seemed quite keen on having me as food. Thanks for that, by the way."

I nodded. I'd more or less stopped paying attention when he mentioned Blighttown...we were suppose to go there, and this was our first indication that it actually, truly existed. "So this Blighttown...do you know where it is?"

He nodded. "I think so, but I don't know how to get there. There's a large hallway a little ways down, perhaps you've seen it by now. At the end, there's these gates. Big, massive gates, with iron bars as thick as your arm. I'm sure that Blighttown is past there...but they're locked. I don't know how long I've been wandering around down here, and I haven't been able to find the key."

Resa spoke up. "Do you seek the Bell of Awakening there?"

He cocked his head to the side. "I...I've never heard of such a thing, so I guess not. I...well, it would be best if I showed you."

He held out his hand, wrapped in little more than a dingy cloth. Out of nowhere a fire sprung forth, dancing around in his hands. It was barely more than a flicker, but it was incredibly persistent. He even moved his hand around, closing it, opening it, and yet the flame was always there. "I'm a pyromancer, you see. Doubt you've seen another one of us, it's fairly local to the Great Swamp. I've heard tell, however, that a great pyromancer hides down in Blighttown, coming out only when there is a student worthy of her teaching." He held out his hand again, and I watched as the little flame grew larger, and larger, until it was as big as a clenched fist. "I've been at this for years. I'm hoping that, perhaps, she would be willing to teach me."

He put his two hands together, and all of a sudden, one flame became two. They each danced about, one on each palm. He looked at me. "Hold out your hand. I want to thank you, for rescuing me from this place. I want to give you the gift of pyromancy."

I shook my head. "I've already got a shield, and a sword...as generous as your offer is, I'm afraid I'd have no use for your pyromancy."

Resa turned to me, a scowl on her face. "Flynn, that's hardly appropriate."

Laurentius looked up to me. "I'm not saying that you need to use it, I just want you to have it. Truly, there's not much of a downside."

Begrudgingly, I put away my shield, holding out my left hand. I took off my gauntlet, unsure whether or not it mattered. With my bare flesh so close to the flame, I could feel its heat, like a soothing candle on a rainy night.

Laurentius placed his hand on mine, and for a moment, I could feel the heat completely dissipate. However, it returned a moment later, thought it felt different somehow...like it was a part of me. He removed his hand, and there, in my palm, was the same flame. It flickered, wavering slightly, clearly realizing that it was now in much inferior hands.

Laurentius reached around, pulling out a small scroll. "And here, take this. Pyromancy is more than just holding a small flame in your hand. This scroll will teach you to create a small fireball, one that can be thrown. Here, I'll demonstrate."

The pyromancer turned around, towards the back wall of the room. He held out his hand, the flame flickering about. Suddenly, it swelled greatly in size, until it was about the size of his head. He threw it forward, and the fireball arced forward, until it hit the wall. There, it dissipated, fading away.

He turned around, and I could still see the fire dancing about in his hand. "It's nothing particularly fancy, but it works well in a pinch. I know more, but I'm afraid I can't give away all my secrets for free." He paused for a moment, before pointing towards Resa. "Also, I suppose one last thing, since I can see you know miracles. Unlike your miracles, pyromancies don't rely on your connection to the gods, or your mastery of magic like sorceries." He pointed to my flame, which I hadn't even figured out how to make go away. "It relies on that flame. It can be strengthened, by feeding it souls, but that might be something I have to show you...should you choose to use it, of course."

I nodded...this was a lot to take in, for a flame that I had little intention of using. "I'll keep all this in mind, Laurentius. And if we find the key to Blighttown, we'll be sure to let you know. Where do you plan on going from here."

He scratched his head, looking about. "Well, I hadn't thought about it that much, but I suppose back to Firelink Shrine. I've run out of ideas down here, and I don't want to get in your way much. If you do find the key, let me know. And if you find the teacher, perhaps I'll move down there, and give her some company."

"How will I know what she looks like?"

He shrugged. "I wish I knew. I've only heard stories about her...she might not even exist. 'Quelaana', she's known by. Nobody's ever seen her, or at least none that have seen her will admit to it. It's my hope to be the first."

I nodded again. Quelaana...she might not even be real, and yet Laurentius was willing to risk everything to find her. It was true dedication, or perhaps just the last efforts of a man trying to avoid hollowing. Laurentius seemed completely fine, however...perhaps he really did believe in the myths. "Well, again, if we find her, I'll let you know. Stay safe, Laurentius."

"And you too, Flynn and Resa."

With that, he was on his way, the three of us heading out the door. Unlike us, however, he dropped down, through the crack in the wall, even further evidence that it leaded back towards the Shrine.

Resa turned to me. "So, where to now? There was a ladder a ways back. Now that you aren't carrying three weapons with you, it wouldn't be a bad idea to see what's down there. We should at least try to find that gate Laurentius mentioned, and go from there."

"I didn't notice it, so I'll bring up the rear for a little bit." As I followed her, I kept staring at the persistent fire in my hands. I squeezed my fist as tight as possible, and yet I still couldn't manage to snuff the flame out. It made holding my shield awkward...the fire was too hot to hold with a closed fist, meaning that I couldn't hold the straps on my shield. Laurentius had made it seem like this pyromancy was some sort of gift...and yet it felt like a curse.

Eventually, we made it to the ladder, and the two of us descended. Below was a small room, with a door at one end. A quick test found that the door was locked shut, barring any way forward. Resa turned to me. "Alright, I'm out of ideas. Where else is there to go?"

I had an idea...a terrible one, but it seemed like the only one we had. "Follow me, there may be one place left."

I ascended the ladder again, winding through the narrow corridors of the sewers. Eventually, we were back where we'd fought the giant rat, and I looked down the far side. The room only had three walls to it, the fourth instead leading to a long slope, slick with whatever water ran through the sewers. I pointed, noting the floor at the other end of the ramp. "We go that way."

"Flynn, you're joking."

I shook my head. "We're out of options. We know Lautrec had to go down here, and yet we haven't run into him. That must mean that he's gone somewhere we haven't, and right now, this is the only way I see."

I took one step onto the slope, and I immediately tumbled down. It was far more slick than I had anticipated, leading to my fall down the slope. Resa looked on in horror as I fell down, her face awash with horror.

Suddenly, right when I was at the bottom of the slope, I fell. I didn't see it from above, but there must have been some gap in the slope, leading down into...wherever I was now. I fell onto the ground a second later, landing on what had to be Lordan's most disgusting substance. It looked like some sort of...mucus pile, several feet tall and wide. Blood spurted from the center of it, covering the back of my armor with a revolting mixture of the two. From above, the water was still trickling down, and I held my back under it to try and wash it off.

I had an idea...one that I hoped would put this stupid flame away. I held out my hand, letting the water flow past it, and onto the flame. It tried to jump around, avoiding the water, as if it simply refused to perish. I clenched my hand, feeling the uncomfortable heat, and let water flow down my clenched fist. When I opened my hand again, the flame was gone...finally. I gripped my shield again, moving forward.

Resa was...not here. I didn't know if she'd gone down the slope or not, but I couldn't sit down here, waiting. I looked around...more tunnels. Always more tunnels. I appeared to be at the end of one, however, with paths leading off to my left, and directly forward.

I took the forward option, advancing down the hallway. It was odd, not having my sister here as support...it felt lonely. Right now, not even the firekeeper mattered, or Lautrec, or Blighttown...I needed to find her.

Near the end of the path was a strange lizard...one I'd never seen before. However, Resa had mentioned a lizard before...the one that had put the strange crystals on her legs. I immediately was on my guard, my shield up and ready. If these things could turn people into stone, it wasn't about dispatching it quickly, it was about remaining unscathed. I could feel the adrenaline pumping again, from an enemy that was seemingly so weak.

It jumped forward, and I took a half step back. It reared its head back, a sack under its throat beginning to swell rapidly. That must have been the stuff...whatever gas was capable of the crystallization. I pushed myself forward, spinning about to dodge the spewing gas that followed. It was a dark gray, seeming to hang in the air where it was ejected.

The lizard turned to me, seemingly helpless. I lunged at it, taking careful consideration to avoid touching the gas. My claymore struck through it, leaving a heavy gash along its back. It retreated, skittering back, until it was surrounded by the gas it had emitted.

I paused...I couldn't go in there. There was no way I'd make it out. The lizard didn't seem particularly harmful besides for the gas. It hadn't tried to claw at me, or anything. It seemed the gas was more of a defense mechanism than anything else. Carefully, I backed away, trying to leave the lizard alone.

From further on down the tunnel, I heard the crackling of electricity, one that I'd heard several times before. I spun about, rushing down the tunnel, making a turn. There, I found Resa...she was safe. She was fending off a few rats, but it was nothing that she couldn't handle. As I approached, she skewered the last of them, looking up to me. The two of us ran forward, wrapping each other in a hug.

"How did you get over here? I waited for you to drop down next to me, but you never showed up."

She nodded. "I guess I just got lucky. I came down after you not too long afterwards, but I didn't seem to fall down the hole that you did. I saw this stairway leading down, and figured that's where you'd ended up. I came down looking for you and, well, you know the rest."

I turned around, looking down the tunnel. "I saw more of those lizards that you dealt with earlier. If we can avoid going down here, it sounds like a good idea. Did you see the gate?"

She shook her head. "I didn't look around much, this tunnel was fairly close to the front of the room. It might be there, I don't know." She looked up, down the tunnel. "Did you meet that guy?"

I looked down the tunnel again, immediately moving to hold up my shield. A man was running at us, in what had to be the most fearsome armor I'd ever see. It was black as night and covered his entire body from head to toe. I could see sharp barbs sticking out from nearly every angle, including his shield and sword. The sword was the worst of all, looking more like someone had welded together metal spiked than an actual weapon. "No, I haven't seen him before. Doesn't look friendly."

"Really? I would have never guessed."

The man approached, but didn't seem to want to fight. "I am Kirk, servant of the Chaos Queen Quelaan. Forfeit your humanity, or be prepared to fight for it."

Chaos Queen Quelaan? That sounded an awful lot like the Quelaana Laurentius had mentioned earlier. Perhaps this Kirk knew something about it. "We're actually looking for Quelaan, or Quelaana...whichever it is. Where - "

"Forfeit your humanity, or be prepared to fight for it."

I was taken aback, holding my hands up. I still had plenty of humanity from when I'd hunted down titanite, finding that the rats under the bridge were practically teeming with it. I reached in, pulling out one of the strange black sprites. I held it out, letting it dance in my hand. Kirk snatched it away instantly, before turning to Resa. "Forfeit your humanity, or be prepared to fight for it."

She looked towards me, and then back at Kirk. "I...I don't have any humanity."

"Then be prepared to fight for it." He thrust his sword forward, leaving it inches away from my sister's chest. "Hold on, I can give you one for her, if that's what you're after."

The sword turned to point at me before I'd even reached for another sprite. "Your humanity has been forfeited. You cannot supply for another."

I drew my claymore, holding it up at Kirk. "Listen, this will be easier for everyone here if I give you another. Nobody gets hurt, you get your humanity, and we can all be on our way, wherever that may be for you. Will you take it or no?"

"No."

I looked at Resa. She was terrified...to be honest, I kinda was too. This Kirk was brutal. Somehow, he'd snuck up on me, and it felt like the humanity sprites were the least of our worries.

I turned back to Kirk. "Then be prepared to fight for it."

I lunged forward, holding up my shield, and managing to knock the two of us back several feet. Kirk spun about, managing to get away from me, and started charging towards Resa. I followed up, managing to get a deep slash across his leg. Kirk fell to the floor, the wound momentarily stopping him.

"Your humanity has been forfeited. Do not interfere."

"I'm not letting you kill my sister. It would have been much easier if you just took another from me."

Kirk seemed completely focused on Resa...probably because she was his target, since I'd given a sprite. He charged directly at her, fighting past the wound I'd given him. I chased after him, my heavy armor slowing me down. Kirk got up to Resa, who was hiding behind her shield. Kirk dove forward, rolling past her, managing to cut her leg with the barbs of his armor in the process. She was too slow to spin around, and Kirk managed to get a deep slash in on her arm. The twisted metal of his sword must have been immensely painful, leaving behind a messy gash.

I finally caught up, getting a clean swipe in from my claymore. I put away the two weapons, reaching for my greataxe. Kirk wasn't concerned with me...I had no reason to play defensively.

As Kirk continued spinning circles around my sister, I tried in vain to chase him, but he was always just out of reach. Resa was getting heavily wounded too, if the myriad of gashed on her arm were any indication. I didn't know how much more of this she would be able to take at this rate.

Kirk dove forward yet again, but this time, I was ready. I swung my ax forward, satisfaction rolling through me as I felt the heavy head of the weapon connect. I carried the momentum forward, launching him across the tunnel, letting him careen into the wall.

I turned to Resa. "You focus on staying alive. He clearly doesn't want me, so I can get free hits in. Just...don't die."

"Sound advice, brother. Anything else? How about 'don't get hit'?"

"It would be a plus." I laughed, turning back to Kirk. He was rushing forward again, and I interposed myself between the two of them. He dodged to my right and I swung at him, though he rolled underneath it. I'd managed to let him slip by me again, as he closed the distance to Resa. I spun about, my greataxe managing to clip his back almost by accident. Still, it was enough to stagger him, and I followed it up with a thunderous overhead swing. This one wasn't by accident, as it practically cleaved him down the center.

Kirk fell to the ground, using his sword to prop himself up. "My Lady Quelaan needs the humanity. I will not be stopped." With a surprising surge of strength, he lunged forward, catching both of us by surprise. He managed to slip his sword past Resa's shield, the barbed blade ripping through her midsection. As Kirk fell downward, so did the sword, leaving a horrific gash in my sister's abdomen. The two of them hit the ground in unison, Kirk's sword and Resa's spear both clattering away from them.

I rushed forward, seeing my sister lying there, barely able to move. I looked down, finding the Estus Flask that she kept on her at all times, and wrenched it free. I held it up to her mouth, turning it back, letting the strange liquid pour down her throat. It was hard to tell whether it was working, but I let it go for quite a while. I kept a way eye on Kirk, who had yet to fade away into souls.

Suddenly, Resa coughed, the liquid sputtering from her throat. I set the Estus Flask down, holding her head. "Are you okay? You were gone for a bit there."

She leaned forward with my assistance, looking down at her body. Her wounds were healing back, the blood caking up on her skin. "Yeah. I'll be fine. Just give me a moment and - "

"My Lady Quelaan needs the humanity. I will not be stopped."

I spun around, watching Kirk reach for his sword. In one fluid motion, I took my greataxe, slamming it down on his arm. The limb split in two, his forearm immediately falling limp. "Your Lady Quelaan isn't getting it."

I raised my greataxe up again, letting it land on his back...lengthwise. I put every ounce of my strength into the swing, sending it crushing through him. He dissipated into souls right as my axe touched him, the heavy weapon landing on the ground instead. In his place were two humanity...perhaps one was my own, and the other was his? I wasn't sure, but I stowed both of them away.

I turned back around. Resa was getting up, her wounds all but vanished thanks to the Estus flask. I helped her up the rest of the way, until at last she was back on her own two feet. She looked up, leaning on her spear. "Is he gone?"

I nodded. "Yeah...I'm surprised he managed to sneak up on us like that. Hopefully we don't see him again."

"Well then let's get going. I...I think I need to take a breather at the bonfire. It still feels like I'm bleeding...on the inside." She clutched her stomach, as if some phantom pain crept up on her.

I looked around...I had no clue how to get back. When we'd slid down the slope, which was our only way back to the bonfire. "I'll get us back there. Just hang in there with me." I took her arm and slung it over my shoulder, helping her onwards. We went up a staircase, and out into a large, vacant room. At one end, I could finally see it...the gate. A set of heavy metal doors barred the way forward...we already knew they were locked, otherwise Laurentius would have been gone by now.

I looked around the room, seeing one more exit. I led Resa towards it, finding it to be a stairway upwards. At the end was a door, with a metal latch that was visible from this side. I opened it, revealing the room with the ladder. I turned to my sister. "All you have to do is get up the ladder, and you'll be at the bonfire in no time. Can you do that?"

She nodded, lightly gripping the rungs. Finally, we both made it up the ladder, and back to the bonfire. Gently, I set my sister down, letting her rest and recuperate. I couldn't tell what was wrong with her, and from the looks of things, neither could she. Hopefully some rest would heal her wounds.

With the spare time, I took a seat in the corner of the room. After a few idle minutes, I decided to pull out the pyromancy scroll Laurentius had given me earlier...if I've got this flame, I might as well learn how to use it.

The writing on the scroll was pretty simple, but it detailed more than just how to create the fireball. I learned how to bring back the flame, as well as snuff it out, at will. Unfortunately, it said nothing about being able to switch which hand it was in...it would have been nice to be able to use my shield at the same time, but I supposed that was a lost hope at this point. After a couple of tries, I managed to conjure my first fireball, lobbing it at the hollow that was standing guard outside. It burnt away almost immediately, the fire consuming it whole. A couple more tries, and I had the hang of it, being able to aim and conjure with little effort.

It was all a waste though...I didn't see a large use in the flame. This shield, the shield of the black knight, had served me extremely well thus far. I hadn't found a comfortable way to use pyromancy and the shield at the same time, and I had no intention of giving up the shield for a measly fireball.

Eventually, Resa had healed, with whatever damage Kirk did to her being healed off. The two of us departed, heading down the ladder, and back into the large area. As soon as we got there, I heard a crash.

I turned towards the gate...seeing it being closed. I could just barely glimpse a familiar suit of gleaming gold armor from behind the doorways.

My mind went into a rage, as I rushed at the door. "Lautrec!" I charged at the door, fully aware that I had no way to get to the other side. I took my greataxe, slamming it into the thick metal door, leaving a great dent.

Lautrec turned about, looking at me through a small peep-hole in the doorway. I could only see his strange mask, but it was enough to set me alight with fury. "Ah...I see perhaps you aren't as hopeless as I thought. I didn't expect I'd ever have to use the black eye orb, but perhaps I'm wrong."

I pulled out the orb, holding it out. "Is that what you think this is? Some sort of game? You murdered a firekeeper!"

He let out a chuckle...disgusting. "Why yes, I did. She was flawed and helpless...I would have been remiss if I let her carry on any longer."

Flawed, helpless...I barely keep from trying to break down the door, pointless as it would be. "I'm going to find you, Lautrec. I'll find you and I'll make you pay for what you did?"

"Why? Nothing you could possibly do could ever bring her back. You'd need her soul for that…" He sneered, before reaching into his armor. He pulled out a glowing, white orb...we'd seen one before, on the altar in the church. We still barely had a clue what to do with it, or even what it was. But now we knew...it was the soul of a firekeeper. "I'll tell you what. Since I'm rather impressed you've actually made it this far, we can go ahead and set the terms of our duel, should you ever reach it. I'll be generous and let you go first."

I looked at Resa...this was important, and I didn't want to say something out of blind rage. "What do you think. If that soul can really bring her back…"

"Oh, it can. There's more too it than that, and I'm afraid I've already said a bit too much. You won't be getting any more from me."

I scowled, seething with anger. "I want her soul, then. That's my term."

Lautrec laughed, carelessly tossing around the firekeeper's soul. "You wish for a life? Then I suppose it would be thoughtless of me not to request one of my own…" He wagged his finger between the two of us, until it eventually settled on Resa. "If I win, I demand you. You'd make a good servant. Perhaps a little frail, but you don't quite seem so unruly as your brother. Perhaps you could even carry my spare equipment...yes, that would be quite helpful."

"No. Absolutely not. You're not taking my sister?"

He held out the soul, practically dangling it in front of me. "Oh, and why not? The soul of a firekeeper is quite a precious treasure, objectively moreso than the life of an undead. The wager is in your favor, Flynn. I could demand more, if you feel we should even the odds."

"No!"

Lautrec let out a chuckle. "Then what seems to be the problem. Worried that you'll fail, and lose the only two women you've ever known? Or perhaps it's because her companionship is the only thing keeping you from turning into a hollow husk?"

"Damn you!" I slammed my fist against the door, a loud bang echoing through the room. I turned you Resa, who looked terrified. "I...you are far more important to me than her, sister. I can't risk losing you. If you're uncomfortable, we can - "

"No. Flynn, I know how important this is to you. I've been by your side, and I'm not leaving anytime soon." She turned to Lautrec, struggling to be seen through the peep-hole. "You've made a mistake, Lautrec. Now you've given both of us no room for error. You ought to be ready...we will be."

"Oh, I wasn't expecting that. You're quite feisty...not the best trait in a servant, but it could be worse." He turned back to me, the two of us staring eye-to-eye. "None of this will matter if you don't get your hands on the shiny little key that will open this door. I suggest you start by figuring out exactly where that is, otherwise this was a waste of my time. I'm off to Blighttown. Perhaps we'll meet again, Flynn."

With that, he turned about, walking away from the door. I slammed my fist again, rattling the entire gate. "We'll find you, Lautrec. None of this means anything if we find you before the duel."

He laughed. "Well, I suppose you're right. But first, you'll have to open that door. Have fun with that." He disappeared from view at that point, descending down, presumably to Blighttown.

I was seething with anger...I wanted him dead, and I wanted it now. I turned to Resa, hoping that she would calm me down, but I could see the same boiling expression on her face. "Alright. We're finding that key. Where do we start?"

She turned around, pointing to a hallway. "Besides the tunnels with the lizards, this looks like the only way forward."

"Then it's our way forward." I withdrew my shield and claymore, walking into the hallway, and down a staircase. On the other side was a room...the massive room that we'd seen earlier. We were maybe a floor or two lower than last time we were here, though with even more to go. There was a staircase downwards that I took, and we arrived on yet another landing. After exploring it for a bit, I found a final staircase down. This ended with an iron door, one similar to what was near the butterfly. I gave it a test, finding that I could lift it, but with great effort.

I turned around to Resa. "Stay back here, stay safe. If there's something bad on the other side, you can hit it with lightning spears. I'll keep it company." I peered through the slats in the door. "Given how big the room is, there could be a whole lot."

She nodded. "Stay safe, Flynn. I can heal you, too, if need be."

"I'm counting on it. I've tried the whole 'don't be reckless' thing...doesn't really suit me."

I lifted up the gate, ducking and going to the other side. It slammed down behind me with a loud bang, reverberating through the entire room. I could hear the footsteps of my sister as she ascended the stairway, climbing up to one of the landings.

I peered ahead, moving out into the room. Suddenly, from the back, a small head popped up...and then more...and then more. Two massive legs came up, each one twice my height...far too large to be carrying a body that small.

Next came the beast's midsection...absolutely horrid. I now understood why the legs were as large as they were. The underside of the lizard's belly was ripped completely open, with countless teeth protruding. It looked like some sort of mouth, the way it opened and closed hungrily. Two more sets of legs followed, carrying with them a lower abdomen. On top of its back were two sets of scaly wings, each of them with numerous holes in them. I'd be surprised if the beast could fly, given just how much weight the wings would have to support. Finally, a tail slithered out.

The beast crawled towards me, before it started bending backwards. It rose the front half of its midsection off the ground, rearing back to show how truly horrific the massive set of teeth were. Some of them were twice as tall as I was, maybe even three times...it was hard to tell. The beast moved closer and closer, quickly closing the distance between the two of us. It was much larger than the dragon we'd seen on the bridge...much larger. Perhaps this was a dragon too, in some strange way. The scales, the wings...it had all the features of a dragon, and yet somehow managed to look nothing like one. We'd run in fear from the last dragon we'd faced...that wouldn't happen again.

I marched forward, holding out my shield, and keeping my claymore ready to strike. With no other distractions in the room, I would have to rely on Resa quite a bit to try and occupy it. Given how large the beast was, I doubted it would be able to grab her if it wanted to. However, with six legs, it was a very real threat to me.

I tried to flank the beast's right side, getting in a few quick slashed on its side. Thankfully, my blade sunk in easily enough, the scales not providing some impenetrable armor. From overhead, I heard Resa's first lightning spear arc across the room. The dragon let out a massive roar as it impacted...it seemed that it didn't like lightning. I took the opportunity to put in several more swings, before backing off.

The dragon circled around towards me, its tail catching me by surprise. The swipe was quick, but the strength behind it was enough to send me hurtling off against a wall. I slammed into the wall, my eyesight momentarily going fuzzy, but I continued...I had to. As I charged forward, I could feel the wounds I'd just taken start to heal together, courtesy of Resa's miracles.

The dragon backed up as I moved towards it, it's speed greatly outpacing my own. Still, I charged towards it, until I saw a shadow over me. I had just enough time to throw myself to the side before the dragon's upper midsection crashed down, into the ground. It charged towards me, its entire body stampeding at me on three pairs of legs. I held up my shield, still on the ground, barley supporting myself as one of the legs practically crushed me. I held the shield upwards, fully aware of the tail that followed. As I'd predicted, it tried to swipe at me, colliding directly with my shield. I slid along the ground from the impact, through the water, until I arrived back at its first set of legs.

As I got up, so did it, as it folded itself back over again. The whole time, Resa had been pelting it with lightning spears, probably four or five by now, each one seeming to have a major impact on the dragon. It was hard to tell just how much, though, as I didn't see the first sign of blood...or anything similar, for that matter. I continued slashing at it, trying to find a blind spot between its rear sets of legs. It felt like I was making process, the slashes on its side certainly conveying that, and yet the dragon didn't seem remotely fazed.

The dragon crouched down, lowering itself slightly, before springing up into the air. I was knocked back by its legs, and sent clattering onto the ground. From this perspective, I could see it...flying, in the loosest of senses. It was flapping its wings, but I could tell that they were simply keeping it from falling faster than it was. The underside of the creature started moving towards me, and I scrambled to get back on my feet.

I wasn't fast enough. As soon as I got on my feet I heard a massive crash, as the dragon landed right in front of me. It's midsection came crashing down right afterwards, surrounding me on all sides by darkness. I threw myself to the ground, trying to dodge the teeth that I knew were coming, but I wasn't quite fast enough. I got caught by its outermost layer of teeth, my leg practically ripped in two from the excruciating pain that rocketed through me. I was launched into the air as it flung its midsection back, and its mouth was open and waiting for me. I couldn't change my trajectory, at least not meaningfully. There was nothing I could do that wouldn't end in me falling into the awaiting pit of teeth.

Well...perhaps there was. With a surge of power, I ignited the flame on my hand, letting go of my shield in the process. It slid off my arm shortly thereafter, and I took aim at the dragon. This pyromancy...this stupid pyromancy...it might be what saved my life. I created a fireball and lobbed it at the dragon, and then another, and then another. All three of them hurtled at the dragon, sliding right down its throat. With the help of a lightning spear from Resa, it let out a roar of pain...but it wasn't dead.

I was descending now, and I threw one last fireball at the dragon before extinguishing the flame. It wasn't going to die...there was no sense in trying. I threw my claymore downwards, before reaching for my greataxe. With all my energy, I tried to thrust the blade downwards, though the action was somewhat strange while in free fall.

Thankfully, I clipped one of its teeth, thanks to the extended reach of the axe. As I continued to fall downward, the axe rotated about on the tooth, which sent me swinging away from the dragon's mouth. I let go, my greataxe dropping down into the dragon's mouth as well. I fell to the ground, my entire body planting into the water.

As I got up, the dragon turned towards me, charging forward. I had nothing...both weapons I'd launched at the dragon, and I didn't have time to scour for my shield at the moment. All I had left was the pyromancy on my wrist...and whatever Resa still had. I lit up the flame once more, throwing a fireball into the dragon's mouth and then another. I could tell that the little flame was starting to dwindle...perhaps I couldn't do this forever, much like Resa's miracles. If that was the case, I had to use every last one.

I started backpedaling, now somewhat lighter on my feet with my shield and weapons removed, but not nearly fast enough to outpace the dragon. I threw one more fireball, the flame on my hand barely flickering about. From behind me, Resa threw another lightning spear. I'd lost count of how many she'd used at this point...she had to be running low.

I dove to the side as the dragon tried crushing me again. I got back to my feet before it recovered, scrambling backwards. I threw one more fireball down its throat, before my flame was completely extinguished.

That was when I saw it...my claymore. Somehow, it had gotten wedged between two teeth, protruding out from the beast's maw in much the same manner as its teeth. It was all I had left. From behind me, I heard Resa yell that she was completely out of spears...we were out of weapons, and out of time. I needed that claymore.

As the dragon tried to slam me yet again, I threw myself to the ground, watching where the claymore was going to land. My back hit the ground at the same time it did, and I felt around. There were plenty of teeth...too many, but I found the familiar leather grip, yanking it back into my hands. As the beast started charging forwards, thinking that I was trapped within its maw, I held the blade upwards, doing everything I could to keep it straight. The dragon charged right down it, cutting a thick gash across its underside that ran further and further the more it charged.

Once it was about halfway down, it stopped. Its entire body fell on my, practically crushing me, but only for a moment. It dissolved away into souls, which showered upon me.

I got up, moving to the gate. Resa was there, waiting for me, and I let her in. "That was...close. A bit too close."

She nodded, glaring at me. "Yes it was, Flynn. I know you aren't good at being careful, but can we please try to avoid swinging on a dragon's tooth in the future. You about gave me a heart attack...if undead can even have those."

We both chuckled. "I...yeah, I'll do my best. Now, I need to get my stuff. Hopefully the dragon didn't eat them beyond use. I really liked that axe."

I moved back to where the dragon had fallen, finding my axe lying there. It wasn't too worse for wear...nothing that couldn't be repaired at the bonfire. When I picked it up, though, something else hit the ground with a splash. It caught my attention, and I sifted through the puddle. I brought it up, holding it out to the both of us...a key. Somehow, the dragon had eaten it. "Well, it looks like we've got our way forward."

I searched about the room, finding my shield as well. I strapped it back on my arm, before turning to Resa. "So...Blighttown?"

"Blighttown."